Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Label Maker Question

This is topic Label Maker Question in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=003045

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 03-12-2004, 10:47 PM:

I picked up a Dymo QX50 labelmaker the other day. This is handheld unit with a tiny QWERTY keyboard that spits out labels on a paper tape. Does anyone know what printing technology this uses? The paper tape moves past a simple stationary printhead so it seems like it would be thermal but the labels don't blacken when heated unless it maybe takes a greater temperature than the old thermal fax paper. I'm just wondering. Anyone know?

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-13-2004, 01:12 AM:

It uses direct thermal transfer, so heating it later won't affect it since it's a two part system.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 03-13-2004, 01:30 AM:

Wouldn't thermal transfer require a ribbon of some sort? There is none.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-13-2004, 01:58 AM:

I believe that there is actually a ribbon inside the cartridge that winds back into the cartridge as it prints.

I know for sure that they are thermal transfer though. We use those types of labels in some aircraft and had to prove that they aren't affected by heat exposure.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-13-2004, 11:16 AM:

With the label maker having a ribbon does that mean its actually a thermal resin based product?

I would be somewhat surprised if that's the case, particularly since a number of full size thermal resin printers sold on the market for years are all pretty expensive.

The Fargo printer was one of the first popular thermal resin printers, and it carried a price tag of $5000, all just for printing stuff on normal 8½" X 11" sheets. Summa Technology, Roland and Gerber all sell thermal resin based printers for large format output. The Gerber EDGE is the most popular. It uses a four color foil set and you can use other foils in addition to the CMYK set for Pantone spot color matches or even metallic ink effects. The EDGE carries a $20,000 price tag though. Ouch. Well, in big printing circles prices often know no bounds. Electrostatic-based 3M Scotchprint graphic makers can hit the $250,000 mark. Grand format billboard printers start around the $500,000 level.

Kinda nifty if a little Dymo label maker can incorporate some of that method in a low cost consumer product.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 03-13-2004, 03:20 PM:

I'm not familiar with the Dymo product but I have used label makers by Brother (P-Touch) and Casio.

The cartridges for Casio and Brother contain an "ink" ribbon and the plastic (not paper) label base. In addition, I think there is also a clear overlay; the labels are laminated when they come out.

P-Touch labels are available in a variety of configurations of label width, print color and label base color.

I would imagine the other brands are similar.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-13-2004, 09:44 PM:

Yes, it is a thermal resin.

Everyone has their own variety of colours and sizes. Although nobody sells white on clear, a combination that would be extremely handy.

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 03-13-2004, 11:13 PM:

The Brother "P-touch" printers print on the back of the clear overlay, which is then mated to the backing tape through a capstan-and-pinch-roller assembly (sort of like a tape recorder). If the overlay skews for any reason, the printing will become off-center.

BTW, Daryl, Brother does indeed offer white-on-clear cartridges.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-13-2004, 11:16 PM:

Staples told me that the white on clear Brother labels aren't available in Canada. So I guess I should have said that nobody makes them available to me. [Smile]

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 03-13-2004, 11:27 PM:

Even online? Could there be some obscure Canadian law against the importation of white-on-clear tape? [Smile]

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-13-2004, 11:35 PM:

I hadn't checked online in about six months. It now appears that they now have white on clear in 3/8" only available. About an 1/8" too big for use on instrument panels. Maybe they'll let me order some 1/4" tape now though. Thanks Jon.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 03-14-2004, 11:02 AM:

I can confirm that the Dymo unit is a thermal system since I used up the cartridge and placed a strip of ordinary thermal paper in it. With the paper aligned so the thermal surface faces the printhead the printing comes out mirror image so that infers that the real thing is printing through the back (I forgot to notice which way the real tape faced before it ran out and the store is out of cartridges). Interesting if they are printing through the peelable backing--for one thing the backing is split down the middle and you'd think that would create an anomoly in the middle of the printing.

No ribbon in the cartridge; just a roll of the tape itself.