How does a thermal printer work with a ribbon?

Thermal-printing technology can be used to produce color images by adhering a wax-based ink onto paper. As the paper and ribbon travel in unison beneath the thermal print head, the wax-based ink from the transfer ribbon melts onto the paper. When cooled, the wax is permanently adhered to the paper.

What are thermal ribbons?

A thermal transfer ribbon is a thin film that is wound on a roll that has a special black coating on one side. This coating is usually made from a wax or resin formulation. During thermal transfer printing, the ribbon is run between the label and the printhead, with the coated side of the ribbon facing the label.

How does a thermal printer work?

Thermal transfer printers work by using a heated printhead that applies that heat to a ribbon, melting ink onto the media. The ink is absorbed so that the image becomes part of the media. This technique provides image quality and durability that is unmatched by other on-demand printing technologies.

What type of ink does a thermal printer use?

The majority of the ink used with thermal printers is carbon pigmented ink which does not work well with color. For thermal printers to use colors, they utilize more wax based cartridges.

What printers use ribbons?

The typewriter and dot matrix printers are the equipments that utilize ribbon cartridges the most. The dot matrix printers print images by striking tiny dots coming into contact with a cloth strip soaked in printer ink. Thermal printers used in cash machines, faxes, and similar devices use printer ribbons.

Is a laser printer the same as a thermal printer?

Thermal printers are simple—they use special thermal paper that changes color when heat is applied. Laser printers are a bit more complex, but are more familiar, as many general-use home and office desktop printers use this technology.

Can you use thermal transfer labels in a direct thermal printer?

You can’t use thermal transfer labels in direct thermal printers. Direct thermal printers are designed to print on specialty heat-sensitive papers. Since thermal transfer papers don’t have heat-sensitive pigments, if you use them in a direct thermal printer, the printer will not produce an image on the label.

What are the different types of thermal printers?

There are two thermal printing methods: direct thermal and thermal transfer. Each method uses a thermal printhead that applies heat to the surface being marked.

Is it worth buying a thermal printer?

With recurring costs, the thermal printer will be worth the investment, and the recurring savings carry more importance than the one time cost of purchasing your printer. In the end, having a dedicated thermal printer makes a lot of sense if your shipping volume starts to increase, or is already very high.