What is Thermal Transfer Printing?

Thermal Transfer Printing is a method where heat is used to transfer ink from a ribbon onto a substrate. For example, for the printing of barcodes and other variable information.

Why are there different types of Thermal Transfer Ribbons?

There are many different types of application needs such as substrate, durability, speed, and other requirements, most of which fit the description of one or more specially formulated Thermal Transfer Ribbons. That is also why, there are different types and formulations of Thermal Transfer Ribbons such as wax, wax/resin, or resin.

From standard coding to highly specific applications and substrates, there is a ribbon that fits your needs:

  • Resin ribbons of DNP offer unparalleled durability for difficult circumstances.
  • Wax ribbons of DNP set quality standards for smooth scanning operations in logistics and retail.
  • Wax-resins ribbons of DNP combine characteristics of both and enable in-line printing of packagings at the required speed.

That is why it’s important to understand that Thermal Transfer Ribbons are not a one size fits all concept. For instance, some ribbons might be meant to print on rougher materials such as vellum, while others are developed to print information on smooth, synthetic materials such as PP.

Why is my Thermal Transfer Print/barcode easy to wipe or scratch off?

When printed information, such as the barcode, is easily wiped or scratched off, the ribbon might be unsuitable for the substrate. For example, one of DNP’s leading wax/resin ribbons, TR4500 is specially designed to print on rougher surfaces. When printing it on PP, which does NOT have a rough surface, the print is easy to wipe off or scratch off.

How to ensure that my barcode/variable data is not easy to wipe off/scratch off?

When your substrate is predetermined, one way to fix this issue is to use a different Thermal Transfer Ribbon. In the case of a PP substrate, this would be M295HD. It’s also a wax/resin combination, however, it’s a formulation that performs especially great on smoother substrates like PP materials.

How can I find the right Thermal Transfer Ribbon that fits my needs?

To find fitting combinations of TTR ribbon and substrate use our Thermal Transfer Ribbons Finder tool or cross-reference your substrate type with DNP TTR in our Thermal Transfer Ribbon Product Reference Guide.

Do you support help with finding the right combination of Thermal Transfer Ribbons? We are here to help!