IIoT
Browse IIoT
IIoT
Browse IIoT
Label and ribbon price in India: ask our team for today's competitive price. Share your requirement and budget, and we will help you choose the right configuration and send a written quotation with current pricing and delivery time.
Side by side
| Question | Direct thermal | Thermal transfer |
|---|---|---|
| How it prints | The printhead heats a chemically coated label, which turns dark where it is heated. | The printhead melts ink from a ribbon onto the label. |
| Ribbon | None. | Needed: wax, wax/resin or resin, matched to the label material and to the printer's ribbon width, length and winding. |
| How long the print lasts | Short to medium term; Zebra notes the print can fade over time. | Medium to long term, when the ribbon suits the label. |
| Heat, light and moisture | Sensitive: heat, sunlight and even fluorescent light darken the label until the barcode cannot be read. | With a suitable ribbon and label, the print withstands heat and moisture and does not rub off. |
| Chemicals and rubbing | Little resistance. | Good to excellent, rising with the resin content of the ribbon. |
| Indoors or outdoors | Mainly indoors. | Indoors or outdoors (outdoors on a synthetic label). |
| Label materials | Direct thermal paper and synthetic labels, tags and wristbands. | Paper and synthetics: polypropylene, polyolefin, polyester and polyimide. |
| Typical labels | Courier and shipping labels, receipts, tickets, visitor badges, one-day wristbands. | Product, MRP and carton labels, asset tags, drums and chemicals, outdoor and long-life labels. |
Zebra's rule of thumb: a label that has to stay readable for about six months, with no chemicals, moisture or rubbing, is best printed direct thermal on paper. A label that goes outdoors in rain and sun needs a thermal transfer synthetic. A label that meets moderate chemicals and is stored outdoors for more than three years needs a specialty thermal transfer synthetic.
Which model for which job
How long the label must last decides the method: direct thermal for short-life labels, thermal transfer with a ribbon for labels that must last. Each label below names the method and supplies we suggest.
Read within days or weeks and kept indoors: direct thermal paper, no ribbon to buy or change.
Consider: Barcode labels
Handled in warehouses and shops for months: thermal transfer on coated paper with a wax or wax/resin ribbon.
Consider: Barcode ribbons, Barcode labels
Rain, sun, oil or solvents: thermal transfer on a synthetic label with a resin ribbon.
Consider: Barcode ribbons, Barcode labels
Receipt paper is direct thermal by design. A&D, a printer maker, advises for its own thermal paper: keep printed receipts cool and dark, away from PVC, solvents and hand creams.
Consider: Thermal paper rolls
Labels that must stay readable for the life of the item: thermal transfer on polyester (or polyimide for circuit boards) with a resin ribbon.
Consider: Barcode ribbons, Zebra ribbon grades
If you print thermal transfer
The more resin in the ribbon, the more the print resists rubbing, chemicals and heat. Match the ribbon to the label material: a ribbon that suits one label may not bond to another.
| Ribbon | Label material | Stands up to | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wax | Paper labels | Little or no chemicals or rubbing | Suits the fastest printing; Zebra says printing at 12 ips or faster calls for a paper label and a high-speed wax ribbon. |
| Wax/resin | Top-coated paper and matte synthetics | Moderate to harsh chemicals and rubbing | Zebra says wax/resin gives good resistance to rubbing and chemicals; a fit for labels that are handled or meet moderate chemicals. |
| Resin | Synthetics (and some top-coated labels and tags) | Harsh to extreme chemicals, high temperatures and outdoor use | The most durable print. Zebra advises keeping synthetic labels at 6 ips or slower for sharp text and barcodes. |
Zebra groups chemicals in four classes: weak (water, window cleaner), moderate (alcohol, bleach), harsh (petrol, oil) and extreme (acetone, xylene). Moderate and stronger chemicals call for thermal transfer, and harsh or extreme ones for a high-durability resin ribbon.
Label materials
Paper is the economical choice for general labels. Synthetics last longer and resist rubbing, moisture and chemicals. The figures below are Zebra's ratings for its own label materials, a useful guide to what each type can take.
The low-cost choice for general labels, printed direct thermal or thermal transfer.
Flexible, for curved or rough surfaces; little resistance to scratching. Zebra rates its PolyO 3000T for up to 6 months outdoors and up to 93 °C.
Resists scratching and smearing and bends around curves. Zebra rates its PolyPro 3000T for 1 to 2 years outdoors and up to 121 °C; uses include chemical drums and test tubes.
For asset, product-rating and automotive labels. Zebra rates its matte Z-Xtreme polyester for up to 2 years outdoors and 149 °C, and its gloss Z-Ultimate for up to 3 years outdoors and 150 °C.
For printed circuit boards: Zebra's Z-Supreme polyimide is rated up to 260 °C.
Will my printer take a ribbon?
The print method, models and versions below are as listed on each product page. Open a printer for its ribbon widths, lengths and winding.
