We’ve all seen the thermal printer that is used at the point of sale when we buy something and use our Mastercard to pay for it. They are seen in restaurants and in service stations. The information to be printed is put on the paper by a heat process that transfer the wax or wax and resin to the paper.

These same printers can also be used to make thermal transfer labels (these are the ones with a barcode on them), and while you may not have seen them made public you have been seeing the labels more and more in your personal or professional life. And if you haven’ t seen them, you have benefited from their use.

Thermal transfer labels have got the advantage over other thermal transfer processes in that they are long lasting and will no t be effected by either heat or daylight. This makes them effective for shipping labels that wi ll be exposed to the elements. If shipping labels were to become faded or smudged the whole purpose of the label would be lost. Therefore they are made to last until the package is delivered to the recipient. The direct thermal labels can be produced quickly so that they are ready for application on a moments notice. They can also be produced at less of a cost because there are no t as many moving parts in the thermal printer.

Another place where thermal transfer labels are coming into play on a major scale is in the use of bar codes. In several cases bar codes are placed on items for inventory control and location when in storage. The warehouse areas can be subject to temperature changes and humidity. Regular labels could fade to the point of being incomprehensible and the bar codes would be meaning less. These labels have an advantage over direct thermal labels in that th e information becomes almost permanent and the item s can be rapidly identified when located.

When a long lasting label which will withstand the abuse of rubbing, heat or humidity is needed, go with the thermal transfer labels. The other labels such as direct thermal coated or uncoated labels, standard thermal transfer labels, or direct thermal labels might be similar but will not take the rough handling that will often be need ed in a label application.

Learn more about Zebra ZM400 Labels. Stop by Thermal Transfer Labels Zebra and what they can do for you.