Consumables, labels, ribbons from Zebra, TSC

A thermal transfer ribbon is a color ribbon that is used to transfer a design to a label using a thermal label printer. It is coated with a special dye that penetrates the label with the help of a heated head, which makes the printing extremely accurate and durable. Dye ribbons are only used in thermal transfer printers. It is sold in rolls, which range from tens to hundreds of meters in length. They have different widths, such as 45 mm, 55 mm, 108 mm, etc. Unlike traditional tracing paper, it can be coated not only with wax, but also with resin or a wax-resin mixture. It usually comes in black, but there are also colored tracing papers, such as gold, blue, or even those that allow you to print as many as 8 colors on one label (YMCYK). Thermal transfer ribbon is also known as color ribbon and color tracing paper.

Labels - these are self-adhesive stickers, which are designed to mark a commodity or selected item in such a way that it is easier to identify it. Often they are bar-coded labels, which allow even more accurate identification, since they can contain more coded information. We encounter labels at every turn: we can distinguish bottle labels, logistics labels, product labels, or self-adhesive labels for printers (such as a special barcode printer).

We divide labels according to the material from which they are made, the most common division is self-adhesive labels, In-Module-Label labels, SSL labels (Shrink Sleeve Labels), Transparent labels, VOID labels.

Wax thermal transfer ribbon (WAX) - also known as wax thermal transfer ribbon, is used to print designs only on matte paper labels. So if you have semi-glossy or glossy labels, such as foil labels, opt for another type of tracing paper, as wax tracing paper would not guarantee you permanent printing on this coating. Its biggest plus, however, is that it is the most economical option among carbon papers. Wax ribbons (WAX) are characterized by high quality printing of barcodes, text and graphics. They are distinguished by a considerable printing speed and good protection of the printer head.

Resin thermal transfer ribbon (RESIN) - you can also search for it under the name resin thermal transfer film. It is used to print designs on all labels: foil labels, matte paper labels, semi-gloss paper labels and even textile labels. It is a very versatile solution, providing great print quality and very high resistance to abrasion, high temperatures, chemicals and other external factors. However, it is one of the more expensive solutions.

Wax-resin thermal transfer ribbon (WAX-RESIN) - is a carbon paper created from a mixture of wax and resin. It is mainly used for printing semi-gloss labels, but also allows printing on matte labels. Thanks to it, the printing on the label is more durable, resistant to scratches, alcohols, oils and external factors such as moisture or high temperature. Using wax-resin ribbon ensures great print quality, even at higher printing speeds.