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Direct thermal or thermal transfer?
Printers 1 min read
Two ways to print labels: one without a ribbon, one with. The difference decides how long your label lasts.
by POS Kosova · Reviewed on
The short answer
Direct thermal prints on thermal labels with no ribbon — simple, for short-lived labels (shipping, prices, scales). Thermal transfer melts ink from a ribbon onto the label — for labels that must last and resist heat, light and rubbing.
The comparison in one table
| Direct thermal | Thermal transfer | |
|---|---|---|
| Ribbon | No | Yes |
| Labels | Thermal labels only | Paper, synthetic labels and more |
| Lifetime | Short — fades with heat and light | Long |
| For | Shipping, prices, scales | Products, inventory, assets, warehouses |
Which printers do what
- Bixolon SLP-DX220 — direct thermal only, labels up to 60 mm.
- Bixolon XD5-40 — XD5-40d direct thermal; XD5-40t also thermal transfer with ribbons up to 300 m.
- Bixolon SLP-TX420 — both, ribbons up to 74 m.
- Bixolon XT5-40 — both, industrial, ribbons up to 450 m.
All label printers: label printers. Labels and rolls: thermal labels.
Mistakes we see most often
- Direct-thermal labels on products displayed in light or near heat — they fade.
- A direct-thermal-only printer for asset labels that must stay readable for years.
- A ribbon that does not suit the label — ribbon and label material are chosen together.
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