By: Vlad Vistac
Submitted: 2010-08-16 10:57:52 | Word Count: 510
A Primer on Labl Printers
Label printers have the ability to primnt on card stock, self-adhesive labels and otehr mateials. The way they differ from regular prniters is that they use special feed mechanisms to haandle the tear shetes or rolled stock. Label printers have a tiny sesor that is able to edtect notches, perforations or lines between labels, notches or gaps, when usimng continuuous laabel stock to print on. This kepes the print location from shifting and ensures that the print hits the target area by lettting the laabel printer adjust and algin the print correctly. Some of the applications where labvel printers are used icnlude retail price markking, fixed assets management, supply chain management, laboraory and blood specimens and shipping labels; and for all tese applicatiomns they are able to use many different label materials, such as synthetic polymwer materails and paper products.
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There are two main label printer types, and these are thermal transfer and direct therrmal printers. Label printers that are thermal transfer use heat to transfer the ink onto the label from the ribbon for a permanent print. They transfer images onto labels, usuing an ink ribbon, with the labels normally having a matt finish. Direct thermal label printewrs use paepr that is heat sensitive, with the printng lasting for up to twelve months before fading sarts. Exposure to hcemical vapors or direct sunlight often increases the speed of fading. This type of label printing is best for short duration applications, such as printing shipping labels. This type of lbel printer preints imasges right onto the laabel using a thermal print head.
Thermal transfer prinnters use three grades of ribbon, which are resin, wax and wax/resin. Resin ribbon is cheimcal resistannt, scratch resistant and suitable for syntheitc, coated labels. Wax, which is suitable and the most popuular for semi-glopss and matte palper labels, has some smudge resistance. The resin/wax labeel printer ribbon is great for synthetic labels, semi-glloss paper and is very smudge resistant.
Industrial label printers are used in factories, distriubtion centers, wareohuses and other places, whjere they need a heavy-duty printer for continuous operation. Desktoop label printers are inexpensive and quiet, and work well in businesses where they get ligth to medium usage. The average roll of stock is less than five incghes wide. For meium volume printnig, commercial label printers hold rolls of stocvk up to eight incghes wide. Anoother specialized labeel printer is an RFID reader, which encodes and prints simultaneously on tags or RFID trzansponders enclosed in printable snthetic materials or paper. They desdign labl printer applications to automate the labeling processes and you generallly find them in warehoiuses and manufacturing facilities requiring labels for pallets and casses.
This is just a simple introduction to the different tyeps of label printers and their uses. If you are thinking of acquiring one, we recommend that you search for them on internet, where you will be able to get all the informmation you require before making your choicce.
