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Barcode Printer Types
The primary use of thermal transfer labels is in the printing of bar code labels.
This is accomplished with the use of bar code printers, which are available in fixed
sizes of 4, 6, or 8 inches in width. The main function of these printers is in
the production of barcode labels for product identification and or shipping purposes.
Barcode printers generally employ either direct thermal printing or thermal transfer
printing. Direct thermal printers use a heated printhead, which creates a thermal chemical
on paper that has been treated; causing the paper to turn color, usually black creating
the desired image. Labels produced by direct thermal printers must be protected
from exposure to heat, direct sunlight, and chemical vapors. Thermal transfer barcode printers, press the thermal print head onto the label and
over the platen, which is a rubber roller. Sandwiched between the print head and
the label is the thermal transfer ribbon. This is a polyester film that has been
coated with a waxy ink resin. As the label and ribbon are pressed beneath the printhead,
tiny pixels located across the printhead are heated, melting the ink resin, and
transferring it from the polyester film onto the label. Once the ink has been transferred
to the label, the pixels are cooled. The total amount of time for this process
to occur is approximately 203 dots per inch or 300 dpi. However, because technology
is ever improving, there are several manufacturers that now have printers as faster
as 600 dpi. The demand for high print speeds has created very sophisticated label printers,
many of which are equipped with larger memories and very powerful processors, allowing
them to produce labels at the same speed as the print mechanism. In order to achieve
speeds such as this, the thermal label printers must use an internal description
language, which permits the label to be planned and designed in the printers' memory
prior to the actual printing. Each barcode printer manufacturer has its own unique and often complex language.
An example of this language would be the controlling computer transmits a series
of codes to the printer. These codes are the requested barcode's specifications,
including size and location of placement on the label, as well as the data to be
printed as a barcode. Then using pre-defined algorithms, the printer constructs
the barcodes. Barcodes have very stringent rules for accurate printing, which ensures
its readability under a variety of circumstances.
Small business guides: , Thermal Transfer Labels Guide.com |
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