Printronix

Bar codes revolutionized automatic identification and data collection more than 30 years ago. However, with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) attracting all the attention and developmental mind power, are bar codes soon to be obsolete? That’s not likely. In fact, bar codes and human-readable information are still required on smart labels to validate the products inside cases and pallets, and they are expected to remain an important part of RFID labels for many years. This is no more a relief than for suppliers of thermal transfer printers and materials. Thermal transfer printing has come a long way since its inception and relies on heat to

With higher quality, enhanced software and lower prices, suppliers see simplified selection and usage for thermal transfer printers. By Susan Friedman Converters in the market for a thermal transfer printer should first consider how others in the field have put them to work. Thermal transfer printers' flexibility for on-demand, short runs has led some label converters to install them "as a service bureau capability," comments Gene Korzeniewski, manager, product development, Avery Dennison Printer Systems. Short-run, variable information jobs remain an applications cornerstone. "Because of its high per-label cost, thermal transfer is not the best choice for high-volume batch printing," affirms Reggie Twigg, marketing communications

Black thermal transfer ribbon's popularity suggests a steady industrial applications stronghold, although the color spectrum is widening. by Susan Friedman With a bar code or other variable data as a calling card, thermal transfer printed packaging commonly carries identification, shipping or tracking information. Thermal transfer's sharp, crisp output has made it the on-demand printing method of choice for newer bar codes that can be read from a distance, and improved compliance labeling, states René Gallet, thermal products manager at Printronix, Irvine, CA. A similar following in higher-end package printing remains to be seen. Thermal transfer speeds of six to eight inches per minute remain