When it comes to thermal transfer printing, the ribbon, substrate and printer all work together as one system. It’s simple technology and works by melting ink from the thermal transfer ribbon onto the paper or film. TTP (thermal transfer printing) is very reliable and low maintenance. TTP can be applied in a wide range of on-demand printing applications. Both black and color thermal ribbon is suitable for use in all thermal transfer printers.
We offer a wide variety of TTP systems. Our goal is to ensure that you are using the correct one for your job. To that end, here’s a thermal transfer ribbons overview of several different types of ribbon available:
There are four different types of wax ribbons:
Resin enhanced wax is recommended for coated and uncoated paper tag and label stock as well as synthetic thermal transfer papers like Kimdura and Polycart.
The benefits of using resin enhanced wax are:
- Dark images with solid fill and no show-through
- Easy to use, no printer adjustments needed
- Unbeatable performance at high print speeds
- Prints on a wide range of tag and label stocks
- Anti-static – Ideal for RFID
High mark resin enhanced wax is also recommended for coated and uncoated paper tag and label stock. Though, it adds extra durability with additional benefits such as:
- Prints at lower energy settings
- Offers higher durability than most wax thermal transfer ribbons
- Outstanding print performance on coated stocks
- Specially formulated backcoat protects the printhead
Standard wax is an efficient wax thermal transfer ribbon. It can be used on coated and uncoated paper and label stocks. The benefits of using this type of ribbon are:
- Handles basic applications with ease
- Reliable, economical wax ink
- Remarkable blackness in print quality
- Good stock latitude from rough to smooth coated papers
General Wax is recommended for use on coated and uncoated paper tag and label stock as well as polyethylene films.
The benefits include:
- Ideal for short run prime labels, brand color matching, inventory control and item matching and sorting
- For use in standard barcode printers and multi-head printers
- Available in 11 process and spot colors
Near edge thermal transfer ribbons are an excellent choice for tag and label applications as well as flexible packaging solutions. The recommended stocks are OPP, PET and Polyethylene.
The benefits of using near edge thermal printing are:
- Specifically developed for in-line packaging applications using digital printers/coders
- Excellent print quality at all speeds up to 40 IPS
- Highly compatible at various darkness/energy settings
- Produces dark, black imprints
- Performs well in ambient and cold printing environments
- Acceptable for direct and indirect food contact
- Wax/resin formula offers good durability with resistance to abrasion encountered on form, fill and seal equipment
You can also find near edge wax is a good choice for fast processing. It is recommended to be used with coated and uncoated stock, Plyelefin i.e., Tyvek, paper tag and label stocks, polyimide films, polypropylene, and polyethylene.
The benefits include:
- Fast print speeds – up to 600mm/sec or 24 IPS in near edge tabletop printers.
- Exceptionally black images with no show-through
- Prints on a wide range of paper and film label stocks
- Wax/Resin formula provides good resistance to abrasion
There are many other types of ribbons, and our printers are designed to work with what your printing needs may be. Some of the other choices are:
- Resin
- Color
- DuraCoat Signage
- Wax/resin
No matter what your labeling, coding or printing needs are, we are here to ensure you get the right one for your packaging needs.
