Northern Label Systems, professionals in providing high quality labels describe the differences among Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer Labels.
Thermal Transfer printing works by using an ink ribbon to transfer the printed impression within the heated printhead of your label printer on to the surface area on the label even though Direct Thermal printing transfers the picture right onto a heat sensitive material.
You'll find advantages and drawbacks to both equally approaches. Direct Thermal label printing isn't going to require a label printer that makes use of an ink ribbon, as a result making it a less expensive label printer. However, the labels are usually slightly costlier. This explained there is not any ink ribbon Charge, so the actual printed label Expense is remarkably equivalent. Direct Thermal label printing also needs the label printer’s printhead to be in direct connection with the label itself. If you are printing superior volumes of labels you will see the printhead wears out a lot quicker than one particular used for Thermal Transfer label printing. This could be A significant consideration if printing in quantity as printhead life will likely be reduced by between 24% and fifty one%. The cost of a printhead may differ but is normally all-around 40% – fifty% of the cost of a little desktop label printer and 16% – 26% the price of a mid-assortment or industrial quality label printer.
The printed label will likely be distinct concerning good quality. Direct Thermal label printing is usually only useful for labels that can have a brief shelf life including shipping and delivery labels, packaging labels and ideal prior to dates. This is due to the heat resistant labels made use of typically fade in daylight around some weeks or months depending on the degree of UV mild. Even though the labels are within an indoor Business atmosphere the label will normally begin to fade after 12-14 months.
Direct Thermal Labels that has a ‘Topcoat’ are available to make sure a lot more resistance to UV mild, however What this means is a rise in label price tag. Most Direct Thermal labels are classified as the uncoated form and so are employed for temporary labelling answers.
Thermal Transfer label printing makes use of the identical way of printing by way of example heated aspects heating up and cooling down very quickly with a thermal printhead. Having said that, with thermal transfer label printing an ink ribbon is utilized to transfer the printed impression onto regular paper labels or artificial labels. The end result can be a printed label that will not fade in daylight and can usually be readable for many years. Because an ink ribbon is made use of this functions like a ‘buffer’ between the printhead as well as label by itself leading to greater printhead life. Thermal Transfer label printing can be utilized to print paper as well as artificial sort labels including polypropylene, polyethylene, vinyl and polyester in both visit website equally matt and gloss.
The down sides of Thermal Transfer label printing would be that the label printer necessary is slightly costlier. However, Thermal Transfer label printers may be used to print Direct Thermal labels as well simply by removing the ink ribbon. Just don't forget although, simply because you may use an ink ribbon to print There may be yet another matter to run from!
Northern Label Systems was Established in 2003 by Simon Brown who started out Doing the job inside the label business in 1988 when he was a subject service engineer for Toshiba which concerned the on-web page fix of label printers from the south east of England. He then went on to deal with the label printer fix facility at Toshiba in Preston in 1992 and immediately after a few many years there worked in various positions as label printer set up engineer then sales account manager for a worldwide label devices provider. As Managing Director of Northern Label Systems Limited Simon makes use of his many years of knowledge during the label industry to make certain only the best quality items are offered.
Northern Label Systems has become designed with a standing for giving high quality labels at the best possible prices. They supply label printers by Zebra Technologies, Citizen and Toshiba TEC, as well as self-adhesive labels available in a wide variety of dimensions, colors and adhesive styles to suit all label machines and applications, making it easy to print your own labels!
Their products and solutions can create Address, Iron-On Nametags and Add-ons which contain Dispensers, Unwinders and Rewinders. These valuable instruments are intended to make label processing far more productive.