Advantages and use of thermal transfer printers

Experienced entrepreneurs certainly remember the times of using the first ink printers. These were not cheap equipment, they required proper maintenance and constant supply of ink cartridges. Today, modern ink or laser printers are present in most Polish homes, and the technology itself has managed to develop a lot (one can point here to devices printing three-dimensional objects, which are gaining more and more popularity). In industry and trade, thermal and thermal transfer printing technology has been used for some time. Many people rely on this solution, if only for the sake of its economy. The label printer does not require cyclical ink refilling or toner purchase, so it is cheap to operate. There are no restrictions associated with any limitations, so these devices are very often used in industry. Thermal transfer labels, which are used in printers, are supposed to have an informative function, so they must be legible and durable, but how to achieve this?

What is thermal transfer printing?

How does this way of reflecting text even work? The main factor influencing the creation of the print here is the heat generated in the thermal head. It then transfers the thermal energy to a thermal paper coated with a chemical that allows the entire process to be carried out. The head itself contains a large number of small heating elements, which, through contact with the paper, reflect the desired text or graphics on it. Thermal printing, however, has a basic limitation – it is black and white. That is why thermal transfer printing is more often used – the main difference is its durability and the ability to increase the color gamut, and this allows the use of more layers (m.in. kalk). The head pressing against the paper applies dye and laminate to it, which slightly increases the strength of the material.

It is also worth indicating which consumables for label printers will need to be supplemented, because while no toners or ink are required here, you need to buy thermal labels on an ongoing basis. Their choice is really huge – there are many variants, so we can opt for tapes Brother or other licensed proposals. Of course, it is worth trying different options to finally find the one that best suits the specifics of our work. Nowadays, we will find labels on the market that will fit the needs of every person using thermal transfer printers in their work.

Not just paper – materials on labels

Since the choice of labels themselves is so large, it is worth taking a closer look at them. As we said earlier, they are the only element that we have to periodically supplement, but valuable information is also that the material from which the labels are made is in no way dependent on the printer, i.e. one device can be printed on all types of plastic. Let's check what are available on the market. The first is, of course, standard paper. Paper tapes belong to the lowest price shelf, but the small price entails a serious disadvantage in the form of low durability. If we care about high resistance, then we should certainly pay attention to counterparts made of polypropylene. Temperature, moisture or mechanical damage are not terrible for them, so if there is a chance that the marked goods will have contact with water, for example, it will definitely be a good choice. An interesting alternative is also acrylic. It is mainly used to mark printed circuit boards or as warranty seals. Resistance to UV rays, temperature and chemicals guarantees the strength of acrylic labels. Finally, it is worth mentioning the flexible vinyl – it perfectly copes with irregular surfaces from which other materials peel off. It will also withstand close contact with fire and water. Naturally, non-paper self-adhesive labels are usually noticeably more expensive, but the material is not the only aspect that raises the price. The length and size of the roll itself also matters.