Printer Maintenance Supplies
EnquireThermal Printer Ribbons
We stock a wide range of ribbons compatible with many leading brands of thermal printers including:
• Markem Smartdate
• Datamax/Sato
• Zebra/TEC
• Cab/Novexx
• Ice Zodiac
There is a huge variety of ribbons to choose from depending upon your intended application but they can be broadly divided into 3 categories:
Wax Ribbons
Wax ribbons are the most cost effective thermal transfer ribbons. They have a high percentage of wax based substance in the colorant. Most wax ribbons are made with a single colorant layer.
The low melting point of wax means you can obtain high quality print at lower heating and energy settings. However, the images will be less resistant against smudge, scratch, chemical and environmental damage.
Wax ribbons are suitable for printing on uncoated or matte coated surfaces, for temporary printing or when the printed matter will not in physical contact with abrasive surfaces.
Main applications - shipping labels, address labels, price tickets and warehouse applications.
Wax / Resin Ribbons
Wax / Resin ribbons are made up of 2 or more layers combining wax and a higher percentage of resin based colorant substances
The higher melting point of resin increases the melting point of the ribbon. Printing with Wax / Resin ribbons therefore takes place at a higher heat or energy setting then wax ribbons.
The resin content increases resistance against smudging, scratching and abrasion assuring excellent edge definition.
Main Applications: Suitable for general use.
Resin Ribbons
Resin Ribbons are the most expensive of thermal transfer ribbons and are made up of two or more layers consisting mainly of resin.
The high melting point of resin requires high energy levels or heat settings to print resulting in slow printing. The resultant images will have a very high resistance to damage caused by chemicals, heat, and abrasion.
Main applications: Resin Ribbons are recommended for high gloss coated materials, textile labels or situations when exposure to harsh chemicals is expected as in the industrial, automotive, medical or pharmaceutical industries.
RIBBONS AVAILABLE AT SPECIAL OFFER PRICES BELOW
For details of our full range of thermal ribbons contact our sales team
Photo of plain labels and ribbons
Publicise your special promtions with customised flexible packaging including bags, sachets and shrink sleeves. 
Choose from a large selection of pre-printed tapes or print your own personalised design. 
Watershed has 8 printing presses in the group catering for a wide range of markets.