Label printers use a wide range of label materials, including paper and synthetic polymer materials. There are two types of thermal printers - direct thermal and thermal transfer.
Different types of label printers are desktop label printers, commercial, industrial, RFID readers, label printer applicators, label software and personal label printers.
Direct thermal printers require the use of heat activated thermal papers and films, but require no ribbon. Direct thermal printer is popular in the foods industry, since most items are stored away from heat and sunlight, and the label shelf life is less than 1 year. The primary benefit is an overall lower cost since ribbon is not required. Thermal printers print much faster than dot matrix printers. They are economical also. Key components of thermal printers are Thermal head, platen, spring and controller boards. In 1990s, many fax machines used thermal printing technology.