Northern Label Systems, specialists in providing top quality labels make clear the variations amongst Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer Labels.
Thermal Transfer printing takes advantage of an ink ribbon to transfer the printed graphic within the heated printhead of your label printer on to the surface area on the label even though Direct Thermal printing transfers the picture immediately onto a warmth delicate content.
You can find advantages and drawbacks to equally strategies. Direct Thermal label printing doesn't require a label printer that takes advantage of an ink ribbon, thus which makes it a cheaper label printer. However, the labels are commonly a bit more expensive. This reported there is not any ink ribbon Value, so the actual printed label Charge is remarkably related. Direct Thermal label printing also demands the label printer’s printhead to generally be in direct contact with the label alone. Should you be printing higher volumes of labels you will see the printhead wears out more rapidly than one particular used for Thermal Transfer label printing. This should be A serious consideration if printing in quantity as printhead life will be minimized by in between 24% and fifty one%. The expense of a printhead varies but is frequently about forty% – fifty% of the cost of a small desktop label printer and sixteen% – 26% the expense of a mid-assortment or industrial high-quality label printer.
The printed label may also be unique when it comes to good quality. Direct Thermal label printing is usually only utilized for labels that could have a brief shelf life such as transport labels, packaging labels and finest right before dates. This is because the heat resistant labels utilised commonly fade in daylight over a couple of weeks or months dependant upon the volume of UV light-weight. Even when the labels are within an indoor Workplace atmosphere the label will typically start to fade soon after 12-14 months.
Direct Thermal Labels using a ‘Topcoat’ can be found to be sure additional resistance to UV gentle, while What this means is a rise in label price tag. Most Direct Thermal labels are classified as the uncoated variety and so are utilized for short term labelling options.
Thermal Transfer label printing utilizes exactly the same approach to printing for example heated elements heating up and cooling down in a short time over a thermal printhead. Nonetheless, with thermal transfer label printing an ink ribbon is used to transfer the printed graphic on to normal paper labels or synthetic labels. The end result can be a printed label that will not fade in daylight and can usually be readable for many years. Mainly because an ink ribbon is utilised this acts to be a ‘buffer’ amongst the printhead as well as the label alone resulting in elevated printhead life. Thermal Transfer label printing can be employed to print paper and also synthetic form labels which includes polypropylene, polyethylene, vinyl and polyester in both matt and gloss.
The shortcomings of Thermal Transfer label printing would be that the label printer needed is a little bit costlier. However, Thermal Transfer label printers can be utilized to print Direct Thermal labels too simply by eradicating the ink ribbon. Just don't forget though, since you may perhaps use an ink ribbon to print There is certainly yet one more factor to operate outside of!
Northern Label Systems was Started in 2003 by Simon Brown who started off working while in the label field in 1988 when he was a area assistance engineer for Toshiba which associated the on-website mend of label printers in the south east of England. He then went on to handle the label printer mend facility at Toshiba in Preston in 1992 and just after three a long time there worked in various positions as label printer set up engineer then sales account manager for a global label techniques company. As Managing Director of Northern Label Systems Ltd Simon works by using his a few years of experience within the label market making sure that only the best high-quality products are sold.
Northern Label Systems continues to be developed on the popularity for providing premium quality labels at read more the absolute best rates. They provide label printers by Zebra Technologies, Citizen and Toshiba TEC, in addition to self-adhesive labels accessible in a wide variety of dimensions, colors and adhesive sorts to match all label devices and applications, making it easy to print your individual labels!
Their solutions can generate Address, Iron-On Nametags and Equipment which contain Dispensers, Unwinders and Rewinders. These helpful tools are meant to make label processing additional productive.