What is the difference between small roll thermal label paper and self-adhesive label paper?

There are significant differences between small roll thermal label paper and self-adhesive label paper in multiple aspects. The following is a detailed comparison of these two types of label paper:

1、 Material composition

Small roll thermal label paper: composed of a special coating that can change color when heated, presenting the desired information or pattern. It can print without ink or toner, and the printing process is fast and efficient.

Adhesive label paper: It consists of three parts: substrate, adhesive, and backing paper. The substrate is mostly paper or film, and the adhesive is used to stick the label on the surface of the target object. The backing paper plays a protective role for the adhesive and needs to be peeled off during use.

2、 Printing principle

Small roll thermal label paper: heated by a thermal print head, the special coating on the label paper undergoes a chemical reaction, thereby changing color and displaying the desired text or image.

Adhesive label paper: Information can be printed on the substrate through various printing methods such as laser printing, inkjet printing, etc. Its printing principle is similar to traditional paper printing, except that an adhesive layer is added for easy pasting.

3、 Application scenarios

Small roll thermal label paper: widely used in supermarket product pricing, express logistics labels, retail receipts and other fields. These scenarios typically require labels to be able to print quickly and accurately, and have a certain level of durability (although relatively short).

Adhesive label paper: has a wider range of applications, including product packaging, advertising, fixed asset identification, drug labels, etc. Adhesive label paper can withstand more environmental factors such as water resistance, oil resistance, and light resistance, making it more suitable for long-term use scenarios.

4、 Cost and Maintenance

Small roll thermal label paper: usually has a lower cost because it does not require the use of consumables such as ink or toner. However, thermal print heads require regular cleaning and maintenance to avoid a decrease in print quality caused by dust or dirt.

Adhesive label paper: The cost is relatively high because it requires the purchase of label paper and consumables such as ink or toner. But the printing quality of self-adhesive label paper is more stable and relatively easy to maintain.

5、 Environmental friendliness

Small roll thermal label paper: Some thermal label papers may contain harmful chemicals to the human body, such as bisphenol A, so special attention should be paid to environmental protection. However, with the increasing awareness of environmental protection, more and more thermal label papers are adopting environmentally friendly materials.

Adhesive label paper: The environmental friendliness of adhesive label paper mainly depends on the materials of its substrate and adhesive. Some high-quality adhesive label paper is made of environmentally friendly materials that can be recycled, reused, or degraded.

In summary, there are significant differences between small roll thermal label paper and self-adhesive label paper in terms of material composition, printing principle, application scenarios, cost and maintenance, and environmental friendliness. Consumers should weigh and choose based on their specific needs when making a choice.