Thermal Transfer is another type of print technology for industrial labeling. Thermal Transfer printing differs in several ways from Laser Jet and Ink Jet printing. First, printing requires an ink based ribbon material available in different types and colors and the ribbon and label material move together. With a combination of heat and pressure during printing, the ink is transferred from the ribbon onto the label material. The benefits of thermal transfer printing include the ability to print on many types of materials, including thicker materials or materials with unusual surface properties. Another benefit for thermal transfer printer is the excellent durability of the printed content. With the right combination of label material and ribbon material, it is possible to achieve print durability of many years even if the labels are used in extremely harsh conditions. A final benefit of thermal transfer printing is the very fast print speed. Thus, printing high volumes of labels with fewer material changeovers and without monitoring of label sheet feeding, helps raise thermal transfer productivity in comparison to Laser Jet and Ink Jet printing. Thermal transfer printing does have some drawbacks, though.

Unlike Ink Jet Printers, printing in color for thermal transfer is very limited and it is not possible to mix colors of inks together into different shades or tones of colors when using thermal transfer ribbons. Another type of printing that is similar to thermal transfer is called direct thermal printing. Direct thermal printing typically uses the same label roll format as thermal transfer, but it does not require the use of a ribbon. Instead, the label material properties change while printing and when exposed to heat, create text directly onto the material. Direct thermal printing is not a good technology for industrial use, though, since print durability is poor. When investigating thermal printing for industrial applications, it is important to select thermal transfer rather than direct thermal. On the other hand, many thermal printers are now capable of printing with either thermal transfer and direct thermal methods, from the same printer model.