How does wax-based carbon tape work?

The working principle of wax-based carbon tape is mainly based on thermal transfer technology, which can be summarized as follows:

First, definition and structure

Definition: Wax-based carbon tape is a type of carbon tape, also known as thermal transfer tape, which is specifically used as a consumable for thermal transfer printers.

Structure: The wax-based carbon strip is mainly composed of wax and a certain proportion of resin, and its structure is usually divided into two parts: bottom strip and ink strip. The base strip is a plastic substrate, while the ink strip is coated with a mixture of wax and resin.

Second, the working principle

1. Heating process:

During the printing process, the print head of the thermal transfer printer will be heated to a certain temperature. This temperature is set according to the melting point of the wax base carbon band, and because the melting point of the wax is relatively low, the heating temperature required is also relatively low.

2. Heat transfer printing:

When the heated printhead comes into contact with the ink strip portion of the wax-based carbon strip, the heat causes the wax and resin mixture to soften and melt.

As the print head moves, the melted wax and ink mixture is evenly transferred to the printing medium (such as label paper, card, etc.).

3. Curing and forming:

The wax and ink mixture transferred to the printing medium solidifies rapidly upon cooling, resulting in a clear and long-lasting image or text.

Third, characteristics and applications

Features:

The wax based carbon strip has the characteristics of low printing cost and clear printing effect.

However, because its main component is wax, its scratch resistance and chemical resistance are relatively weak, and it is not suitable for use in situations where high durability is required.

Applications:

Wax-based carbon tape is widely used in ordinary paper labels and simple printing needs, such as supermarket price labels, commodity packaging labels and so on.

To sum up, wax-based carbon strips work by transferring a molten wax and ink mixture to a printing medium through thermal transfer technology, forming a clear and long-lasting image or text. Its low cost and good printing results make it an ideal choice for many printing needs.