Thermal Transfer Labels

How to choose thermal transfer labels

1. Check the printer. Thermal transfer needs a printer with a place to hold a ribbon roll. Many roll printers print both thermal transfer and direct thermal. Some desktop printers print direct thermal only.
2. Match the core and format. Industrial printers from Zebra, Datamax, Sato and Intermec take rolls on 3 in. cores or fanfold stacks. Desktop printers take rolls on 1 in. cores or fanfold. The rolls in the first table are on 3 in. cores. The last table holds rolls made for desktop printers.
3. Match the ribbon to the label. Use a ribbon slightly wider than the label. For a 4 in. wide label, a 4.33 in. ribbon is the usual choice. The ribbon and label must be compatible, or printhead heat can melt the ribbon onto the label.
4. Pick white or color. Colored labels in blue, green, orange, pink, purple, red and yellow are for color coding shipments or flagging special handling. Fluorescent and removable labels are in the product grid above.

Ribbons are wound coated side out or coated side in. Zebra and Intermec printers use coated side out. Datamax and Sato printers use coated side in. Check which one your printer takes before you order ribbon.

Packrift stocks ribbons from 1.57 in. to 8.66 in. wide in wax, wax/resin and resin. For 4 in. labels, 4.33 in. ribbons come in 244 ft desktop rolls and longer rolls up to 1,476 ft, such as the 4.33 in. x 1,476 ft wax ribbon and the 4.33 in. x 244 ft desktop wax ribbon.

Direct thermal vs thermal transfer

Both methods use a heated printhead. Direct thermal darkens heat-sensitive stock. Thermal transfer melts ink from a ribbon onto the label.

Choose direct thermal for labels that only need to last through shipping. Choose thermal transfer for product, inventory and asset labels, and for labels used in freezers or outdoors. Direct thermal stock is in the thermal labels collection.

Buying by the case

• Each row is one case, the unit the product page sells. In the first table, the price per roll is the case price divided by the rolls in the case.
• The other tables list labels per roll, as each product page does.
• Volume pricing applies in the cart: 3% off at 3 or more items and 5% off at 6 or more.
• Orders of one or two items with a product subtotal of $500 or more ship free when the checkout freight rate is $120 or less. Orders of three or more items get the volume discount instead of free shipping.
• Orders of one or two items get free ground shipping in the US at $99 or more when the checkout shipping charge is $29.95 or less.
• For pallet, recurring or mixed orders, request a quote with freight priced for the whole order.

Request a bulk quote

Questions buyers ask

Related

• Thermal labels, direct thermal and thermal transfer
• 4x6 thermal labels
• Shipping labels
• Labels and tags
• Guide: direct thermal vs thermal transfer labels

Sources: Zebra Technologies, Direct Thermal vs. Thermal Transfer and ribbon selection; Continental Datalabel, "thermal transfer and direct thermal labels"; DLS, "direct thermal vs thermal transfer labels"; Smith Corona, "thermal transfer labels". Sizes, counts, prices and stock in the tables come from each product page.