These labels are produced for a specific purpose to suit thermal transfer or thermal direct printing. We offer a number of variations of thermal transfer and thermal direct also synthetic materials which can be supplied will a range of adhesives as well as protective coating if needed. The difference between the two types of printing is that thermal transfer has a ribbon and thermal direct does not.
For general purposes thermal transfer is the most common and it is ideally suited for barcode as well as colour and for plain text. Generally speaking the materials used for thermal transfer has a longer shelf life as opposed to those for thermal direct and are often used in items such as labelling of products and addressing. On the other hand thermal direct materials are for indoor applications only and are regarded as best for use for temporary labelling of items. The material is both sensitive to heat and to sunlight and similarly also certain UV lights which are high in power. When exposed to these environments the materials take on a black colour.
We are happy to offer our experience in these matters and will be pleased to discuss your requirements in the thermal printing field.