When you’re considering a thermal printer for your company, generally speaking you have two print methods to choose from – Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer. As is usually the case when purchasing a new piece of equipment, this isn’t a choice you must make on the basis of the printer being more advanced or “newer” technology. This is a choice you must make simply on the basis of your company requirements. After a brief comparison of the two options, we will list down the many considerations to help you make an informed choice for your company.

Direct Thermal vs. Thermal Transfer: What’s the Difference?

Thermal printing technologies are more durable and versatile than inkjet printers, so they’re frequently in high demand. Both of these methods involve the application of a thermal print-head in order to apply heat, through which important information is printed on the surface.

Direct Thermal

The direct thermal printing method involves the usage of chemically-treated, heat-sensitive paper, which darkens when heat is applied through the thermal print head
Direct thermal printers require no additional components such as toners, separate ink, or ribbon supplies
Direct thermal printers are popularly employed when preparing labels for shipping, dispatching, and warehousing functions alongside that of tags, cards, and inserts

Thermal Transfer

When a ribbon is heated by the thermal print head, the image is transferred onto the label to make a durable print
Thermal transfer printing involves the use of a special ribbon that consists of resin and/or wax
Thermal transfer printers are commonly utilized for preparing labels for the benefit of laboratories, inventory tracking, and identification of chemicals and industrial shelves

Direct Thermal vs. Thermal Transfer: Key Considerations

Because they require similar equipment, most thermal transfer printers actually are equipped to print both Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer depending on your needs. However, if you are only printing Direct Thermal, there are (generally more affordable) options available that will only print Direct Thermal. So, deciding which type of thermal printing to use is important to consider before purchasing any equipment. These key considerations should help.

Print Head Life

Direct thermal printers generally experience a shorter lifespan because the attached printhead experiences prolonged direct contact with the label. The continuous, intense contact leads to a reduction in the life of the printhead because of greater wear and tear. Also, dirt, dust and debris can be a more common concern with direct thermal printing. This debris cause damage to the print head over time. The frequency with which you replace the printhead is an important factor to consider when you’re contemplating buying a direct thermal printer — yes, they are cheaper and do not require ribbon, but be sure to factor in the cost of additional print heads into your pricing when you are considering the pros and cons. Thermal transfer printers last longer since there is no direct contact between the print head and the labels. The ribbons that are utilized by thermal transfer printers make these printers more durable.

Printer Cost

Thermal transfer are more expensive than direct thermal printers. However, the upfront costs you incur while buying the thermal printer is far from the only consideration you must have before making a conclusive decision. You’re also going to have to consider the additional costs associated with the regular influx of hardware components and the costs associated with downtime during the periodic maintenance. You must also account for the costs of additional ribbons utilized by thermal transfer printers and the costs applicable for each cycle of downtime due to the ribbon requirements. When compared to thermal transfer printers, direct thermal printers experience drastically shorter downtime cycles. Furthermore, you can choose between printers of varying qualities depending on your budget.

Printing Environment

Direct thermal printers are best suited for indoor conditions that have manually controlled temperatures. The printers don’t work as efficiently where there’s constant exposure to heat, direct sunlight, and abrasion. Thermal printers are superior bets when it comes to difficult, rugged conditions experienced by some industries. It doesn’t matter if operations are conducted indoors or outdoors since thermal transfer printers work well even while the temperatures are on the higher side.

Quality of Media

The type of printer you ultimately opt for also has a lot to do with the quality of the media you’re using for your operations. The quality and type of media you choose will determine the health of your printhead, and by extension, the number of downtime cycles you might have, and the overall costs you’re likely to incur.

In the case of a thermal transfer printer, there is no direct contact between the printhead and the label, and that renders the quality of the media unimportant. However, that’s not the case with direct printers. There is direct contact between the printhead and the label. If the label in question is rough or abrasive, then that is detrimental to the life and performance of your printer. You’re going to experience a shorter lifespan of the equipment unless you employ special media, which has its own additional costs over regular media.

Intended Lifespan of Printed Information

One of the more popularly asked questions concerning thermal printing is the durability of the information you’re printing. The question is: how important is it for you to make sure the information that you’re printing remains visible for long periods? What is the nature of the information that you’re printing?

If you’re printing labels for a product with a short lifespan, a direct thermal printer may be well-suited for your requirements. However, if the information you’re printing is important to keep, or is exposed to harsher environments leading to requiring additional durability, then it’s natural to prefer thermal transfer printers since the information you print is much more resilient.

Readability of Data

Not only are thermal transfer printers better suited for the durability of data printed, the data printed by thermal transfer printers also has excellent edge definition. Its added resistance to heat and moisture makes the data resistant to rubbing off. Although the data printed by direct thermal printers provides decent scannability, its edge definition is inferior to that achieved by thermal transfer printers. That’s the primary reason why direct thermal printers don’t score as high on readability. The fact that the data printed by a direct thermal printer is prone to rubbing and fading is another reason why thermal transfer printers are preferred.

Technological Comparison

Technologically speaking, direct thermal printers pale in comparison to thermal transfer printing. For instance, the labels created with direct thermal printers cannot withstand the impact of extreme heat, light, and other harsh environments. This is primarily because the paper or media utilized by direct thermal printers are extremely sensitive to external conditions, and thereby the technology is not recommended when used in such conditions.

In stark comparison, thermal transfer printers excel because of their capacity to print a wider variety of media, which includes materials consisting of polypropylene, polyester, and paper. The capacity of thermal transfer printers to provide quality labels, wristbands, asset tags, and special certification labels is what makes it a superior technology to direct thermal printing.

Industrial Application

Thermal transfer printers are fit for multiple applications such as product identification, labels for cold storage and freezers, to mark laboratory chemicals and specimens, for special certification labels such as CSA/UL, and for asset tagging. On the other hand, direct thermal printers are usually suited to mark shipping labels, wristbands for patients, for visitor passes, parking tickets, minor receipts, for temporary coupons etc.

	Direct Thermal Printers	Thermal Transfer Printers
Suitability	For short-term application	For long-term application
Additional Components Used	No	Yes
Readability	Good	Great
Initial Cost of Investment	Low	High
Operational Costs	Low	High
Resiliency of Printed Data	Low	High
Printer Life	Good	Great

From the information we’ve provided, it’s fair to assume that your decision should strictly depend on your application of the thermal printer, and it can be less than straightforward. In case you’re still unsure about the printer that’s more suitable for your company operations, or if you need any help with the kind of label applicator you should go for, don’t refrain from contacting our experts at Jet Marking Systems.

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