Shopping Basket
Thermal Labels & Thermal Transfer Labels for Barcode Printers
.
Thermal Labels & Thermal Transfer Labels for Barcode Printers
.
Direct Thermal or Thermal Transfer?
.
Direct Thermal labels
Chemically treated materials which enable the image to be drawn out of the paper (material) when heat is applied to it via the printer's print head. Nothing else is required.
Thermal Transfer Labels
Standard materials which require the printed images/text transferred to them via a separate carbon ribbon, or ink. TT labels 'will not' print without a carbon ribbon.
.
Thermal Transfer v Direct Thermal Labels - Detailed......
All thermal labels and related products sold by www.printonlabels.co.uk are fully guaranteed for one-year. Certain products are guaranteed for longer than this period and if this applies then it is stated on our website.
We have been in the labelling industry for more than 30 years and we pride ourselves on being able to provide solutions for virtually any application where a labelling solution is required.
The following is some general information which we hope will assist you in determining your labelling requirements however, if in any doubt, we heartily recommend that you contact us to discuss your requirements in detail so we can offer relevant advise and ‘get it right first time!’ - Email us here!
We can provide the widest range of materials for almost any label application, from adhering to concrete slabs in an outside yard to labelling outer cases in a warehouse for identification and transportation. Typical applications include asset tracking, transportation and logistics, food labelling, general pricing, price mark-down, price marking, product coding for EPOS systems etc and many more.
Direct Thermal Labels
As the name thermal implies both direct thermal and thermal transfer print methods use heat in the printing process. Direct thermal labels are chemically treated to react to heat so that when you tell the printer, via the software, to print, the printhead receives instructions on which elements it needs to heat up. As the label passes beneath the printhead with which it is in direct contact, the heat draws the image out of the paper and thereby you receive a printed label.
Considerations: The lifespan of the labels is very short when compared to labels which have been printed using the thermal transfer print process. Maximum life for direct thermal labels is approximately 12 months. That said, the actual life will be dictated by the application. If labels are left in sunlight for any length of time they will quickly start to go off colour, first grey and then ultimately black. If barcodes are involved then direct thermal labels should not be used on any products where a reasonable shelf life is required. One very important factor in the scanning of barcodes is the print contrast signal (PCS), this effectively is the contrast between the black and white on the label. If the white part of the label starts to go grey then you lose the ratio in the PCS between the black and white and the barcodes will not scan. Even if text only is required, then after a certain period of time, depending where the items are stored, the labels start to look tardy and make the actual product appear aged.
Typical applications for direct thermal labels are sandwich and other short life food products, receipts, price-weigh products etc.
Thermal Transfer Labels
The thermal transfer printing process uses a ‘normal’ label material plus a carbon ribbon, which is the ‘ink’ to print the image onto the label. The ribbon sits between the printhead and label and thereby provides much protection to the printhead as it negates the ‘abrasion’ that is present when printing in direct thermal mode. This generally saves over time with the cost of replacement printheads. The finished label is not subject to degradation by heat and sunlight and so can be used confidently for applications which call for labelling long life products.
Typical applications for thermal transfer labels are transportation and logistics, archiving and asset tracking.
Thermal Transfer v Direct Thermal Labels - Pricing
When sourcing labels, be they direct thermal or thermal transfer, one should be aware that there are numerous grades of material available; this is often reflected in the buying price. Cheaper materials are usually more abrasive on the printhead and create a lot of paper dust. Using cheap materials has a significantly detrimental effect on the printhead as the abrasiveness will shorten the life of the printhead and this component is one of the most expensive parts of a printer. Always try to obtain grade A material, especially if barcodes are involved.
Pricing: generally direct thermal labels will work out less expensive than thermal transfer because the print process does not require a carbon ribbon. That said, this is not always the case because thermal transfer labels are not chemically treated in the same way as direct thermal labels need to be so this gives a cost saving in this aspect.
At the end of the day, if in doubt, ask us now! If you outline your application to us we will be more than happy to give you free advise on the most suitable solution for you.