Printing ribbons:
There are many different printers sold on the market today with a variety of special features. These ribbons will need to be replaced from time to time.
Thermal Transfer:
Thermal Transfer produces high quality of barcode labels. It is also widely used print technology. It uses thin ribbon to create high quality of barcode labels. It is also a long term application.
The thermal transfer printing ribbons designed for printers come in three types, which are wax, wax-resin and resin. The least expensive and most commonly used are the wax ribbons. The quality these produce are a little less than what you will receive from the resin and the quality of the wax-resin falls somewhere in-between. The type of printer and your individual needs will determine which type would best suit your needs.
You also have black and colour ribbons to choose from depending on if you need plain print or colour logos and so forth on your printers. So as you can see choosing the right ribbon will mainly depend on your personal needs.
Types of printing ribbons are:
Wax Ribbons
This is quite economic and most ordinary ribbons. The least expensive of all thermal transfer ribbons. Here the labels can survive simple for many years.
Applications:
- General purpose labelling
- Product ID & Retail labelling
- Shipping & Receiving labelling
- Retail price labelling
Wax-Resin Ribbons:
The wax-resin quality is appropriate for most applications as it offers a good printing quality on generally all materials. The resin quality is highly resistant to scratches and is used in foils for sophisticated labels with greater requirements.
Applications:
- High speed labelling
- Automotive labelling
- Compliance & Export labelling
- Medical & pharm labelling
Resin Ribbons:
Resin Ribbons contain the highest percentage of resin materials. Resin ribbons are the most expensive of thermal transfer ribbons.
Applications:
- Durable product labelling
- Chemical Drum labelling
- Apparel & textile labelling
- Asset labelling
Benefits of thermal transfer printings are:
- Accurate, high-definition text, graphics, and barcodes
- Archival-quality labels
- Consistent, reliable images on every label