The thermal transfer ribbon is one of the most basic consumables. Properly selected, both for the type of labels and for the printing machine, it will become an excellent dye carrier. However, many users have trouble choosing the right ribbon for the type of printer they have. There are different types of tapes, each of them serves different labels and devices. So how to choose a thermal transfer ribbon?

One of the characteristics to take into consideration is the material of the ribbon. This is one of the parameters that we need to understand, first of all, to know which type of tape will work best to achieve our goals. Basically, thermal transfer ribbons are divided into:

• Wax thermal transfer ribbon: this type is used in the case of paper labels with a matte finish where the ink will be durable and resistant. With other types of labels, printing may smudge or be inaccurate. This type of tape is one of the cheapest on the market.

• Resin thermal transfer ribbon: this type of ribbon works well with almost all types of synthetic labels. The quality of the print will be permanent and resistant to many external agents. It is the most expensive type of tape offered on the market.

• Wax resin thermal transfer ribbon: we can use it for semi-gloss synthetic labels, when we need greater resistance to rubbing.

• Textile thermal transfer ribbon: used to print on polyamide, polyester and satin labels.

• Color thermal transfer ribbon: This range includes colored ribbons in both wax, wax resin and resin.