Every application is different, if you are labelling food products which are to be frozen, you need a specific label - one with freezer adhesive, any other adhesive will remove the label from the product.
Perhaps you are labelling toys for children - you need the labels to have a peelable adhesive to avoid marking the product.
Maybe you are applying labels to goods being marked up in price - you do not want customers to know what the price of the goods once was, so you print a label on top of the previous price which can not be removed without destroying the previous price - you need a permanent adhesive.
These are just a few examples of why an adhesive is such an essential to get right the first time.
Direct thermal labels are chemically treated to react to heat so that when you tell the printer, via the software to print, the printhead receives instructions on which elements it needs to heat up. As the label passes beneath the printhead with which it is in direct contact, the heat draws the image out of the paper and thereby you receive a printed label. Nothing else is required.
The lifespan of the direct thermal labels is very short when compared to thermal transfer labels. Maximum life for direct thermal labels is approximately 12 months. That said, the actual life will be dictated by the application. If labels are left in sunlight for any length of time they will quickly start to go off colour, first grey and then ultimately black. If barcodes are involved then direct thermal labels should not be used on any products where a reasonable shelf life is required.
Typical applications for direct thermal labels are sandwich and other short life food products, receipts, price-weigh products.
The Thermal Transfer printing process uses more standard materials which require the printed images/text transferred to them via a separate carbon ribbon, or ink. Thermal Transfer labels will not print without a carbon ribbon. The ribbon sits between the printhead and label and thereby provides much protection to the printhead as it negates the abrasion that is present when printing in direct thermal mode. This generally saves over time with the cost of replacement printheads. The finished label is not subject to degradation by heat and sunlight and so can be used confidently for applications which call for labelling long life products.
Typical applications for thermal transfer labels are transportation and logistics, archiving and asset tracking.
Now that printing processes have been explained, you may be wondering "how does the type of label reflect on the price?"
When sourcing labels, be they direct thermal or thermal transfer, one should be aware that there are numerous grades of material available; this is often reflected in the buying price. Cheaper materials are usually more abrasive on the printhead and create a lot of paper dust. Using cheap materials has a significantly detrimental effect on the printhead as the abrasiveness will shorten the life of the printhead and this component is one of the most expensive parts of a printer. Always try to obtain grade A material, especially if barcodes are involved.
Pricing: generally direct thermal labels will work out less expensive than thermal transfer because the print process does not require a carbon ribbon. That said, this is not always the case because thermal transfer labels are not chemically treated in the same way as direct thermal labels need to be, so this gives a cost saving in this aspect.
At the end of the day, if in doubt, ask us now! If you outline your application to us we will be more than happy to give you free advise on the most suitable solution for you.
Here you can find all our Thermal Labels.
If you have any questions or queries please contact us by any of the ways listed below - we aim to please!
Website: www.printonlabels.co.uk
E-mail: sales@printonlabels.co.uk
TEL: 01634 369 027
Mobile: 07526 558 991
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