Labels for thermal transfer printers

Benefits of thermal printing with transfer technology

• flexible use
• simple processing
• variable data easily and quickly printed
• barcodes, batch number, expiration date, etc.
• low printing costs
• consistent print quality
• Professional pre-printed labels can be used
• choice of multiple label materials

Disadvantages of thermal printing with transfer technology

• printing in one color at a time
• gridded printing (possibly blurred)
• a print ribbon or cartridge is necessary

How does thermo transfer printing work?

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, thermo transfer printing allows only one color to be printed simultaneously – the color of the ribbon used.

Labels printed thermal transfer printers do not require special label materials, although not all materials are suitable. Labels printed with a thermal transfer printer are of higher quality than labels printed with direct thermal printers, both in terms of the label or sticker material used and the printing itself.

Note that there are many factors that affect the printing result of a thermal transfer printer. For example, the font must not be too small, the label material must be suitable for the thermal transfer process, and the temperature must be correct to get good quality printing. If the temperature is too low, the color transfer will not be good. However, too much heat will also lead to poor printing.

Application areas for thermo TRANSFER labels

Thermo transfer labels can be found in all industries and application areas, whether on bottles, jars, glasses or classic address labels. You can use thermo transfer labels to label foods, appliances or other products. To apply the correct EAN code, expiration date or filler information on your labels as required, it is most convenient to purchase high-quality roll labels with or without pre-printing from a professional label printer and print them on the thermo transfer printer as soon as you need the labels. The choice of paper or film depends very much on the area of application of the labels and your quality requirements. You can choose from different types of paper, PE film and PP film.

So what is thermal DIRECT printing?

A thermal direct printer does not use ink, but a special heat-sensitive paper that discolors when in 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. Unlike thermal transfer printing, the printing result of a thermal direct printer is always black. In addition, the special thermal paper is sensitive to UV radiation, which can cause a print to fade quickly. So thermal direct printing is especially suitable for applications with a relatively short lifespan.

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.

Can I use labels from unieketiket.nl in my thermo transfer printer?

Of course, we offer a number of materials that can be used in a thermal transfer printer. However, not all of our standard materials and finishes are suitable for subsequent printing with a thermal transfer printer. Some of our materials are heat resistant and therefore suitable. In our free sample book you will find some examples of materials that are suitable for thermal transfer printing. We also recommend that prior to ordering thermal transfer labels, you always perform a test on your printer with the material of your choice. You can do this by ordering a small test order or by requesting samples from our customer service department.

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 to: info@unieketiket.nl. We will be happy to advise you!