Media: Ribbons & Labels

Media Training

01-04

Identifying Ribbon Types

Are there Different Types of Thermal Transfer Ribbons?

There are three basic categories of thermal transfer ribbons. They include wax, midrange and full resin formulations. Below are examples of the characteristics of each ribbon and possible applications for each.

Ribbon Qualities Applications
Wax (W90) Fast print speeds
Wide range of stocks		 General purpose labeling
Inventory control tags/labels
Carton labeling
POS tags and labels
Midrange (M95)
(Wax/Resin combo)		 Fast print speeds
Superior scannability
Higher heat resistance
Higher abrasion resistance		 Outdoor product labeling
Shelf/Bin labeling
Apparel tags and labels
Nursery/Greenhouse tags
Lumber/Tyvek tags
Full Resin (R90-R91 and R-92) Ultra-high heat resistance
High chemical resistance
High scratch/smudge		 Long-life product labels
Instruction/Maintenance labels
Drum labeling
Asset labeling
Circuit board labeling