It is well known that there are two different types of thermal printing, Thermal Transfer and Direct Thermal. A lot of customers can get confused and frequently ask about the main difference between these two methods. It is important to highlight a similarity between both of these methods. Thermal Transfer and Direct Thermal both use a thermal printhead that applies heat to the surface leaving a mark. However, thermal transfer printing uses a heated ribbon to produce durable, long-lasting images on a wide variety of materials. There is no ribbon used in direct thermal printing, which creates the image directly on the printed material. It is important to mention that direct thermal are more sensitive to light, heat and abrasion. As a result the life of the printed material is reduced. Direct Thermal printing are generally used for Product labels, Shipping Labels, Receipts and Tickets. Whilst Thermal Transfer printing is used for Shelf Labels, Freezing Labels, Long Storage and Asset Labels. For more information contact Etiquette on 0845 222 0354 or you can email the Sales Team at: sales@etiquette.co.uk