Thermal wax transfer printers work by putting a
wax-based ink onto paper. The wax-based ink from the transfer ribbon melts
onto the paper, while the paper and ribbon travel together under
the thermal print head. When it cools down, the wax is permanent. This kind of thermal
printer uses a like-size ribbon panel for each page to be printed,
regardless of the contents of the page. Monochrome printers have a black
panel of ribbon for each page that will be printed, and color printers have either three (CMY)
or four (CMYK) colored ribbon panels for each page printed. These printers cannot vary the dot intensity
like dye-sublimation printers can, so
images must be dithered. The printouts from these printers
cannot compare with modern ink jet printers and color laser printers, but
they are not too bad.
This type of printer is rarely used any more for full-page printing, and is
now used a lot for industrial label printing because of it's speed and waterfastness.
There are a small
number of moving parts so these are highly reliable printers. Print copies from these printers are sensitive to
abrasion, because the wax ink can be rubbed off, smeared or scraped.
more printer terms
