How Does A Barcode Printer Work?

There are two printing methods for barcode printer brands: thermal printing and thermal transfer. Each method uses a thermal printhead to heat the print surface, and thermal transfer prints durable patterns on a variety of materials by heating the ribbon. Thermal printing does not use ribbon, but prints the pattern directly on the label material. Thermal printing and thermal transfer printing are the best barcode printing technologies because they can be easily applied to a variety of adhesive label materials and print accurate, high-quality patterns with edge definition. Each technology produces 1D and 2D barcode symbols with patterns and text fonts with the same print resolution and speed.

1. Thermal printing

With chemically treated thermal media, the media turns black as it passes under the thermal print head. Thermal printers do not use ink, toner, or ribbon. Simple design makes thermal printer durable and easy to use. Since there is no ribbon, thermal printers are less expensive to operate than thermal transfer printers. Patterns on thermal media can fade over time. If the label is overexposed to heat, light or other catalysts, the material will darken, making the barcode unreadable.

The readability of thermal labels varies widely with usage conditions, but the technology provides sufficient life for rated labeling and many other common bar code printing applications. For example, direct thermal labels can still be easily scanned and read after six months of distribution storage.

2. Thermal transfer

In thermal transfer printing, a thermal printhead heats the ribbon and the ink fuses onto the label material to form the pattern. The ribbon material is absorbed by the medium and the pattern forms part of the label. This technology provides pattern quality and durability unmatched by other on-demand printing technologies.

Thermal transfer printers accept a wider variety of media than thermal printers, including paper, polyester, and polypropylene materials. Thermal transfer printers produce durable rated labels, UL/CSA labels, tags and tickets, as well as wristbands, asset labels, shelf labels and other identification.

3. Thermal transfer printers can use wax or resin ribbons

Waxes are a common, inexpensive option suitable for many labeling applications. Resin ribbons can improve heat and chemical resistance, and are mostly used in synthetic label materials. Resin-modified wax ribbons combine the best of both worlds and perform well on many label materials. To ensure print performance and durability, specific label materials and ribbons must be carefully selected. The choice of the ideal ribbon depends on the material used for the label, the printer and the environment. By choosing the right combination of media ribbons, users can produce high-quality labels that remain readable throughout production, logistics and storage.