Carbon ribbon materials and specifications must be suitable for the barcode printer.
There are two types of thermal transfer methods for the print head of barcode printers: flat pressure type and floating type, and the carbon ribbons used by the two printers are different. Most of the printers on the market are flat-press print heads, and the flat-pressure print head should choose the flat-pressure ribbon material, and the barcode machine of the floating print head should choose the ribbon suitable for high-speed floating printing.
The ribbon specifications must also be adapted to the printer: most printers use a ribbon with a 1-inch (25.4mm) inner core diameter, some desktop small barcode machines use a 0.5-inch (12.7mm) inner diameter, most printers use a ribbon with a core width flush with the width of the ribbon, and some printers have a wider ribbon core with a paper core with a bayonet, such as Toshiba’s barcode printer. Therefore, these specifications need to be considered when choosing a ribbon.
The ribbon material matches the label paper
The materials of ribbons are usually divided into three categories: wax-based, mixed-based, and resin-based, usually the higher the resin composition, the better the friction resistance, waterproof and temperature resistance, etc.
Generally, we first choose the label paper that can meet the application requirements, and then choose the matching ribbon according to the label material. The width of the ribbon should be larger than the width of the bottom paper of the label paper, so that the ribbon can effectively protect the print head and ensure that the content is printed completely.
When printing label paper of different materials, the ribbon used is also different.
For example, when using commonly used coated paper self-adhesive and double copper paper tags, wax-based ribbons are used, and mixed-based ribbons are used when scratch resistance is required; When printing PET, synthetic paper and other film labels, resin ribbons are used; When printing the washing label, select a special ribbon for the washing mark; Special application requirements such as high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and color materials should choose ribbons with corresponding properties.
The quality of the ribbon
The material of the ribbon is composed of a back coating, PET film, and ink layer, and is a high-tech professional coating material. There are also many brands and models of ribbon materials, such as imported brands RICOH, Almo, Fuji, Sony, etc., and some domestic brands are gradually rising. The secondary slitting processing of ribbon also has a certain impact on the quality of ribbon.
When we choose ribbons, we look at whether the coating of the ribbon is uniform, whether there are bubbles, whether there are impurities – resulting in white spots, burrs, incomplete prints; whether the PET film is too thin – causing breakage during high-temperature printing; The ribbon is wrinkled, rolled too loosely or too tight – almost impossible to use; The ribbon shaft is not standard – it is not good to be too large or too small, if it is too large, the ribbon recovery shaft of the barcode machine will not work properly.
These quality factors should be strictly examined when selecting ribbons.
Economic cost of ribbons
After all, the ribbon is a consumable that needs to be used for a long time, and we naturally have to consider the economic cost of the ribbon. Of course, when choosing a supplier, we are likely to consider factors other than price, such as service and geographical location, and then consider the overall cost to choose the right supplier.
Other factors such as environmental protection and safety certification
Some products need to meet the requirements of no heavy metal hazards, and at the same time, the ribbon of the printing label is required to meet the corresponding requirements, such as the need for the ribbon to be certified by a third party such as ROHS and SGS.
You should also consider whether your product labeling needs to meet these requirements and look for environmentally friendly ribbon models.