Just as printing equipment come in different forms, so do the labels that you use with these machines. It is important that you know the difference between the two major types of labels used with conventional printers: laser labels and inkjet labels.
Laser Labels
Laser labels are used with laser printers that employ toners instead of ink to produce an image. Laser printers use heat to fuse an electrically charged powder onto paper fibers. The fusing process gives laser labels the great advantage – images do not need to dry off like inkjet labels will. Furthermore, you are able to create crisper and clearer images that will not smudge.
Laser printers are equipped with a printer drum that looks pretty much like a rolling pin or a paint roller. Some paint rollers come with embossed patterns which are transferred to surfaces and this can explain exactly how laser toners work to create images on print media.
First, the laser device transfers an image onto to drum using static electricity. The drum is then coated with toner and further transfers the image onto paper or laser labels in particular. Paper is they passed through the fusers, which are actually heated rollers that fuse the toner to paper fibers.
While laser printers come with a larger upfront purchase cost, laser toner cartridges will need to be replaced less often. Likewise, laser printers have faster printing speeds and work impressively with a wide range of laser labels including fluorescent labels and gloss labels.
Inkjet Labels
The term “inkjet” appropriately describes the process employed when printing inkjet labels. Inkjet printers spray ink onto labels in spurts or jets. The ink will take a bit of time to dry, which explains why images printed using inkjet printers can sometimes come out blurry. This “feathering” of the image is often caused by low-quality ink or paper. Low quality paper could absorb too much ink, so it is vital that you use top-grade inkjet labels that produce sharper images.
Labels coated in a waxy film are smoother and will deliver sharper imaging since just enough ink is soaked up by the paper. Unlike rough or coarse paper which scatters light, smooth paper reflects light, making images appear a lot clearer and brighter.
Use smooth and wax paper when working with inkjet printers. There are different types of good quality inkjet labels such as round labels or pre-printed labels for your specific needs.
A reliable online labels supplier or printer should be able to help you out in your selection of inkjet and laser labels to suit your unique requirements. You can even find coffee and tea labels, wine labels and custom labels which you can use for your products in case you run a small manufacturing, packaging or distribution business.
