Thermal transfer printer
Labels
Labels come in two main types: Thermal (sometimes referred to as Direct Thermal) and Thermal Transfer. A huge variety of special materials and adhesives are available to suit most applications . These include plain white paper packaging labels, durable rating plates, and tamper-evident labels.
Thermal Ribbons (TTR Thermal Transfer Ribbons)
Thermal ribbons come in three main types – wax, wax-resin or pure resin and are almost always black (other colors sometimes used are red and blue). These different types are made to print onto different label materials and are used when the life of the label needs to be long or the labels needs to survive harsh environments. Wax ribbons are for printing onto paper labels, where the life of the label can be years but must be kept dry and must not be abraded or subjected to certain chemicals or oil, which would dissolve the wax image. Wax-resin ribbons produce a finer image on very smooth paper or coated paper labels. The printed image is much more durable than wax, but can still only stand slight contact with water. Finally pure resin ribbons are formulated to print onto plastic labels such as polyester, polypropylene and vinyl. The “ink” is designed to slightly dissolve into or adhere to the plastic surface of the label and becomes extremely durable, depending on the plastic material and ribbon make used. Most printer manufacturers offer ribbon/label combinations which are known to work well together, which is particularly important as some combinations produce no image at all. Plastic labels with resin ribbons will survive outside in full sunlight, can stand immersion in water and may be resistant to chemicals and oils dependent on type. Often used in Automotive and Aircraft parts manufacture, any items stored outside and essential for the labelling of hazardous chemicals which must remain identifiable, for example, after being submerged in sea water for extended periods.
Color thermal printers
Thermal printing technology can be used to produce color images by adhering a wax-based ink onto paper. As the paper and ribbon travel in unison beneath the thermal print head, the wax-based ink from the transfer ribbon melts onto the paper. When cooled, the wax is permanently adhered to the paper. This type of thermal printer uses a like-sized panel of ribbon for each page to be printed, regardless of the contents of the page. Monochrome printers have a black panel for each page to be printed, while color printers have either three (CMY) or four (CMYK) colored panels for each page. Unlike dye-sublimation printers, these printers cannot vary the dot intensity, which means that images must be dithered. Although acceptable in quality, the printouts from these printers cannot compare with modern inkjet printers and color laser printers. Currently, this type of printer is rarely used for full-page printing, and is now employed for industrial label printing due to its waterfastness and speed. These printers are considered highly reliable due to their small number of moving parts. Printouts from color thermal printers are sensitive to abrasion, as the wax ink can be scraped, rubbed off, or smeared.
Tektronix/Xerox Solid-Ink Printers
So-called “Solid Ink” or “Phaser” printers were developed by Tektronix and later by Xerox (who acquired Tektronix’s printer division). Printers like the Xerox Phaser 8400 uses 1 in rectangular solid-state ink blocks (similar in consistency to candle wax) which are loaded into a system similar to a stapler magazine in the top of the printer. The ink blocks are melted and the ink is transferred onto a rotating, oil coated print drum using a piezo inkjet head. The paper then passes over the print drum, at which time the image is transferred, or transfixed, to the page. This system is similar to water-based inkjets, provided that the ink has low viscosity at the jetting temperature (140C). Printout properties are similar to those mentioned above, although these printers can be configured to produce extremely high-quality results and are far more economical, as they only use the ink needed for the printout, rather than an entire ribbon panel. Costs of upkeep and ink are comparable to color laser printers, while ‘standby’ power usage can be very high, about 200W.
ALPS MicroDry Printers
Main article: MicroDry
MicroDry is a computer printing system developed by the ALPS corporation of Japan. It is a resin-transfer system using individual colored thermal ribbon cartridges, and can print in process color using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black cartridges, as well as such spot-color cartridges as white, metallic silver, and metallic gold, on a wide variety of paper and transparency stock. Certain MicroDry printers can also operate in dye sublimation mode, using special cartridges and paper.
References
^ What Are Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer RFID Printers?, RFID Radio
External links
Printhead.com
Categories: Computer printers | Non-impact printing
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