Advance Label Technology, Inc. manufactures high quality direct thermal label rolls that can be used for a wide number of uses – such as shipping, packaging, retail and manufacturing.
Direct Thermal labels are printed with heat generated from your printer’s printhead. The heat activates the chemical coating used on direct thermal material which then turns black, creating your images. Direct thermal labels are sensitive to heat, light and handling and are often used for short term purposes.
Direct thermal printing uses virtually the same process as thermal transfer printing – with one exception. Direct thermal printers do not use ribbon. In direct thermal printing, the thermal process occurs on the paper substrate itself – requiring a specially coated paper for optimal performance. The heat generated from the printhead causes a chemical reaction with the top layer of the coated paper that essentially burns the transmitted image onto the paper.
Common applications for direct thermal labels
Direct thermal labels have long been used for meat, poultry and dairy products. Today, improvements in thermal papers and direct thermal printers have made the technology a better fit for more products in nearly any market. Some common applications include:
- Barcodes for many products, particularly for shipping labels, patient and visitor identification, receipts and ticket printing
- Name tags and visitor passes
- Coupons
- Event tickets
- Cost-effectively printing GHS-compliant labels
- And more