PRODUCING THERMAL LABELS: HOW DO THEY WORK?

You might not know this, but there are actually two different types of thermal labels. One is called direct thermal labels, while the other type is referred to as transfer thermal labels. Each give you and your company a ready supply of quality labels, but many people don't realize exactly what goes into producing them. Below is a brief summary of exactly how these two different types of thermal labels.

The first type of thermal labels that will be discussed is that of direct thermal labels. As the name implies, this process allows for the direct contact between the paper and the print head. In this case, the label material is made to be heat sensitive, and the print head is heated in such a way that it literally will 'burn' the image onto the paper, producing areas that are darker than the surrounding media. This burning that takes place is a result of a chemical reaction between the treated thermal label stock and the print head. This is one of the reasons why thermal labels often appear warm to the touch right after production.

The second type of thermal labels that one often comes in contact with is that of transfer thermal labels. In this type of printing, a ribbon passes over the top of the label material. Together they travel between a metal plate and the print head. The print head, when heated, comes down on the ribbon, causing the coating from the ribbon to transfer to the label material, creating an image.

This is just a brief discussion on how the production of thermal labels takes place. If you are more interested in learning the details of the chemical reactions used, the types of print heads needed, or even the type of quality produced by each of the different types of thermal labels, be sure to talk to a representative of a company that produces them on a regular basis. He or she would be more than happy to direct you to the information that you need.