How to Use thermal label Printers to Print Color

Color labels pop off the shelf, making your products instantly recognizable—no name needed. In some cases, they are legally required for clear and striking warnings and identification. But what if you could achieve this without a high-end color inkjet label printer? This is especially relevant for budget-savvy small businesses. Today we will share two smart ways to use a thermal label printer for printing striking color labels. 

Variable Printing on Pre Printed Labels

In industries like the chemical industry, color label printing is often a necessity, for example, GHS and hazardous waste labels. 

These labels typically feature a colored background, with part of their content being fixed and another part variable. For instance, on hazardous waste labels, information like the production date, waste composition, and the manifest tracking number changes with each label, while other elements remain constant.

Although traditional color inkjet printers can meet the demand for color printing, they come with high initial and ongoing ink costs, and their printing speed is relatively slow. 

In contrast, using variable printing on pre-printed labels through a thermal printer presents the more economical and efficient solution.

The process involves:

1. Purchasing pre-printed label rolls that already have fixed color content. They should comply with regulatory requirements. Then, installing them correctly in the thermal printer.

2. Organizing the variable information in an Excel spreadsheet.

3. Set up the label template using label design software. 

4. Importing the Excel file into the label software to apply the variable data.

This method allows businesses to print variable information like black text, dates, graphics, and barcodes as needed, with the printing content being freely editable and set up through label design software. 

Thermal printing on pre-printed label rolls is a versatile color label printing approach that suits various applications, including:

● Retailers printing bulk color product price tags.

● Restaurants creating color food preparation labels for compliance and safety.

● Factories and businesses printing equipment ID labels and asset tracking labels for efficient inventory management.

Thermal Transfer Printing with Color Ribbons

Can thermal printers print in color? Yes, when using a thermal transfer printer with colored ribbons, you can indeed produce colored text, graphics, and barcodes. 

A prime example is the food and daily chemical industries, where manufacturers favor industrial label printers to generate one-color product labels in bulk.

They often opt for transparent PET or PVC label rolls and load their industrial barcode printers with colored carbon ribbons, such as red, green or golden, to print the corresponding color content. This technique also applies to various color sign and marking printings.

By incorporating these strategies, businesses can efficiently produce color labels, enhancing brand visibility and complying with regulatory standards, all while keeping costs manageable.