| IIMAK BlogThermal transfer is a digital printing technology commonly used to print unique, one-off images and alpha-numeric characters with high resolution and excellent image durability.
June 29th, 2010
You would be amazed the possibilities color ribbons offer in standard and multi-head thermal transfer printers. Color gives seasoned sales reps additional revenue opportunity and higher margin potential, often within your current customer base.
Here are 5 ways on-demand color thermal transfer ribbons can be used:
- Color Coding - Printing color tags and labels assures quick visual recognition for coding, stocking, tracking or retrieving merchandise.
- Inventory Tracking - A distribution center may use color shelf labels to key and identify stock keeping locations or regions.
- Item Matching/Sorting - A manufacturer can use color bin tags to help operators differentiate between similar-looking hardware components.
- Short Run Digital Labels - With so much news surrounding inkjet and the Indigo, it’s easy to overlook thermal transfer as an option here. Tried and true process color printers like the Astromed and Gerber Edge provide high resolution and low maintenance. But you don’t need a 4 head printer. You can run color ribbons through standard barcode printers, like Zebra, Sato and Datamax to achieve spot color printing.
- Flexible Packaging - print price, date and lot codes on flexible packaging. Snack foods are one of the biggest applications here, but pharmaceutical packaging is a rapidly expanding area. White and Silver are the most popular colors in these applications.
By taking time to learn about your customer’s business needs, you’ll have the opportunity to identify areas where color can help reduce costly, aggravating errors. Ask questions to uncover problem areas that color can solve. Look for:
- Picking or shipping errors
- Delivery errors
- Manufacturing errors
- Excess inventory of pre-printed labels
Learn more about color thermal transfer printing in IIMAK University available on Inside IIMAK
Posted in Thermal Transfer Ribbons | Comments Off
May 25th, 2010
Do you scrutinize product packaging wherever you go? I do. Specifically, I look for thermal transfer images in my everyday life. I especially love the grocery store and home improvement stores to find examples (and prospects) of thermal transfer used to print expiration dates, lot codes and other cryptic information. When I’m shopping, it’s easy to see the trend toward flexible packaging. According to the Flexible Packaging Association, flexible packaging accounts for 18% or $25.6 billion of the packaging market in the United States. Industry reports indicate this segment will continue to grow because flexible packaging offers advantages of greater cost effectiveness, space saving capabilities, lighter weight and overall source reduction capabilities.
Of course, perishable products need to have an expiration date and lot tracking code, so variable printing technologies like thermal transfer are also growing. If you are inspired to identify variable images on your packages, here are a few clues you need:
- Thermal Transfer images are continuous and well aligned with no breaks in the formation of characters.
- Inkjet images are made up of a series of dots. The characters appear jagged.
- Hot stamp images are produced with a die and ink and results in characters that are uneven or inconsistent. The characters can feels rough or raised on the package.
Our customers can learn more about selling thermal transfer ribbons in our latest Flexible Distributor Guide. If you currently supply products into the shipping room at a food company, it makes sense to explore the possibility of expanding your ribbon business to the packing lines. But don’t stop there– 46% of flexible packaging is in non food applications, including retail, consumer, medical and pharmaceutical products.
IIMAK’s new NET Flex ribbon is ideal for these typical flexible packaging applications. It’s anti-static formula is great for high speed printing and it is compatible with the OEM ribbon so printer adjustments are not typically necessary.
Tags: Flexible Packaging, markem, Thermal Transfer Ribbons, videojet
Posted in Flexible Packaging | No Comments »
April 26th, 2010
With a focus on premium products, I thought it would be a good time to discuss UL standard 969 for Marking and Labeling Systems. Applications that require a UL recognized label include electronics, building materials and appliances. This standard contains several categories covering different types of label printing. Category PGJI2 covers products intended to be printed by end users using thermal transfer ribbons. Because distributors don’t run across these applications every day, they can be somewhat confusing.
3 Most Common UL Recognition and Thermal Transfer Label Questions
- Is your ribbon UL approved?
Any ribbon alone is not UL recognized. It is the combination of the label, substrate and adhesive that is tested and recognized by UL. Not only must the image remain on the label, but the label must also adhere to the surface that it is applied to.To determine if an IIMAK thermal transfer ribbon is UL recognized, you must provide details on the label stock you are using, including the manufacturer, spec number and a detailed description of the facestock and PS adhesive.
- Can IIMAK get a label UL recognized?
Because of the complexity of facestocks and adhesives, media roll suppliers like FLEXcon, Fasson® and 3M® hold the UL Files and manage all testing (including the ribbon) through UL. A distributor can also hold a UL file if they are willing to invest in the rigorous testing procedure with UL. Realistically, it is more cost effective and timely for a distributor to use the UL file from their media supplier.
- How do I mark the ribbon so the UL inspector knows its UL recognized?
IIMAK’s customizable private labeling can eliminate hassles during a UL audit at the end user. The label on the ribbon must include the IIMAK Product Name (i.e. SP330) and the UL File Number it is recognized under (i.e., MH16635). You should not use a UL or UR logo. It is the distributor’s responsibility to assure they supply the matching label stock that is UL recognized with that specific ribbon.
IIMAK’s SP330 is the most commonly specified ribbon for these applications. The new SP990 has been submitted to our media partners and we expect recognition within six months. When faced with a UL application, you can reference the Certification Directory at http://www.ul.com/.
But, it’s really much easier and faster if you just call your IIMAK account manager at 888.464.4625!
Posted in resin thermal transfer ribbons | Comments Off
February 22nd, 2010
Here’s an exclusive just for my blog subscribers. We just had our sales meeting where we released SP990, our new ultra-chemical resistant resin thermal transfer ribbon. What a blast! Our team had a day of hands on experiments in the lab to see firsthand how SP990 holds up to tough chemicals like xylene, toluene and brake-fluid.
Check out the pictures here. (more…)
Tags: chemical resistant ribbons, resin thermal transfer ribbons, resin ttr
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February 8th, 2010
Last year, flexible packaging was the single vertical market that showed strong double digit growth in thermal transfer ribbons. That alone is a good enough reason to consider adding new ribbons to your product line! Here are a few things to consider before entering the in-line coding market: (more…)
Tags: Flexible Packaging, markem, videojet
Posted in Flexible Packaging | No Comments »
January 25th, 2010
In the first two weeks of 2010, our print lab delivered 8 Application Print Tests to help customers close new business. Not surprisingly, four of them were for flexible packaging imprints – one of the fastest growing vertical markets in thermal transfer ribbons. Our lab runs three inline Markem Smartdate and Videojet Dataflex printers with continuous and intermittent processes up to 24 ips. Our customers provide the substrate, and we print with top-quality ribbons like NET FLEX, our new thermal transfer ribbon for flexible packaging, then evaluate print quality and durability. We find that smudge testing with our crockmeter is the best way to simulate the abrasion a package goes through on form, fill and seal lines. We also own more than 90 desktop and industrial thermal printers to perform just about any label test in the world. (more…)
Tags: markem, netflex
Posted in Thermal Transfer Ribbons | No Comments »
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