What is carbon ribbon and what is its purpose

Carbon ribbon is a consumable used in barcode printers and is a very important material. It is a polyester film coated with wax, resin, or mixed ink on one side. Apply lubricant on the side without ink to prevent wear of the print head. The ink on the barcode ribbon will transfer the corresponding text and barcode information to the label under the heat and pressure of the barcode printer print head.

Simply put, carbon ribbon is the "carbon ribbon" of a label (barcode) printer and the "ink" of a regular A4 printer. Its function is the same, mainly used for printing colors, text, graphics, etc. But 'carbon ribbon' can only print a single color, 'ink' can print color.

High quality carbon ribbon can have the purpose of maintaining printer nozzles and increasing their service life. It can also accurately paste the font patterns of printed files onto paper without being easily dropped or distributed, thereby achieving good practical results in printed files. There are many products that require the use of carbon ribbons, and the products used in different application environments are also completely different.

There are two main types of barcode (label) printers:

① Thermal printer. This machine is only suitable for printing thermal label paper and does not require the use of carbon tape.

② Thermal transfer printer. This machine is suitable for printing all label papers on the market except for RFID tags, and needs to be used with carbon tape.

Generally speaking, the quality of carbon ribbon not only determines the lifespan of the print head but also affects the printing effect. A good carbon ribbon can protect the print head and produce an effect that can accurately adhere to the paper without spreading or falling off easily.

Types of carbon ribbons

Carbon ribbons can be classified into three types based on their materials:

wax-based carbon ribbon

A product primarily composed of wax and carbon black (assuming black carbon ribbon) as coating materials. Wax based carbon ribbon is a relatively economical and inexpensive carbon ribbon, mainly used for printing on general paper. When using wax based carbon ribbon, attention must be paid to its compatibility with the paper. Wax based carbon ribbon is used for materials with slightly uneven surface feel, and is not suitable for products with smooth surfaces such as PET material. Wax based carbon ribbon accounts for about 70% of the market share and is a commonly used product for printing large paper labels such as wheat heads.

Resin Ribbon

If the printed materials must be resistant to solvents, high temperatures, etc., used for chemical product packaging, or must be resistant to high temperatures, used for electrical heating parts, or must be printed on special chemical products such as PET, it is recommended to use resin carbon tape because the composition of resin materials can meet the above requirements. However, this type of carbon tape is usually expensive, but the printing effect still needs to be matched with paper/printing media to achieve a good printing level.

Half fat, half wax carbon ribbon

A product primarily composed of a mixture of wax and resin as coating materials. The mixing ratio varies as needed and is mainly used for materials with relatively smooth surfaces. It is generally suitable for products with strict surface requirements, such as the labeling of ordinary consumable products, which is made by combining the advantages of the two types of carbon ribbons listed above.

Washed cloth carbon tape

Excellent chemical properties such as scratch resistance, smudging resistance, and alcohol resistance. Even after washing, the image remains clear, and there is no adhesion of water washed labels during continuous printing.