What Is The Difference Between Thermal Transfer And Thermal Printing?

Barcode printers can be divided into thermal printing and thermal transfer printing according to different printing methods. Both of these methods use a thermal print head to heat the printing surface. Pattern, thermal printing does not apply to ribbon, but prints directly on label label paper.

Thermal printers are generally used in places such as supermarket receipt printers, POS cashier printing, bank ATM machine receipts, etc. It can be printed directly after installing thermal paper, without adding ink or carbon ribbon, and the cost is low.

The barcode printer also obtains the printing effect by heating the thermal transfer ribbon of the print head, and sometimes it can also replace the thermal printer. It is used to print storage labels, supermarket price labels, medical and pharmaceutical labels, logistics express labels, and product labels, authenticity traceability and other labels.

First, let's take a look at the printing principles of these two printing methods.

Principle of thermal transfer printing:

In thermal transfer printing, a thermal printhead heats the ribbon and the ink fuses onto the label material to form the pattern. The ribbon material is absorbed by the medium and the pattern forms part of the label. This technology provides pattern quality and durability unmatched by other on-demand printing technologies.

Principle of thermal printing:

The label paper is chemically treated thermal media, and the thermal printing method is selected. When the media passes under the thermal print head, it turns black. Thermal printers do not use ink, toner, or ribbon. Simple design makes thermal printer durable and easy to use. Since there is no ribbon, thermal printers are less expensive to operate than thermal transfer printers.

Second, the difference between thermal and thermal transfer:

1. Barcode printer printing mode

Thermal transfer barcode printer is dual mode, which can print both thermal transfer printing mode and thermal mode (such as: jewelry);

Thermal printers are single-mode and can only print thermally (such as supermarket receipt printers, movie ticket printers).

2. The label storage time is different

The printing effect of thermal transfer barcode printer has a long storage time, at least more than one year;

Thermal printer printing effect storage time is 1-6 months.

3. The cost of consumables is different

Thermal transfer barcode printers need to use carbon ribbons and labels, and the cost is high; thermal barcode printers only need thermal paper, which has a lower cost, but the loss of the print head is relatively large.

In some industries, because labels need to be stored for a long time, thermal transfer printers are needed, such as: medical labels, supermarket price labels, jewelry labels, clothing storage labels, etc.;

For cashier receipts, movie tickets, takeaway receipts, express logistics orders, etc., thermal label printers can be used because they do not require such a long storage time.

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