Thermal Transfer Printing: Getting Started

What Do You Need To Know?

A. Material & Durability - there are three grades for your ribbons.

B. Coating Side - there are two ways and it depends on your printer.

A. Material & Durability:

1. Full Wax

The most common choice and versatile for any application. They’re ideal for a wide range of shorter term use such as shipping and retail labels with great print quality. These synthetic materials are work with both coated and uncoated paper stock.

2. Resin Enhanced Wax

More durable and they provide smudge resistance to moisture, scratching, abrasion, sunlight, and moderate temperature change. They’re ideal for medium term uses such as pharmaceutical, and archival labels. Use them with paper and film to get a clean start.

3. Full Resin

Wax resin ribbons offer the highest resistance to moisture, scratching, abrasion, sunlight, extreme temperature changes, water, chemicals, machinery, outdoors, and UV exposure. They’re ideal for long lasting/permanent in harsh environments uses such as medical, chemicals, textiles, automotive, and flexible packaging. Use them with film labels.

Black colored ribbons are the most common but you can find others if needed.

B. Coating Side:

Your ribbon coating side depends on your high speed thermal printer.

Coated Side Out - Zebra® Thermal Transfer printers use this.

Coated Side In - Datamax®, Intermec®, and SATA® printers use this.