Thermal Printer Technology:   Thermal Transfer
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How they work
A Thermal Transfer printer uses a thin plastic ribbon with a thin coating of wax or resin based pigment.  The ribbon and labels feed from separate rolls and are squeezed together by a roller as they pass under the thermal printhead .  The heating elements in the printhead melt the coating which transfers to the label to form the image.

Pros & Cons
Produces a durable, high-quality image, and can be used with many types of label stocks (paper and synthetics).  Printers are durable and offer relatively fast printing speeds; some models approach 12 inches per second.  As speed, dot per inch resolution, and maximum print width go up, printer cost can climb rapidly.  Cost of printing a single color (usually black) is reasonable, but multi-color printing can be expensive in terms of printer cost and consumption of ribbons.

Applications
Excellent for producing product and packaging labels either on demand or in batches.  The ability to print on synthetic stocks (eg. gloss coated polyester) makes it possible to produce UL/CSA equipment rating plates and serial number labels.