Selecting The Printing Material; Thermal Transfer / Direct Thermal Printing; Label Stock - Avery Dennison AP7.t User Manual

07/08 Rev. 5.01-01

Selecting the Printing Material

Direct thermal
Thermal
transfer
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Material
roughness
Printhead
temperature
USER MANUAL

Thermal transfer / direct thermal printing

The AP 7.t can print onto label stock using the direct thermal mode or thermal
transfer mode.
Direct thermal printing is done without ribbon. The direct thermal process
requires label material with a temperature-sensitive coating. The printout is
produced by applying precise bursts of heat to the material under the
printhead. This changes the colour of the coating.
Thermal transfer printing is done with (thermal transfer) ribbon on "normal"
label material. The printout is produced by applying precise bursts of heat to
the thermal transfer ribbon under the printhead. This transfers the colour
particles to the label.

Label stock

The AP 7.t was designed for printing onto textile materials.
Pay attention to the following factors when selecting label stock:
The roughness of the material surface.
The printhead temperature required for the colour transfer.
Size of the material roll. The following dimensions need to be checked:
Outside-/inside diameter of the material roll and the material width.
If the material is very rough, the printhead will be worn down more quickly
than when using a smooth material. This is an important aspect of thermal
printing. With thermal transfer printing, this doesn't pose such a problem,
because you can – and indeed should – select a ribbon that is wider than the
material. This means that the printhead is protected over the entire width of
the material.
High printhead temperatures can similarly cause problems. The material and
the ribbon take longer to cool. As a result, the print quality may degrade –
particularly at high print speeds. The printhead also wears down more
quickly.
The printing result very much depends on the right combination of label
material and thermal transfer ribbon. The surface of the label material
determines which thermal transfer ribbons produce the best adhesion.
Unsuitable ribbons often cause bad printing results.
Recommended textile materials include Avery Dennison's 6860, 9505, 6880
and 9660.
More detailed information about grammage and material width margins and
the permissible dimensions of the label roll can be found in
"Label Material".
AP 7.t
Setup Printer
Technical Data,
4