Thermal Labels

Thermal Labels are labels that require thermal energy(using heat) to print upon. There are two kinds of thermal labels – Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer Labels.

Direct Thermal Labels

Direct Thermal labels are labels that can be directly “printed on” using heat. Expose this kind of label to heat or UV exposure and you’ll see the label darkens over time. This kind of label is easy to use since it needs no ribbon and can be used in direct thermal printers. The downside is that such labels, with the DT based paper, would eventually darken and become unusable over time. The majority of smaller portable printers tend to use direct thermal labels, these would include specialty shipping label printers. Many of these smaller printers can’t accommodate 3″ cores so we’ve provided 1″ cores for such applications.

Thermal Transfer Labels

Thermal transfer labels, require a ribbon in order to transfer a print onto the label. Now since we have a variety of thermal transfer ribbons, we can pick different colors and specifications which can allow us to have colored prints or prints which won’t fade after exposure to even hot water and consistent handling.

Our most popular thermal transfer rolls come in both cored and fanfold configurations.

3″ Core Label Rolls

A core allows for the labels to easily fit within the industrial or desktop printer. The printer size limits the number of labels that can fit on each core within the printer. However, using a external roll holder can alleviate these issues. Many of our customers prefer to use colored blank labels, this aids in easy visual identification and also as a marketing strategy.

Fanfold Thermal Transfer Labels

Fanfolds don’t have a core and are particularly useful when you have printed a variety of labels and want to quickly find a particular label. Finding a specific label within a roll may require you to rewind it until you get to the label.

We carry a wide range of labels in stock, ranging from shipping labels, barcode labels, freezer removable labels and permanent adhesive labels. Give us a call to select the kinds of labels suited for your use.

Take a look at some of our stock label offerings below:

Most Popular Stock Labels