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PF-LBL-DT · Barcode & thermal labels

Direct thermal labels.

A heat-activated chemical layer imaged directly by the printhead — no ribbon required. The economical choice for short-life labels: weighing scales, shipping, visitor passes and food service.

No ribbon Heat-activated Short life Top-coated
01 · Main properties

Ribbon-free printing for short-life labels.

  • Thermally-sensitive coating images directly under the printhead — no ribbon.
  • Top-coated grades resist scuffing, moisture and mild fats / oils.
  • Economy (non-topcoated) grades for the shortest-life labels.
  • Crisp barcodes and text at high speed on logistics printers.
  • Permanent acrylic adhesive; freezer-grade available.
  • Image fades with heat, UV and friction — by design, for short life.
02 · Applications

Where it earns its place.

  • Weighing-scale and deli / fresh-food labels.
  • Shipping, courier and e-commerce labels.
  • Visitor, event and patient wristbands / passes.
  • Receipts, tickets and queue tickets.
  • Pick-and-pack and short-life warehouse labels.
03 · Compatible printers

Runs on direct-thermal desktop and mobile printers.

  • Desktop — Zebra ZD220 / ZD420, TSC TDP series.
  • Mobile — Zebra ZQ, Honeywell RP series.
  • Scale printers — Bizerba, Avery Berkel, DIGI.
  • No ribbon required — set head darkness to stock.
04 · Technical specification

Material specification.

Choose top-coated for handling durability or economy for the lowest cost on the shortest-life labels.

Face material
Direct-thermal coated paper
Grades
Top-coated & economy (non-topcoated)
Face weight
≈ 75 – 80 gsm
Adhesive
Permanent acrylic · freezer grade optional
Liner
Glassine
Image life
Months (top-coated), weeks (economy)
Service temperature
-10 °C to +50 °C
Ribbon
None required
05 · Transport & storage

Handle it right, it runs right.

Storage temperature
18 – 25 °C · away from heat
Relative humidity
45 – 55% RH
Shelf life
12 months unimaged, kept dark
Light
Avoid sunlight, UV and heat — pre-images coating
Handling
No solvents, plasticisers or oils
06 · Ordering

Die-cut to your label size, on your core.

Roll widths
Up to 220 mm web · cut to size
Label sizes
Custom die-cut to specification
Core
1″ (25 mm) or 3″ (76 mm) ID
Grade
Top-coated / economy / freezer
Lead time · stock
48 – 72 hours
Sample pack
Free on request
More in barcode & thermal labels

Related SKUs.

Need longer life or durability? Move to semi-gloss + ribbon, or polyester.

PF-LBL-SG

Semi-Gloss labels

Longer-life paper with TT ribbon. PF-LBL-PET

Polyester labels

Permanent, durable identification. PF-TTR-WAX

Wax ribbon

Pair with paper for durable barcodes.