Thermal Transfer Ribbons
We supply Thermal Transfer Ribbons for printing on Citizen and other leading brands of thermal transfer label printers such as Zebra, Toshiba, TEC, Datamax, Eltron and Intermec.
Gilly Print also supplies high performance PGR+ thermal transfer ribbons suitable for the above named printers.
When you order a Citizen thermal printer you can have a free starter pack up to the value of £100 with a mixture of any of the labels and thermal printer ribbons. You may of course order labels and ribbons for any make of printer, whether you buy a Citizen from us or not.
What is a Thermal Ribbon
A thermal ribbon also known as an ink ribbon and thermal transfer ribbon is an ink coated film. When fed through a thermal transfer printer the ink is heated up by the print head and the ink is transferred onto the label, card or tag.
Types of Ribbons
There are three types of thermal transfer printer ribbon:
1. Wax is used for printing on matt and semi gloss paper, 110mm 76mm and 51mm wide.
2. Wax/Resin is smudge resistant and suitable for printing on to matt, semi gloss and gloss papers and some plastics. 114mm 102mm 76mm and 51mm wide.
3. Resin is resistant to scratching and most chemicals. It is suitable for printing onto most plastics. 114mm 102mm 76mm and 51mm wide.
Choices for Thermal Ribbons
Grade – Wax, resin enhanced wax, wax resin (including PGR+) or resin.
Width – Ribbon width must be larger than the corresponding label width so that the print head on the printer is not damaged.
Length – Ribbon length is determined by your printer. Desktop printers typically vary from 74m to 300m and industrial printers range from 300m to 600m.
Wound – Outside or Inside dependent on your printer.
Core Size – desktop printer ribbons are usually supplied on an 1/2 inch core whereas industrial printers are supplied on a variety of larger core sizes.
