Wax-Resin
What is a wax-resin ribbon?
A wax-resin Thermal Transfer ribbon is made with a combination of wax and resin based ingredients.
Among all Thermal Transfer ribbon ranges, Wax-resin ribbons are the most versatile in terms of usage as they respond to a very wide array of label printing needs in the logistics, production and distribution sectors.
Wax-resin ribbons can print on almost all types of label and packaging film substrates:
- Paper labels: Vellum, Coated and Glossy coated
- Synthetic labels: Polypropylene, Polyethylene, Polyester
- Flexible packaging films
What are the typical use of wax-resin Thermal Transfer ribbons for barcode printers?
- Signages and logos
- Frozen food packaging
- Laboratory
- Hot food packaging
- Tags
- Flexible packaging
- Outdoor products
- Automotive
- Medicine packaging
- Distribution label
- Fresh produce
- Bag of parts
- Bottle
- Pallet
- Shipping
- Tire
What are the advantages of wax-resin thermal transfer ribbons?
Multi-use: can be used for very broad label printing needs. Several applications with different requirements can be answered with one ribbon.
High speed capability: both on label materials (12 ips) and flexible packaging films (32 ips).
Compared to a Wax ribbon, a Wax-resin based ribbon will print faster, offer a stronger print durability and a higher print quality thanks to a greater sharpness.
Print durability: good resistance to scratch, smear, scuffing or rubbing.
Excellent receptor multi-compatibility: paper labels, synthetic labels, flexible packaging.
Very good printing quality: The heat sensitivity of the ink provides a great sharpness and print precision.
Very good blackness: the high density of the ink (up to 2.2 ODR) provides a very clear readability and barcode scanning.
What makes a wax-resin ribbon different from wax and resin ribbons?
- Competitiveness: Wax-resin ribbons are more technical products than Wax ribbons, so their price is higher. However it is cheaper than Resin ribbons which propose a premium and more durable solution.
- Print resistance: higher than Wax ribbons (better smudge and scratch resistance) but lower than Resin ribbon (less scratch, heat and solvent resistances)
- Print speed: on label materials, Wax-resin ribbons print as fast as most Wax ribbons but at higher speed than Resin ribbons
- Label compatibility: Wax-resin ribbons print on any kind of label materials while Wax ribbons will be less compatible on synthetics. Resin ribbons won’t provide such a good print quality on paper materials.
Printer compatibility: Unlike Wax ribbons, Wax-resin ribbons can run with all Thermal Transfer printers or coders regardless the printhead technology. This is why there are wax-resin ribbons for Flat-head printers and Wax-resin ribbons for Near-edge/Corner-edge printers.
ARMOR-IIMAK range of Wax-Resin ribbons
The ARMOR-IIMAK Wax-Resin range (APR®/APX®) is used in a large number of applications, whether for printing paper or synthetic labels or for flexible packaging.
ARMOR-IIMAK Wax-Resin Thermal Transfer films have numerous qualities: high speed printing (up to 1 metre per second on packing lines), durability, print resistance and print accuracy compatible with barcodes at 90°C.
The ARMOR-IIMAK range includes Wax-Resin Thermal Transfer ribbons dedicated to two thermal printer technologies: Flat-head and Near-edge.
Among the ARMOR-IIMAK range, wax-resin ribbons are available in the following families:
- ACCESS: APR 1 for Flat-head, APR 400 for Near-edge
- CLUB: APR 6 for Flat-head, NET Flex + XL, PRIME Mark
- EXPERT: APX FH+ for Flat-head, APR 650 for Near-edge
- SPECIALS: APR 503 and ULTRA V for Flat-head
Wax-resin ribbons are available in a variety of colors to suit a multitude of applications.