Blog about Label Makers
[01/07/2010] Label printers
Label printers
The label printers use various methods of printing with the thermal printing being the most common one, but some laser and impact models are popular as well. The thermal label printers are of two types: direct thermal printers and thermal transfer printers. The former use heat sensitive tape, but their disadvantage is that the labels tend to fade over time, especially if they are exposed to direct sunlight or heat. The thermal transfer label printers transfer the ink onto the label from the ribbon with the use of heat; the labels last longer and the ribbons that are used by these printers are wax, wax/resin, and resin. The wax ribbon is the most commonly used and typically used with semi-gloss labels, while the resin is chemical and scratch resistant and typically used with synthetic labels.
Label printer’s types:
According to their intended use, the label printers are:
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Personal label printers, also commonly referred to as label makers, are either desktop or hand-held devices that are ideally for the occasional user. They are the least expensive models, but often offer a satisfactory number of features that allow printing different kinds of labels for the home office.
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Desktop label printers are also quite affordable and designed for the small office or home use.
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Commercial label printers are intended for medium-duty usage and are ideal for stores and medium to large offices.
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Industrial label printers are capable of printing great amount of labels continuously. The industrial portable printers are also meant for heavy-duty usage, but are lightweight and very easy to carry and use.
- Specialized label printers: good example is the RFID readers, which are used for printing RFID tags.
Label printer applications are used to automate the label printing process, while various label’s printing software programs are available that allows personal computers to be used for designing and printing labels.
