
CD Duplication, DVD Replication and Fulfillment
Within this Section
Image Source Blog

Thermal Retransfer Printing

March 20th, 2012


How does thermal retransfer printing work? Not to be confused with regular thermal printing, a thermal transfer printer works by using pressure and heat to melt a small section of a wax ribbon so that the wax sticks to a different ribbon. One color is applied at a time until the image is complete. The image is then transferred from the second ribbon to the surface of the disc (or whatever object you are printing). Unlike ink jet printer cartridges, the quality of the printed image does not decline when you are close to needing a new ribbon.

Disc printed using thermal retransfer printing technology.

This equipment is commonly used to print on plastics that would otherwise be melted by laser printing methods. One widespread use for this type of printer is manufacturing barcodes. Another popular product that makes use of this technology is credit and debit cards. The prints produced do not smear and are waterproof, making them ideal for many types of labels. More advanced thermal retransfer printers are capable of generating near photo-realistic images but can still produce grainy text and graphics, so don’t go overboard with your label design.

If you need labels for your CDs and DVDs, call us today. We can help you by printing the discs for you, or ask about purchasing one of our thermal retransfer printing systems.
