Thermal Transfer Ribbons

A thermal transfer ribbon carries the coating that forms the printed image, so the grade you choose decides how well the finished label stands up to use. There are three, and picking the right one matters more than any other choice here.

• Wax is the general-purpose grade. It prints cleanly on paper labels and suits despatch, warehouse and carton work.
• Wax resin gives a sharper, harder image that resists smudging and light abrasion. It suits paper and some synthetic labels, and is the usual choice for barcodes that are scanned repeatedly.
• Resin is the most durable grade and is made for synthetic label materials, where print has to survive chemicals, heat or prolonged outdoor exposure.

The ribbon also has to match the machine. Desktop printers take shorter lengths on smaller cores; industrial printers take longer rolls. The wind direction — coating side in or coating side out — must match the printer as well, and a ribbon should be at least as wide as the label it prints.

Ribbons are used with thermal transfer labels; if you are printing direct thermal labels you do not need one at all. CDM Labels has worked in the label industry since 2006 — tell us the printer model and the label material and we will confirm the right grade, size and wind.