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The Advantages and Disadvantages
Some of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Thermal Transfer Labels and Thermal
Transfer Printing Thermal transfer printing and thermal transfer labels have several advantages, making
their technology extremely attractive for bar code printing. Some of their advantages
include flexible format, graphic capability, high quality printing, required very
little maintenance, and high density bar code capability including the ability for
infrared scanning. However, though thee advantages are revolutionary, thermal transfer printing and
thermal transfer labels do have several drawbacks including the fact that thermal
printer heads requiring frequent replacing. Another draw back is the print speed
is very limited. This is because of the time required to heat the print head to
transfer ink from the ribbon onto the media, and then the time required to cool
the print head for the next print cycle. New thermal transfer labels have a maximum
speed for printing about six to eight inches per second, however the most common
is two to three inches per second. The speed of thermal transfer printing is constantly
being improved, with faster output rates expected in the near future. Smudging is another draw back with thermal transfer images, especially if they are
rubbed or scratched with a hard object. The reason for this is because of the type
of ink used has a low viscosity when heated so that the ink can be transferred onto
the receiving media. The ink used is rather soft at room temperature, very much
like wax crayons, once heated, the ink can be smeared. With the use of resin melt
agents, it was possible to create thermal transfer ribbons, which produced a smear
free image, however, these inks require a higher transfer temperature, which reduces
the life of the thermal print head, thus require it to have to be replaced frequently.
Having a proper match between both the thermal ink and the thermal transfer labels,
or receiving media, improves smudge resistance. Thermal transfer print bar codes are sufficient for non-contact scanning applications.
However, just like any other printed image, if handled roughly or is scanned frequently
the image life is decreased. Therefore, to protect the bar code or image when subjected
to abuse or a harsh environment, a protective overlaminate should be used. Hotter print head temperatures will increase the amount of ink to the thermal transfer
label, creating larger, darker bar code bars, whereas lower temperature print heads
will produce thin bar code bars, which will have gaps and voids that are caused
by inconsistencies on the thermal transfer label surface. To avoid this, care should
be given when adjusting the heat settings according to the label manufacture to
guarantee the production of the correct bar code widths. When printing bar codes,
it is important to periodically verify the print quality, no matter what printing
technology is being used to ensure conformance to the correct bar code specifications.
Small business guides: , Thermal Transfer Labels Guide.com |
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