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Direct thermal labels are produced via the
direct thermal printing
process. In this procedure, a heated printhead is brought into contact with
specially treated paper. An image is “burned” into the paper, creating
relatively crisp black imagery.
Thermal labels made in this
fashion retain a level of popularity for a few reasons. First, they are
relatively inexpensive to produce. Although the treated paper or stock
needed for thermal labels is
more expensive than regular stock, the actual cost of operating the printer
is lowing enough to counteract that expenditure.
Direct thermal labels are cheap
to produce.
Second, the printing process itself is relatively quick. The heated
printhead moves quickly and the paper reacts instantly to its motions. The
result? Thermal labels do not
take long to make.
There are, however, a few disadvantages to
thermal labels. First, the
paper used in the printing process is susceptible to other heat and light
sources. Sunlight or even a bright desk light can darken the label and
render it unusable. This forces fans of
thermal labels to use them for
applications that last a relatively short period, as they are unsuited for
extended use.
Second, although some thermal printers offer a higher resolution, the image
quality associated with most direct
thermal units is somewhat limited. It is good enough to print a legible
barcode, but may not be able to handle a detailed logo effectively.
Direct thermal labels have
advantages and disadvantages. In general, they are a fine labelling solution
for particularized tasks but are not an optimal approach for many possible
labelling projects. If you are considering using
direct thermal printing, keep
it advantages and the limitations of the strategy in mind.
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