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Variable Thermal Wax Transfer Printing
Hindsight is always 20/20. In 2000, marketing research predicted that thermal wax
transfer technology would decline in popularity. This prediction was wrong. In
fact, several companies were then and still are developing technologies to improve
the process. One such development is variable thermal wax transfer printing, which reduces dithering
artifacts and can print in 64 shades/color. This system uses the same printing mechanism as a dye sublimation printer. However,
instead of laying down a transparent die, thermal wax transfer printers melts dots
of wax-based ink, which adhere to nearly any type of media, from regular print paper
to metals, synthetics, and film. Thermal transfer printers produce images by placing color dots side by side. This
process is known as dithering, which simulates more colors and shades than what
is actually in a palette, which is how halftones can be created in a monochrome
printer. The process of dithering cannot produce the precise same results as the
actual colors, but dithering can produce images, which appear more realistic. Variable thermal wax transfer printing produces image quality far better than ink
jet technology. One reason for this is the fact that thermal wax transfer uses
pigments similar to printing inks. In addition, the pigment base is also lighter,
and more rub fast. As with any printing system, the more colors used the sharper the image.
Small business guides: , Thermal Transfer Labels Guide.com |
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