½" TIJ Printhead: Anser Smart Printhead
A screenless ½" TIJ printer that builds into your machine. There is no controller to buy: run it from your own Android phone or tablet or any browser, or have it follow an X1, X1 Lite or A1 through QuickSync. Build messages in NexLink or free Xonnect Lite.
- Operator screen
- None
- Printheads
- 1 built in; stitch up to 4
- Code height
- ½"; about 1" with two; 2" with four
- 160 mL high-volume
- No
- Resolution and speed
- 600 × 600 dpi · 60 m/min at 300 dpi
- Warranty
- 5-year printer warranty, honored by TPS
Supplied and supported by TPS, an Anser OEM partner, through qualified distributors.
Every option
Pick how you control it, the printhead and the Odyssey cartridge. Specs are below.
X1 Lite controller7" touchscreen; the SPH follows it through QuickSync
1 unit½" (12.7 mm) code↔ Body: 1.5 in (38.5 mm) wide
2 stitchedabout 1" (24.75 mm)↔ Body: 1.5 in (38.5 mm) wide
4 stitched2" (50 mm) code↔ Body: 1.5 in (38.5 mm) wide
▸Specs
- Resolution
- 600 × 600 dpi
- Speed
- 60 m/min at 300 dpi
- Throw distance
- 6 mm (0.24")
- Photoeye
- Built in
- Encoder
- Sold separately; one connects by the included DB9 cable, I/O Box for more
- Line sync
- QuickSync: follows an X1, X1 Lite or A1 leader: a leader plus up to two followers; larger lines on request
- Connectivity
- Ethernet, USB, opt. Wi-Fi; Modbus TCP & RTU
- Size, weight
- 8.1 × 1.5 × 2.9 in, 0.7 lb
- Operating temp.
- 0–40 °C (32–104 °F)
- Mounting
- Fits existing Anser U2 brackets
- Handheld
- Mobile Kit (available now)
Anser Smart Printhead (SPH) — 1/2"
SKU: PH-05-001
Anser's current-generation 1/2" (12.7mm) thermal inkjet printhead, and our standard 1/2" offering. The Smart Printhead is self-contained — it carries its own message engine and web console, so it runs on its own, or follows an Anser X1, X1 Lite or A1 through QuickSync. Networked over RJ-45 with Modbus, and it stitches up to four units for a 2" (50 mm) band. Takes the Odyssey 1/2" cartridges. (Anser also builds the T2 Standard, the X1 Lite's everyday printhead for 0.5" and 1" cartridges — ask us if that is the better fit for your line.)
- • Up to 600 dpi resolution
- • Print height: 1/2" (12.7mm)
- • Line speed up to 300 m/min at 60 dpi
- • RJ-45 ×1, USB 2.0 ×1, Mini-DP to DB9 I/O cable (RS-232/485, photocell, encoder)
- • Built-in photocell; 5-LED status indicator bar
- • QuickSync: a leader plus up to two followers; larger lines on request
- • 204.5 × 38.5 × 73.3 mm — 320 g (0.71 lb)
- • Operating temp: 0°–40°C (32°–104°F)
When the 1/2" head is the right choice
The half-inch print band suits short codes and small products and keeps ink cost per code low. It’s a good fit for one or two lines of dates and lot numbers. Plan the space for cartridge changes: about 25 cm (10 in) above the head.
Need taller or bolder codes, or more lines of text? Step up to the 1" TIJ printhead.
Complete the system
Spec it for your line
Tell us your product, substrate, and available space and we’ll recommend the right setup.
Contact usIn application
Smart PrintHead Expansion Kit
The SPH grows with your line. A set of add-ons turns one compact printhead into a mobile coder, a large-format stitched array, or a synchronized multi-head line — all on the same unit.
Mobile Kit
Turns the SPH into a handheld coder — mark cartons, pallets, and drums anywhere on site. Mark anywhere, anytime.
WiFi Dongle
Instant wireless connection to NexLink or Xonnect — no cables to run.
ZShape Stitching Bracket
Stitch multiple SPH heads for up to 2" (50 mm) of print height with four units, with clean alignment and consistent large-format quality.
