In thermal transfer printing, the heating elements of the printhead apply dots of heat to the passing ribbon, causing it to melt onto the label and form the printed image. The label absorbs the ink, making it part of the media. Ribbon and label materials (material and adhesive) must be carefully matched to each other and to the specific application for optimum quality and durability.Thermal transfer labels
In direct thermal printing, the heating elements of the print head directly heat the passing label, which has a thermal coating. The chemical reaction causes the label color to change from white to black.Thermal transfer labels
