A label thermal printer is a computer printer that prints on self-adhesive label material and/or card-stock (tags). Label thermal printer is different from ordinary printers because it needs to have special feed mechanisms to handle rolled stock, or tear sheet (fanfold) stock.
Label thermal printer has a wide variety of applications, including supply chain management, retail price marking, packaging labels, blood and laboratory specimen marking, and fixed assets management. There are two types of label thermal printers: direct thermal (uses heat sensitive paper that tends to fade over time (typically 6 to 12 months) and thermal transfer (uses heat to transfer ink from ribbon onto the label for a permanent print).
For detail information, thermal transfer printer as a type of label thermal printer requires the use of a carbon ribbon which gets transferred onto the substrate via heat. The ribbons can be different colors, so the user is not limited to black print. The printing is very crisp and durable, so this method is excellent for high density bar-codes and labels that require longevity. The other benefit is that it can print on paper, film, and even foil substrates.
Another label thermal printer type is direct thermal printer. This printer requires the use of heat activated thermal papers and films, but requires no ribbon. Unfortunately, the print color is limited to black, and the printing is not as crisp as that of thermal transfer ribbon printing. However, a true direct thermal label printer utilizes a print head that is made of thicker glass, for print head durability.
The followings are several types of label thermal printer you can choose in the market:
1. Seiko Smart 440 Label Printer
This label thermal printer makes it easy to mix and match fonts, graphics and bar codes all on the same label. Moreover, it easily prepares customized formats with your own company logo complete with a post office approved bar code, without the hassle of using standard printers.
2. Zebra 110XiIIPlus™ Thermal Label Printer
This label thermal printer is a thermal transfer and direct thermal bar code printer with 203 dpi, 16MB SDRAM, 4 MB non-volatile Flash memory, ZebraLink connectivity, serial & parallel ports, transmissive & reflexive media sensors and ZPL II programming language. Printer takes continuous, die-cut or black mark labels/tags on rolls with 3″ cores and 8″ outer diameter or fanfold.
3. CX400 Direct Thermal Label Printer
This label thermal printer is SATO’s latest desktop printer in the “Compact” series. With a 32-Bit high-speed RISC processor, it allows for maximum throughput directly from standard Windows applications as well as from SATO’s proprietary labeling software – SATO Label Gallery. With a small footprint, it also has a 2MB internal Flash ROM and 1MB DRAM. Its additional features include a maximum print speed of 4inch/sec and maximum printing length of 50inches (without any memory expansion).
This label thermal printer also offers a flexible interface module – RS-232C and Centronics interface as a standard and optional interface modules include Ethernet (10/100Base T), 100Base-TX LAN adapter (via the parallel port) and USB adapter. The CX400 not only boasts of a sleek look with its smooth lines but also of its sturdy chassis.
Offering a superior print quality, the CX400 is more than perfect for low volume printing needs. Designed with “ease of usage” in mind, its wide loading compartment makes it easy for media loading (5″OD label roll can be loaded).
