Labels for thermal direct printers

Advantages of thermal printing with direct technology

• no print cartridge ribbon or toner needed
• quick and easy to use, no ink cartridge or ink ribbon is needed
• Direct thermal printers are relatively inexpensive.
• The printer requires little maintenance.

Disadvantages of thermal printing with direct technology

• print in 1 color, black only
• only one type of label paper possible
• Prints may fade quickly.
• Printers can be sensitive to temperature fluctuations.
• The print head of direct thermal printers often wears out quickly.
• few design options

How does thermo direct printing work?

A thermal direct printer does not use ink, but a special type of paper with a coating that turns black when it comes into contact with heat. The printer has a print head with thermal elements, which are heated based on the information to be printed. The thermal paper changes color at the places where the heated thermal elements are printed on the paper.

Thermal direct printers are fast and easy to use. They are also relatively inexpensive. They are often used for printing small quantities of labels, to print (additional) information such as bar codes, expiration dates, etc. on product labels, stickers and tags.

Application areas for thermo DIRECT labels

Because direct thermal printed products have low UV resistance, they fade quickly or turn black when exposed to high temperatures or lots of UV light. Therefore, the printed product does not have a long shelf life. Direct thermal printing is therefore mainly used when the printed products need to be readable only temporarily, such as receipts, admission tickets or parking tickets. To keep the product readable longer, it must be stored away from light and heat. In addition, only special paper can be used for direct thermal printing, which greatly limits the design possibilities of the print. Here again is a somewhat more comprehensive overview of the pros and cons:

Advantages of direct thermal printing

• no print cartridge ribbon or toner needed
• quick and easy to use, no ink cartridge or ink ribbon is needed
• high print speeds
• Direct thermal printers are relatively inexpensive.
• Direct thermal printers are great for printing small quantities of labels, tags or stickers.
• Low maintenance costs for the printer because it is relatively simple in design and contains few moving, or repair-prone, parts.
• The printer requires little maintenance.

Disadvantages of direct thermal printing

• print in 1 color, black only
• only one type of label paper possible: the special heat-sensitive paper
• The prints are heat- and light-sensitive and can therefore fade quickly.
• Printers can be sensitive to temperature fluctuations.
• The print head of direct thermal printers often wears out quickly.
• Few design options as only one-color printing is possible

So what is thermal TRANSFER printing?

Thermal transfer printers print text or an image onto an adhesive label or tag using heat and an ink ribbon. This type of printing is ideal for on-site printing of actual data such as bar codes, expiration dates, etc, on your product labels. For thermo transfer printing, you need a special printer with matching thermo transfer print ribbon. Due to the printing principle, thermal transfer printing allows only one color to be printed simultaneously – the color of the ribbon used. No special label material is required with thermal transfer printers, although not all materials are suitable. Labels printed with a thermal transfer printer are of higher quality and last longer than labels printed with direct thermal printers, both in terms of the label or sticker material used and the printing itself.

This is how you thermally order direct labels:

Direct thermal printing is a fast and cost-effective printing method. This process is ideal for labels and stickers that serve only a temporary purpose and do not need to be legible for years. Order blank labels suitable for your direct thermal printer from unieketiket.nl. This way you can print your labels quickly and easily at home or at your business.

You can order thermo direct labels, both blank and pre-printed, quickly and easily using our online calculator. The appropriate paper can be found in the bill of materials as “thermal direct print paper. Please note that you cannot order protective varnish and special finishes for your labels in conjunction with thermal direct paper, as their application uses UV light or heat that would discolor the thermal paper. When placing an order, also make sure to specify the roll direction and roll core diameter required for your thermal printer.

Do you need advice? Or are you looking for something specific? Personal advice is a crucial part of our quality. We take the time to make all of our clients’ individual wishes a reality and are happy to point out opportunities that may not have been considered before. You can reach us Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at (+31) (0)30 808 05 97. Of course, you can also send an e-mail: info@unieketiket.nl. We will be happy to advise you!