Thermal Transfer Ribbons

That’s great, because so are we. We are Dial-A-Label, Australia’s top supplier of thermal transfer ribbon for label printers. In addition to thermal ribbons, we also supply all other items needed for label printing of any sort.

Our thermal printer ribbons are selected for quality, to provide outstanding results that will meet your label printing needs. When you buy a Zebra thermal ribbon from us, you will have the certainty that it is an authentic product that is up to the demands of the task.

What thermal label printer ribbons are and how they work

Thermal ribbon transfer printing is used in those circumstances where direct thermal printing would not be suitable. Direct thermal printing is normally used just for simple things like mailing labels or price stickers.

If you have labels that may be on items that could be subject to considerable sun or heat exposure, thermal transfer printing is going to give you the best results.

Thermal printer ribbons are long rolls of film that is treated with resin or wax that becomes incorporated into the label paper when an intensely focused beam of heat passes through the ribbon film.

While it may sound complicated, it all takes place very quickly, with each “dot” on the label printed in a tiny fraction of a second (printed text and images are measured in dots per inch, or “dpi”). The very best thermal transfer printers can print tens of thousands of labels per hour.

Choosing between resin and wax thermal transfer ribbons

One of the questions we are frequently asked by customers is which is better out of resin and wax. The simple answer is resin, because it is more durable and is suited to a wider range of conditions, but it’s a bit more complex than that. Resin ribbons are more costly to buy than wax ribbons, and wax ribbons may be good enough to suit most purposes.

The better way to think about which is better is in terms of your specific needs, bearing in mind that those needs may change from one printing job to the next.

Wax ribbons have reasonable heat resistance, and will provide a perfectly satisfactory print result. The weakness of wax ribbons, and the reason they are cheaper, is because the wax is less water resistant, and it does not tolerate certain types of chemicals or oils very well.

Ribbons that have been treated with resin produce the highest quality thermal printer label results. The end result is much longer lasting and provides greater assurance of remaining integral in a wider range of environmental conditions.

For more information about our Thermal Transfer Ribbons, contact Dial-A-Label

Whatever your label printing needs may be, we are sure to have a solution to help you. All you need to do to get started is call us on the number shown on this page or leave a message on our contact form.