All the products and services available in the world have
a name, a maker and a user, all of which add up to an identity that has to be
recorded. If we replace the words recorded and identity by label and barcode,
we find ourselves in the world of Thermal Transfer.
Printing by Thermal Transfer consists of applying thermo
fusible ink onto a receptor – Paper, Polyester or Tags, using a heat source (
Thermal Head ) emitted by the printer.
The flexibility of TT is its capacity to meet very high
demands of print quality and to provide a technical solution in keeping with
user expectations. There are many variables of Thermal Transfer Ribbons whether
from the point of view of the type of ink chosen, the nature of the printing
media and finally the choice of printer technology. Each of these elements will
have a big influence on the print result.
This is why to properly understand how printing by
Thermal Transfer works, it is important to separate each of the elements
involved in the process.
A Thermal Transfer ribbon is the consumable which
contains the ink required for printing. Of virtually identical exterior
appearance, TT ribbons differ through the properties of the inked ribbon
(backcoating, polyester film, ink layer(s)) but also through all the components
which make up the roll (core, trailer of ribbon end and leader of ribbon
start).
INKED
RIBBON :
During the manufacturing process, a transparent polyester
film is unwound, with on one side a single or several layers of ink applied,
and on the other a protective layer called the backcoating.
Backcoating
The backcoating is the part of the ribbon which is in
direct contact with the printer’s printhead. Made from silicon, the role of the
backcoating is to :
- protect the printhead as the ribbon unwinds,
- provide excellent heat conductivity to enable the ink to transfer to the print medium,
- reduce the formation of static electricity, which is harmful to the printer and its operator.
Polyester
film
PET film is the basic medium for TT ribbon and is the
thickest part (4.5 microns). Its
principal properties are to offer excellent tear resistance which is
required during the manufacturing process and subsequently during printing, and
to ensure perfect heat conductivity.
Ink
Ink is made up of wax, resin or a
mixture of the two, and also certain additives and colour pigments. The
composition of the ink gives it very different print characteristics, making
Thermal Transfer so versatile in its various fields of application.
Leader
A PET film which protects the inked part
of the ribbon during transport and makes insertion into the printer easier. It
may bear the customers brand name.
Trailer
Situated at the end of the ribbon, it
plays an important role, namely to indicate the end of the ribbon which stops
the film being unwound, thereby protecting the print head (depending on type of
printer).
Core
Normally made out of cardboard, the core
is the spool on which the film is wound during manufacture and then unwound
during the printing phase. Depending on the model of printer for which it is
designed, the mandrel will have different properties (interior and exterior
diameter, width, notches, etc.).
TECHNOLOGY
COMPARISON
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?
Printing by "thermal transfer" works by
combining a printer with thermal head, an inked ribbon and a print medium. The
ribbon’s ink is transferred onto the label when it passes under the print head.
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 "back coating" which provides the
print head with longer-lasting protection,
Excellent print quality (high resolution, sharpness and
blackness of characters), even at very high speed,
Depending on the ribbon selected, TT offers excellent
levels of resistance: abrasion, light, temperature, and solvents.
Disadvantages:
2 consumables to handle, the print medium and the ribbon,
Impossible to print more than one color at the same time,
Printed information is legible on the leftover inked
ribbon which can give rise to issues of confidentiality.
Contact
us:
Indian
Barcode Corporation
Near
Metro Station, Sector-12, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075(India)
gm@indianbarcode.com
http://www.indianbarcode.com
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