What Are the Advantages of Thermal Transfer Printing?

Choosing the right printing method for labels can always be confusing at first. With options for direct thermal and thermal transfer it really comes down to how long you want the label to last and in what kind of environment. Thermal transfer provides more options for longevity and durability but not without a cost.

Thermal Transfer – Advantages

• Image durability. It’s the label type needed for harsh environments.
• Superb resolution of bar codes, text and graphics.
• Longer printhead life compared to direct thermal printers.
• Can be color depending on color of label – black, blue, red, green, white.

Thermal Transfer – Disadvantages

• Dual media needed – labels and ribbons. More to purchase and store.
• Ribbons can be tricky to load.
• Must match ribbon to facestock.
• Single pass ribbon can be wasteful if little is printed on long labels.