I/O Box
Synchronizes multiple SPH units on one line — one encoder, one sensor, less cabling. Needed to connect the encoder, sensor and light tower at the same time; a single encoder or sensor connects with the DB9 cable included with the SPH.
Plus the free NexLink app — run the Smart Printhead from your Android phone or tablet and make line-side adjustments in seconds. Ask us to spec the right expansion set for your line.
See it in action
Smart Printhead — embedded industrial coding
A screenless, self-contained coder that builds into machinery. There’s no controller cable, which makes robotic-arm integration practical. Runs from a browser web console or the NexLink app (Android).
QuickSync — X1 controller + Smart Printhead
QuickSync links a leader printer to its followers, so they print the same message and start and stop together. Here an X1 controller leads a Smart Printhead for wide-format and multi-side coding.
Compare with
How the other NexGen systems differ from the Smart Printhead.
A1Screen built into the unit; ½" or 1" headsX1 Lite7" touchscreen controller; 160 mL option
X1Two heads, IP66 controller housing; 160 mL optionFrequently asked questions
What is a 1/2" TIJ printhead?
A 1/2" (12.7mm) thermal inkjet printhead prints a compact half-inch band of high-resolution coding — dates, lot and batch numbers, and small barcodes. Ours is Anser’s Smart Printhead (SPH): it is self-contained, carrying its own message engine and web console, so it runs on its own, or follows an Anser X1, X1 Lite or A1 through QuickSync
Should I choose the 1/2" or the 1" printhead?
Choose the 1/2" head for short codes, lower ink cost per code and installs built into machinery. It’s ideal for small products and one or two lines of date and lot code. Allow about 25 cm (10 in) above it for cartridge changes. Choose the 1" head when you need taller, bolder codes or more lines of text.
Which cartridges does the 1/2" printhead use?
The 1/2" Smart Printhead takes sealed 0.5" thermal inkjet cartridges filled with Odyssey inks, in black, in water-based and solvent chemistries matched to your substrate. It prints at up to 600 × 600 dpi at 0.5".
Does it work with label-design software?
Yes. The Smart Printhead works with the Loftware NiceLabel driver, so you can design and send coding messages from NiceLabel label-design workflows. Xonnect adds central monitoring across your printers.
What can the 1/2" printhead code?
Best-by and expiration dates, lot and batch numbers, counters, and small barcodes — on cartons, paper, films, and many rigid surfaces, with ink chemistry matched to the substrate.
Is the 1/2" printhead the same as the Anser Smart Printhead (SPH)?
Yes. Our 1/2" printhead is Anser’s Smart Printhead — self-contained, and what we ship as standard. Anser also builds the T2 Standard, and it is a current printhead rather than a superseded one: it is the everyday head for the X1 Lite and takes both 0.5" and 1" cartridges. The two suit different setups — the SPH runs standalone, or as a QuickSync follower to an X1, X1 Lite or A1, the T2 Standard runs on the X1 Lite — so tell us about your line and we will point you at the right one.
How do I create messages on the Smart Printhead?
Build them in the NexLink app on an Android phone or tablet, or in Xonnect Lite, Anser’s free Windows software. The printhead’s built-in web console then runs the printer from any browser: start and stop, ink level and which message prints. NexLink needs the latest printer firmware. New units ship with it; for units already in the field, ask us or your distributor for the update.
Can I upgrade from an Anser U2 to the Smart Printhead?
Yes. Anser designed the Smart Printhead to fit existing Anser U2 brackets, so it mounts in place of a U2 with minimal mounting changes.
Can the Smart Printhead be used as a handheld or expanded for large-format?
Yes — the SPH Expansion Kit adds a Mobile Kit that turns the printhead into a handheld coder for cartons, pallets, and drums; a ZShape Stitching Bracket to stitch up to four heads for 2" (50 mm) of print height; a WiFi Dongle for cable-free connection to NexLink or Xonnect; and an I/O Box to synchronize multiple SPH units on one line. Ask us to spec the right set for your application.