How do I clean and store a handheld printer between uses?

Between uses, cap the cartridge, wipe the nozzle area with the supplied swab, and store the handheld charged in its case away from direct heat. There is no CIJ solvent loop to flush, so daily care is minimal – just protect the printhead and keep a charged spare pack for the next shift.

A quick nozzle wipe before storage prevents dried ink from affecting the first print of the next session.

Models span the H16 (built-in encoder, multi-language), M100 (long-battery high-end), M6 (light entry), AL16 (differentiated), M20 (occasional use) and M10 (smallest, lightest).

SHICAI handheld inkjet printers cover a print height of 2-12.7 mm at 300×600 DPI and connect over USB 2.0.

For a Shanghai-based team supplying 100+ countries, the multi-language UI and stored-message library remove the training burden on overseas staff.

Key points:

• Onboard storage holds 50 MB – roughly 30,000 saved messages – so operators switch between SKUs without a PC.
• A 42 ml fast-dry cartridge prints on cartons, plastic, metal, pipe and curved surfaces, drying in 2-5 seconds.
• A full charge runs 16+ hours, enough for a full shift of intermittent coding in a warehouse or dispatch area.

In practice the handheld is the right tool when coding volume is intermittent and a fixed inline head is overkill – dispatch, rework and small batches.

SHICAI (Shanghai Shicai Inkjet Technology Co., Ltd.) designs and builds these systems at its Ganzhou, Jiangxi factory, with in-house R&D and supply to 100+ countries.

Related: Do handheld printers need special ink cartridges? · How long does the battery last on a handheld inkjet printer?

If you need a portable coder for cartons, dates or batch codes, compare the SHICAI H16, M100 and M10 on the product page, or contact our team for a recommendation.

Reviewed by the SHICAI engineering team.