These printers have no ribbon: they print on direct thermal media only.
| Printer | Type | Print method |
|---|---|---|
| Zebra ZQ310 Plus / ZQ320 Plus | Mobile receipt and label printer | Direct thermal |
| Zebra ZQ511 / ZQ521 | Rugged mobile label printer | Direct thermal |
| Zebra ZQ600 Plus Series | Mobile label printer | Direct thermal |
These printers can print with a ribbon and also print direct thermal labels. Some are sold in separate direct thermal and thermal transfer versions, so when you order, tell us if you will ever need a ribbon.
| Printer | Type | Print method | Models and versions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra ZD230 | Desktop barcode label printer | Direct thermal or thermal transfer | Direct thermal; thermal transfer (ZD230t) |
| Zebra ZD411 | Desktop barcode label printer | Direct thermal or thermal transfer | Direct thermal; thermal transfer; healthcare model ZD411-HC (direct thermal only) |
| Zebra ZD421 | Desktop barcode label printer | Thermal transfer · direct thermal | Direct thermal; thermal transfer (ribbon roll); thermal transfer (ribbon cartridge); healthcare model ZD421-HC |
| Zebra ZD611 | Desktop barcode label printer | Direct thermal or thermal transfer | Direct thermal; thermal transfer; linerless (direct thermal); RFID (ZD611R); healthcare (ZD611-HC) |
| Zebra ZD621 | Desktop barcode label printer | Direct thermal or thermal transfer | Direct thermal; thermal transfer (ribbon roll); healthcare (ZD621-HC); RFID (ZD621R); linerless (direct thermal only) |
| Honeywell PC42E-T | Desktop barcode label printer | Thermal transfer and direct thermal | - |
| TVS LP 46 Dlite / LP 46 Plus | Desktop barcode label printer | Dlite: thermal transfer · Plus: direct thermal and thermal transfer | LP 46 Dlite 4 Inch Thermal Label Printer (USB), TVS item code 3006300005 · LP 46 Plus Thermal Label Printer (USB / Serial / Ethernet), TVS item code 3006210043 |
| Godex G500 | Desktop thermal transfer and direct thermal label printer | Thermal transfer and direct thermal | - |
| Godex G530 | Desktop thermal transfer and direct thermal label printer | Thermal transfer and direct thermal | - |
| Godex RT700i+ / RT730i+ | Desktop barcode label printer | Thermal transfer and direct thermal | - |
| Zebra ZT231 | Industrial barcode label printer | Direct thermal or thermal transfer | - |
| Zebra ZT411 | Industrial barcode and RFID printer | Thermal transfer and direct thermal | - |
| Zebra ZT421 | Industrial barcode label printer | Thermal transfer and direct thermal printing | - |
| Zebra ZT610 | Industrial barcode label printer | Thermal transfer and direct thermal printing | - |
| Zebra ZT620 | Industrial barcode label printer | Thermal transfer and direct thermal printing | - |
| TSC MB241 Series | Performance industrial barcode label printer | Thermal transfer and direct thermal | - |
| TSC MH241 Series | Industrial barcode label printer | Thermal transfer and direct thermal | - |
| TSC ML241P Series | Compact industrial barcode label printer | Thermal transfer and direct thermal | - |
| Godex ZX1200i+ Series | Industrial barcode label printer | Thermal transfer and direct thermal | - |
Before you order ribbons
In short below; our barcode ribbons page explains each check, including how to test which side of a roll carries the ink.
Use a ribbon at least as wide as the label, which Zebra advises to spare the printhead from wear, and within the printer's maximum ribbon width (each product page lists it).
Ribbons carry the ink on the outside or the inside of the roll; check which your printer takes before ordering.
Flat-head and near-edge printheads need different ribbons; tell us the printer model.
Match the ribbon length and core to the printer: many desktop printers on our site take 300 m on a 25 mm core, and the industrial ones 450 m or more.
Questions buyers ask
It depends on the label size and material, the ribbon grade and width, and the quantity. Ask our team for today's competitive price: share your requirement and budget, and we will help you choose the right configuration and send a written quotation with current pricing and delivery time.
Yes, if its product page lists both methods: load direct thermal labels and no ribbon. As Zebra's printer guide puts it, the label decides whether a ribbon is needed.
Zebra suggests direct thermal for labels that need to stay readable for about six months with no chemicals, moisture or rubbing. Heat and light shorten that, so keep printed labels out of sunlight. We do not quote a fixed shelf life, because it depends on the label and how it is stored.
Resin for most synthetics, or wax/resin for matte synthetics with moderate exposure. Wax ribbons are made for paper labels.
The Zebra mobile printers on our site (ZQ300 Plus, ZQ500 and ZQ600 Plus series) print direct thermal only. For durable labels, use a desktop or industrial printer that takes a ribbon.
Yes. Allmark supplies direct thermal and thermal transfer labels, receipt rolls and ribbons, including genuine branded ribbons on request and our own ribbon grades of the same type. Tell us the printer, the label size and where the label goes, and we will quote a matched label and ribbon.
Send the printer model, label size, material and where the label goes. We will quote a matched label and ribbon.
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