For barcode label printing there are two thermal printing methods commonly used to print barcodes:
direct thermal and
thermal transfer. Each method uses a thermal printhead that applies heat to the surface being marked.
Thermal transfer printing uses a heated ribbon to produce durable, long-lasting images on a wide variety of materials. No ribbon is used in direct thermal printing, which creates the image directly on the label material. Thermal transfer printers can accept a wider variety of materials and are usually used for permanent or long-lasting labeling applications.
Direct thermal printers are usually used to produce shipping labels, picking/putaway labels, receipts, and other common print jobs.
Thermal label printers are ideal for bar code printing because they produce accurate, high-quality images with excellent edge definition. Thermal printers are engineered to print within tight tolerances and to produce the exact bar widths that successful bar code printing and scanning require. Each technology can produce one- and two-dimensional bar code symbologies, graphics and text at the same print resolutions and speeds.
How to choose the right barcode label printer?
To choose the right printer narrow the field significantly by determining the size of labels that need to be printed. Analyze the conditions the label will be exposed to and its required life span to determine the print method (direct thermal or thermal transfer) and required media support. Printers also differ significantly in the interfaces and network connectivity that they offer. The symbologies, graphics, and international characters supported are other important differentiators. Durability and printing volume are also important. For most applications, 203 dots-per-inch (dpi) resolution provides sufficient print quality. However, when higher quality printing is required, such as for very small labels or some 2-D symbologies, 300 or 600 dpi printers should be used.
Barcode printers are available with many common
interfaces to facilitate simple integration with a variety of host computer systems. Ethernet, USB, parallel, serial, twinax, and coax cables are available. Bar code printers also offer 802.11b and Bluetooth connectivity for wireless integration. Management tools enable remote monitoring, configuration, and troubleshooting for networked printers.
Software is also required to design the label formats. Many barcode and RFID label design packages include templates for compliance label formats commonly used in the retail, automotive, aerospace, defense, distribution, and other industries. Make sure the software supports the types of labels you need and the specific model of printer you have chosen. Test the entire system and send label samples to your trading partner for analysis prior to your deadline date for compliance labeling. The Barco as a systems integration company is very experienced with compliance labeling systems and are ready to assist with any phase of the project.
