Choosing a Thermal Transfer Printer

Interweigh Systems Inc. provides thermal transfer printers for hundreds of companies around the world who rely on bar code printing to improve their labeling processes. This contributes to more efficient data management and ultimately improved productivity. Labeling printers generally fall into two categories: Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer Printers. These printers are designed to efficiently produce high quality bar coded labels, variable product labels and paper receipts in low or high volumes. Click here for more information about each of our thermal transfer printers.

I-Class Thermal Transfer Printers

1. Direct Thermal printers create images without using a ribbon and require minimal maintenance. These images typically have a life span of a year or less in applications that expose them to bright lights or high temperatures.
2. Thermal Transfer printers, on the other hand, can use high resin content ribbons on specialized label materials to produce labels that are long lasting for a wide range of harsh industrial applications.

Choosing a Thermal Transfer Printer
Despite their widely recognized advantages over thermal printers when it comes to barcode printing, there are still several different thermal transfer printers to choose from. Like any standard printer, there are several trade offs to consider.

Resolution vs Speed.
The first trade off is between resolution and printing speed. One of the most widely used specifications, the resolution refers to the maximum number of dots per inch (dpi) that can be printed horizontally and vertically.

Resolution is directly related to the appearance of text and graphics on labels. The higher the resolution the clearer small text appears especially when printed as ingredients or nutritional facts. Graphics are crisper and pictures with half tones appear more natural.

When applying to bar codes, the narrow bar code width and bar code ratio are the factors most affected by print resolution. The higher the printer resolution the more flexibility is available in bar code design. This is often helpful especially when meeting customer bar code compliance specifications.

As a general rule of thumb, the higher the resolution, the slower the printing speed. This is primarily applicable in high volume applications. Before you choose a printer, ask yourself how many labels you need to print per day, and then per week and month.

With a standard desktop printer you can easily print hundreds of 4" x 6" labels per week, while with an industrial printer you will easily print thousands of labels per day. If clarity and readability of the label is a greater priority than speed, then you should probably choose a higher resolution printer with a lower printing speed. A resolution of 200 dpi is fine for most barcode requirements and will create reasonably crisp bar codes and text. Resolutions of 300 dpi or higher are often recommended if small detailed graphics or text are required. - Recommendations: minimum 200 dpi (8 dpts/mm) and minimum speed of 8 - 10 ips (203 - 254mm/sec) Suggested Printers: R110Xi | ZM400 | ZM600 | B-SX5 | B-SX4 | TLP 2844-Z | Datamax I-4208

Printing Width Vs Cost
Thermal transfer printers offer a range of printing widths such as 2," 4", 6" or 8". In this case, there is a trade off between printer width and cost. As a general rule of thumb, the wider the printing width, the more expensive the printer. There is, however, not that much of difference in cost between a 2" and a 4" wide label printer. Even if you mostly print a 2" wide label, there might come a time when you need to print something wider, i.e., an address label, and you won't be able to. To be safe, and for a few dollars more, buy a printer that can print both 2" and 4" labels. There is also the issue of barcode compliance. Thermal printers that are capable of producing 6" labels that can be printed right side up rather than sideways can be run through an on-line bar code verifier and be accurately verified on the fly. Recommendations: minimum 4" printing width unless you need to meet strict barcode compliance standards. Suggested Printers: R110Xi | ZM400 | ZM600 | B-SX5 | B-SX4 | TLP 2844-Z | Datamax I-4208

Label Handling
One of the most important issues to consider when choosing printers has to do with whether the labels are in rolls or are fanfolded. If the printer chosen does not have an internal rewinder and the thermal transfer printer is printing on rolls of labels rather than fanfolded labels, then an individual has to consider how the labels are to be managed when they exit the printer. For short label runs this is not an issue. However if one is consistently printing 40 labels or more at a time and is using rolled labels then additional labour is required to rewind these labels manually. Recommendations: if you are always printing 40 labels or more at a time using rolled labels, a printer with a full roll internal rewinder is recommended. Suggested Printers: R110Xi | ZM400 | ZM600

Construction
Unlike most printers found in a typical office environment, thermal transfer printers were designed to operate in harsh industrial environments. If it's hard to keep your printer clean and dry, a metal frame design is recommended. Aluminum is the material most often used in the frame's construction. To handle the rigors of the industrial workplace, these printers are enclosed within a aluminum die cast frame. Recommendations: choose a printer with a metal frame. Suggested Printers: R110Xi | ZM400 | Datamax I-4208

Barcode Compliance
If barcode scanning failure is not an option or you're facing stiff fines because your labels aren't meeting the strict bar code compliance standards, your best bet is a thermal transfer printer that is capable of producing 6" barcode labels that can be run through an on-line bar code verifier and be accurately verified on the fly. Recommendations: 6" printer width with barcode verification capability. Suggested Printers: ZM600

Connectivity Vs Cost
If you can't afford to go wireless, USB ports are the next best choice. Most printers have a USB 2.0 port (or the older USB 1.1 port) as a standard feature or option. But for even better results and increased mobility, more and more printers are wireless using Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi access points with built-in print servers. Other modes of connectivity supported include: Parallel (IEEE1284), RJ-45 Network Adapter, RS-232C Serial, RS-422, SCSI-2 (8-bit), and Serial RS-232. Recommendations: wireless or USB. Suggested Printers: R110Xi | ZM400 | ZM600 | B-SX5 | B-SX4 | TLP 2844-Z | Datamax I-4208

Networking
Thermal transfer printers can be wired, wireless or wireless mobile. Wireless printing is a quickly becoming an effective way to produce bar codes. Wireless is the best way to go if you're in a situation where cabling and wires are making work inconvenient, if not impossible. Recommendations: wireless. Suggested Printers: R110Xi | ZM400 | ZM600 | B-SX5 | B-SX4 | TLP 2844-Z | Datamax I-4208

Comparison Table

-	Resolution (dpi)	Print Width (")	Print Length (")	Internal Rewinder	Print Speed (ips)	Weight (lbs)
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ZM400	200/300	4	157	Yes	6/10	32.4
ZM600	200/300	6	102	Yes	6/10	32.4
B-SX4	200	4	107	-	4/6/10	39.4
B-SX5	300	6	59	-	3/5/8	41.9
TLP 2844-Z	200	4	39	-	4	3.2
R110Xi	200/300	4	39	Yes	8/10	50
Datamax I-4208	200	4	99	-	8	45