Looking For Thermal Transfer Labels For Your Business?
Among thermal printers, there are two basic mechanisms of action from which to choose. In addition to direct thermal printing, there are units which instead utilize thermal transfer labels; this type of thermal printer was introduced in 1974.
While both printing methods employ the application of heat upon the surface being labeled, only thermal transfer labels are marked using a heated ribbon. Heat is applied by the print head to the ribbon, melting the ink onto the label surface.
This is different from direct thermal printing, which applies the image directly to the media surface with neither ink nor ribbon. The thermal transfer method produces longer-lasting, durable images on a variety of surfaces.
They are especially good for bar code printing due to their accuracy in edge definition; they may still be scanned even after months in storage.
Thermal transfer labels come in a greater variety of materials, such as polypropylene and polyester, in addition to paper. When matched with the proper ribbon, archival-quality labels can be made to withstand ultraviolet exposure, extreme temperatures, and sterilization.
Thermal transfer labels typically come in standard sizes of four, six, or eight inches in width. The type of ribbon used will depend on the surface being marked, and ribbons are available in a varied combination of resin and wax.
The proper choice of ribbon will result in higher quality labels with greater endurance. It is important to remember that a poor match between the ribbon and label material will result in unacceptable print quality. For example, in the electronic and automotive industries, pure resins are often used on polypropylene or plastic for lasting permanence.
A mixture of wax and resin onto paper will create an image with a crisp resolution which can enlarged or reduced in size without a loss of clarity. Additionally, thermal transfer labels are available with a tamper-evident surface which will indicate if it has been lifted by someone in an attempt to make an unauthorized switch.
There are also removable labels, as well as ones designed to adhere strongly to greasy or oily surfaces.
In 1994, the first digital color thermal transfer label printer was introduced, and it immediately stood out in an industry which had previously known only single-color labels, such as production line bar code printers.
The number of applications is almost endless when it is remembered just how many objects require a virtually indestructible label that lasts a lifetime.
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