Why choose Thermal Transfer Technology?

Thermal Transfer, a reliable and competitive technology

Definition

Manufacturing

Applications

All along the product's life cycle

Technology comparison

Choose the best technology for your need

The extensive use of bar codes for automatic product identification has brought about major
advances for the whole of industry in terms of logistics and traceability.
One of the main requirements is the zero-tolerance of printing errors. A spelling mistake in a
word does not necessarily change its meaning; however, a poorly printed bar code renders it
unusable. Different technologies exist for printing variable label information: which one is best
suited to different operational demands ?

Direct Thermal

Thermal Transfer

Office Laser

DOD
Inkjet

RFID
(Radio Frequency Identification)
Continous Ink Laser Etching
Jet
Hot
stampi
ng

Direct Thermal

The term "direct thermal" applies to a printing technique which does not use any inked
consumables. The chemically-treated print media turns black when passed under heating
elements in the printhead of the thermal printer.

Advantages:

Thermal printers are well-suited to the industrial environment,

A single consumable to deal with: the thermal label,

Robust equipment with low maintenance requirements,

Good, sharp print quality: suitable for bar code printing,

Acceptable print speed for industrial demands.

Disadvantages:

Poor label longevity due to sensitivity to heat, UV, friction and solvents,

Black is practically the only available colour,

Choice of print media limited to paper,

Label in direct contact with printhead, thereby necessitating frequent replacement.

Conclusion :
A good solution for printing variable information to last for just a short period of time (from a
few days to a few weeks) such as on till receipts and airport luggage labels. Not suitable for bar
code printing which requires a long shelf life.
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Office laser printing

Just as with inkjet, laser printers are very widespread in companies and also in home printing.
The technique consists of using the electrostatic properties of powdered ink (toner) to transfer it
onto the print medium. The ink is then fused by the application of heat.
Advantages:

High print quality,

Ability to print in colour,

Large numbers of printers used by companies,

Label sheets available in the shops or by office equipment mail order/e-commerce outlets.

Disadvantages:

Limited choice of printing substrates,

Inability to print rolls of labels, just sheets,

Very high cost of consumables (cartridges + drums). Ink consumption for a barcode is
higher than for straightforward text,

Unsuitable for use in the industrial environment.

Conclusion:
In companies, laser can be used for occasional label printing but the technique is unsuitable for
printing in the industrial environment due to cost and technical constraints.
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DOD Inkjet

Inkjet printers are widely used for home printing and sometimes by
businesses. Printing is carried out by spraying micro-drops of ink onto the print medium.

Advantages:

Ability to print in colour,

Affordable printers which are readily interchangeable and often already present in
companies,

Label sheets are available from standard distribution outlets.

Disadvantages:

The low resistance to humidity and solvents reduces the longevity of the print,

Limited range of suitable print media,

Low print speed,

Very high printing costs,

Long drying time,

Printer mechanisms are not suitable for the industrial environment: humidity, dust, high
temperatures, vibration etc,

Cost.

Conclusion
A suitable technique for printing small quantities of box labels, but of limited use for high
volume printing which requires speed, reliability and low cost.
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Thermal Transfer

Printing by "thermal transfer" works by combining a printer with thermal head, an inked ribbon
and a print medium. The ribbons ink is transferred onto the label when it passes under the
printhead.

Advantages:

Printers ideally suited to the industrial environment,

Ability to print on numerous print media: paper, synthetics or textiles,

Very low printer maintenance thanks to robustness of materials used and the TT ribbon
"backcoating" which provides the printhead with longer-lasting protection,

Excellent print quality (high resolution, sharpness and blackness of characters), even at
very high speed,

Depending on the ribbon selected, Thermal Transfer offers excellent levels of resistance:
abrasion, light, temperature, and solvents,

Operator safety,

Cost.

Disadvantages:

2 consumables to handle, the print medium and the ribbon,

Printed information is legible on the leftover inked ribbon which can give rise to issues of
confidentiality,

Few limits on colour printing.

Conclusion:
Thermal Transfer meets the demands of very different applications: from the low-cost solution
with a short shelf-life to the long-lasting and high resistance solution. Where quality and
reliability are indispensable, Thermal Transfer is the solution.
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RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)

Identification by radio-frequency enables the information contained in a label to be read

remotely via the presence of an electronic chip. The information is received by a sensor which
reads and transmits data.

Advantages:

Information read remotely,

Ability to read several chips at the same time,

RFID tags can also be used as anti-theft and anti-counterfeiting devices,

Available in many sizes and shapes, RFID tags are compatible with numerous different
applications.

Disadvantages:

High installation costs: chips and RFID readers,

Level of errors still high,

As of yet, no worldwide standard regarding frequencies to be used,

The information contained on the chip is also printed on the label to compensate for the
unreliable technology and the lack of chip readers.

Conclusion:
RFID currently complements other automatic identification technologies. Its development
depends on the cost savings it is able to make and the improvement in its reliability.
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Hot Stamping
Printing by hot stamping requires the use of an inked ribbon which is struck by a heated stamp,
causing the ink to be transferred onto the product.
Advantages :

Good resistance of the printed message thanks to the quality of the ink and the impression
,

Straightforward printing technique due to the relative lack of technology employed,

Ability to use different types of consumables: coloured ribbons, holograms, decoration,

metallisation etc,

Simpler technology requiring little maintenance.

Disadvantages:

The stamp is an engraved item and cannot therefore print variable information,

The use of a heated press (stamp) can alter the print medium, thereby significantly
limiting its use for printing on paper.

Conclusion:
Printing by hot stamping is a simple technology to use and presents few difficulties. However, it
does not offer sufficient print flexibility to be more widely used in the field of automatic
identification.
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Continuous Inkjet

Continuous inkjet uses ink and a set of electrostatically charged plates to

spray drops of ink onto the print medium to form letters or numbers.

Advantages:

No direct contact with print medium, thereby enabling printing to be made on uneven
surfaces,

No direct contact with print medium, thereby enabling printing to be made on uneven
surfaces,

TA suitable technique for package identification thanks to high print speed,

Coloured ink available,

Collection and reuse of non-printed ink,

Rapid ink drying time (1 second).

Disadvantages:

Low resistance of the print in hostile environments: friction, solvents etc.

Not suitable when the print medium is dusty, hot or wet,

Regular maintenance due to clogged nozzles caused by certain impurities in the salvaged
ink,

Modifications to work station required (solvent extraction system, for example).

Conclusion:
Continuous inkjet is a particularly well-suited technology for printing small characters on
numerous media, but has weaknesses for printing traceability information such as barcodes.

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Laser Etching

The heat produced by a laser beam generates a mark on the targeted

medium. This technique is widely used for marking plastic bottles and metal items.

Advantages:

No inked consumables are used, thereby dispensing with some maintenance operations,

Lasers do not require a flat print medium,

Ideally suited to variable information and therefore to IT data management,

Etching gives marking which is durable and resistant to abrasion and solvents,

Laser operation speeds are compatible with production lines.

Disadvantages:

The technology requires extremely precise pre-setting before carrying out a print run,

The laser can melt over-delicate print media (paper labels, plastic film, food packaging
etc.),

Laser technology must be used in a safe environment due to the risk to users,

Risk of emission of toxic fumes depending on the type of print medium used,

Lack of colour poses readability problems on some coloured media,

High equipment cost.

Conclusion:
Printing using laser etching is particularly well-suited to printing on certain thick media but
remains of limited use due to relative lack of compatible media.