Barcode Printers

• direct thermal printer: creates images by using heat to burn the image onto a heat-sensitive material, typically paper stock. Images are sensitive to heat and utltr-violet light. The images will deteriorate after time, so it is more suited for short-lived applications, such as shipping, clinical labratory tracking, and perishable food labels.
• thermal transfer printer: creates images by using heat to transfer ink from a ribbon to a media. Thermal transfer printers can use a wide variety of media materials and ribbon formulations. Images have a greater staing power for long-term applications.
• laser printer: Fuses toner to paper/labels. Typical uses would be on custom sized labels, standard stock labels (like products from Avery), or other business related documents (invoices, orders, statements, etc.)
• dot matrix printer: Uses a hammer (pins) to make an inked ribbon to contact paper/labels. Barcode quality is very good, but there are some applications where it makes sense.