12 May 2018

Comparing Direct Current Transfer To Thermal Transfer Ribbons

By Robert Cole


These two are methods of printing important information on the packaging of the product or even printing receipts. Direct thermal transfer ribbons out the information directly on to the material. The current transmission ribbon, however, involves the information being melted on to the back of the ribbon and being imprinted on to the front.

Current print head life and its cost. In direct current transmission as the name hints, the print material is to be in direct contact with the label material as it is pulled across the printing head. On the other hand, thermal transmissions are designed with a back-coating to reduce the friction. Less friction and static means less wear and tear.

With the direct current transmission, it is not the same. The dust and debris that may be present in the labels are in direct contact with the print head. In the process of being pulled across the print head, they may burn or physically damage the elements. In the long run, you will have printed out poor quality or premature print head failure.

You can choose to use current transmission or direct current transmission depending on which you are most comfortable with. There are machines made separately for both processes while there are those that are combined and can carry out both. The purely direct current transmission printer is cheaper as it does not have as many mechanics as the other two.

There are both coated and uncoated direct thermal printers. Many people assume that the coated ones are of the best quality and therefore consider only this factor when purchasing the machine. They forget that there are some inferior brands that also have coated printers. In the long-run, they end up spending a lot more on repairs than they would have on an original high-quality printer.

All these labels have various specifications. Each model of the different printers is different. They have different speeds and use different amounts of heat. The best thing is to avoid a lot of heat and go for maximum speed. A lot of heat may cause damage to the readability of the material. A bar code on a product may be undetectable therefore buying the product is harder.

The results of the two methods last different periods of time. As you choose, consider for how long your product will last in the market. You do not want to have faint writings on a hazardous product as it may cause a lot of damage to the user. The current transmission printing lasts a lot longer than the direct printing and is, therefore, best for goods that may take long to sell.

There has been a lot of waste in the environment which has led to its depletion. As you settle for a method, make sure you have considered the environment. The thermal ribbon uses chemical bases which may cause harm to the environment. The direct method, however, is safer because it does not use the ribbon.




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