Size matters!
And so does material. At least when we’re talking about thermal transfer ribbons.
If you’re using a thermal transfer printer to print a label (logo, promotional material, product contents, warning, bar code, etc.) on a product, when it comes time to choose a thermal transfer ribbon, you need to think about what material you’re printing on (paper? plastic? natural fibers? synthetics?) and what that label will be exposed to (direct UV? water? salt water? chemicals? oil? solvents? blood?). Thermal label printers are used frequently to print bar codes because they are very accurate and output a high-quality image that has excellent edge definition—a really critical factor for bar codes. What’s the point of a bar code if it’s not easily and consistently read by a scanner?
First, size. This is really pretty simple: the size of the ribbon is in direct relationship to the size of the label. If you have a 2-inch wide label, you need to use a 2-1/4-inch ribbon. This protects the printer’s printhead. In other words, the ribbon needs to be wider than the label.
Next, material. Thermal transfer ribbons come in several materials:
Wax/Resin Products: these premium, versatile ribbons provide durability and resistance on a wide range of media, and are the perfect choice for demanding applications such as outdoor and automotive.
Resin Products: these specialty ribbons provide improved image quality and durability for applications that require special performance characteristics, such as resistance to extreme environmental conditions, harsh chemicals, scratching, and smudging.
Near Edge Products: the perfect solution for flexible packaging applications such as snack foods, beverages, produce, healthcare, parts packaging, and cosmetics.