THERMAL TRANSFER
Thermal transfer printing is carried out by printers that use a carbonate ribbon to permanently print lettering, logos and barcodes onto paper or plastic media. The use of this type of printing offers great advantages of reliability and robustness, adapting perfectly to industrial environments. The ability to print even a single label avoids unnecessary waste and makes printing costs extremely economical. To achieve the best print quality, it is essential to match the right ribbon to the chosen media. Thanks to its high resolution and image definition, thermal transfer has proven to be the most suitable type of printing for barcodes and perfect readability over time.
The bases:
Depending on the different usage requirements, we offer several types of material for the best printing performance. All materials combined with the right ribbon guarantee quality results.
Ribbon (carbonated ribbon)
The ribbon’s structure consists of a polyester film onto which the hot-melt ink is applied on one side and the backcoating, a protective layer that protects the print head from abrasion caused by continuous contact with the film, on the other side. The ribbon must have the following properties: conductivity, heat resistance, mechanical strength, chemical resistance and printing uniformity. There are different types of ink such as wax, wax-resin and resin. The choice of ribbon depends on the type of material to be used and the type of printer employed.
The different types of carbonate ribbon ink can be grouped into 3 families:
Wax
Wax – Resin
• ultra polyvalent, from coated papers to synthetics
• high temperature resistance (up to 100°C)
• good resistance to rubbing and scratching
• high printing speed
• suitable for printing barcodes rotated 90°
Resin
• suitable for synthetic materials (PE, PP, PET, etc.)
• high temperature resistance (up to 250°C)
• excellent resistance to rubbing and scratching
• excellent resistance to solvents
• high printing speed
• excellent printing quality for barcodes rotated by 90°
