Overview

The Direct Tube Marker allows printing directly onto the surface of plastic laboratory tubes between 6 mm - 30 mm in diameter.

There is no need for using labels or marker pens. Marking is resistant to ethanol, isopropanol, water, DMSO*, liquid nitrogen and mechanical abrasion. The prints are also stable over a wide temperature range (-196 °C to 100 °C). Markings do not transfer when touching the tubes.

Several lines of text can be printed, for example: sample name, sampling site, your name, date and time etc. All TrueType fonts available on the connected computer can be printed in a range of different sizes, which determines the maximum printable content. Bold and italic type is also available.

The instrument can also print linear barcodes, datamatrix (2D) codes and graphic files (monochrome .bmp, .gif or .tiff) such as logos. Print orientation can be vertical or horizontal (except for barcodes which print vertically only).

The Direct Tube Marker includes an Automatic Printing Delay feature, where the instrument is able to detect the presence of a tube and automatically prints the next label entry in the software. This feature makes printing to the tube surface much easier and faster than marking by hand.

Benefits

• No more smudged, illegible writing on tubes!

• No more disappearing labelling after each ethanol wash step!

• No more fiddling with tiny labels!

• Clean, fuss-free and durable labelling of all common tube formats with the Direct Tube Marker!

* The blue ribbon is resistant to 70% DMSO, the black and white ribbons are 100% DMSO resistant.

An Azenta Life Sciences product. For more information please visit azenta.com

Instrument Features

Example Prints

Prints Per Ribbon

The maximum number of prints per ribbon depends on the width of the print. There is a 3 mm gap generated after every print, no matter the size of label or the orientation of the text. This is to ensure fresh ribbon is available for the next print.

1. When printing text in vertical orientation, the width of print varies according to the number of lines, the font size and the font type. Reducing the font size and number of lines to be printed, increases the number of prints achievable from one ribbon. To calculate the number of tubes that can be printed from one ribbon (assuming the label size/data remains constant), the following parameters need to be considered:

• Number of lines (the width of the print will be the same with each line, the number of characters in one line doesn't affect the number of prints achievable)
• Font type
• Font size

2. When printing text in horizontal orientation, the dimensions vary with the font size, the font type and most importantly, with the number of characters in each line.
Reducing the font size and number of characters to be printed in one line, increases the number of prints achievable from one ribbon.
To calculate the number of tubes that can be printed from one ribbon (assuming the label size/data remains constant), the following parameters need to be considered:

• Number of characters (the width of the print will vary with the length of the text and thus affects the number of prints achievable. The number of lines doesn’t
  affect the number of prints achievable)
• Font type
• Font size

Direct Tube Marker Ribbons - Resistance & Compatibility

Metallic blue, white and black ink ribbons are available to print on all kind of tube colors and tubes with dark colored content. Choose the ribbon colour that gives the best contrast to the tube colour and the color of the tube content respectively.

Tube Compatibility

The standard Direct Tube Marker package contains tube adapters with hole diameters of 8.5, 11.5 and 12.7 mm. These adapters are compatible with the most common centrifuge and cryogenic tubes; 1.5 ml/2 ml tubes (4ti-0681, hole diameter 11.5 mm), 2D cluster tubes (4ti-0683, hole diameter 8.5 mm) and cryogenic tubes (4ti-0684, hole diameter 12.7 mm).

The integrated adjustable tube support platform and magnetic pole attachment should be used to support tubes without a "lip" or external cap. The applicable tube adapter should be used for alignment.

Additional tube adapters are available to support a wider range of tubes available on the market. Most notably, for blood and vacutainer tubes, as well as 15 ml and 50 ml falcon tubes. Custom adapters are also available on request.

The table below shows some exemplary tubes that have been tested for optimal print quality on the Direct Tube Marker. Click on the image to access the full length compatibility table.

Now also available from 4titude: 1.5 and 2.0 ml Microcentrifuge Tubes with frosted window and flat, safe-lock cap.

The frosted writing field on 4titude® microcentrifuge tubes is perfectly suited for use with the Direct Tube Marker, with a much finer and smoother frosting, allowing for great printing results both within and across the window. The frosted writing window of original Eppendorf tubes yields unreliable print quality and is almost impossible to print across the window due to a “step” in the frosted window (frosted surface height not flush with clean surface) resulting ribbon tears.

Technical Specifications

*Dependent on tube size. Prints to straight part of tubes only.

Related Documents

TubeMarker™ 2 Flyer

TubeMarker™ 2 Operation Manual

TubeMarker™ 2 TroubleShooting Form

Videos