Glossary | IntelliTech International Support Knowledgebase

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Thermal Printing Glossary

abrasion: A scraped spot or area, the result of rubbing or scraping.

abrasion resistant: The ability to withstand scrapes.

adhesion: The bond established on contact between two surfaces.

adhesive: A substance capable of holding materials together by surface attachment.

aggressive adhesive: A tenacious adhesive.

air holes: The holes punched through tags so that strings may be affixed to the tag and then attached usually to a garment, piece of jewelry, shrubbery, etc.

application temperature: The environmental temperature at which the label will be applied.

backing: The liner of pressure-sensitive label stock which functions as a carrier.

bar code: A binary coding system consisting of vertical marks or bars that, when read by an optical scanner, can be converted into machine language; An automatic identification technology that encodes information into an array of adjacent varying width parallel rectangular bars and spaces.

bar code character: A single group of bars and spaces that represent a specific number, letter, punctuation mark or other symbol; the smallest subset of a bar code symbol that contains data.

bar code density: The number of data characters that can be represented in a linear unit of measure, often expressed in characters per inch.

bar code reader: A device used to read a bar code symbol, usually connected to a CRT or personal computer.

biaxially oriented: Stock with fiber layers at angles to each other for strength.

black stripe: A black line pre-printed on the back side of the label or tag that printers equipped with reflective sensors use to signal the end of one label and the top of the next.

butt cut labels: Rectangular labels in continuous form, separated by a horizontal face cut.

Centronics connector: A 36-pin connector usually used for parallel applications, especially printers.

coated paper/tag: Paper or tag stock which has one or both surfaces covered with a substance to produce certain desired properties for use in specific printing processes.

coatings: A layer of material covering the facestock usually to provide a smoother finish.

continuous: Labels feeding directly one after another in quantity rather than one at a time.

deposit buildup: The residue accumulated from constant activity in a certain spot.

die cut: The severance line between a pressure-sensitive label and its matrix or adjoining label, made by the cutting edge of a die.

direct thermal: A printing system using heat sensitive paper in which heated areas of the paper turn dark.

edge notches: Holes punched on either one/both sides or the center of the label that printers equipped with transmissive sensors use to signal the end of one label on the top of the next.

environment: The combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence an object.

facestock: Any paper, film or foil material that can be converted into labels; Retains the printed image.

fanfold: Labels with perforations in the release liner so they can be folded into stacks.

gap: For die cut labels the distance between one label and the next.

general purpose permanents: Permanent adhesives for a wide variety of surfaces and environments.

high tack: A high degree of stickiness to the adhesive.

infrared: The band of light wavelengths too long to be seen by the human eye; represented by waves that are between 750 and 4 million nanometers.

ladder: A vertical bar code presented in such a manner that its overall length dimension is perpendicular to the horizon; the bars are presented in an array which look like a ladder.

laminate: Web of material formed by bonding two or more materials together; in labels, the liner, adhesive and facestock.

laser scanner: An optical bar code reading device using a low energy laser light beam as its source of illumination.

light pen: In a bar code system, a hand held scanning wand that is used as a contact bar code reader held in the hand (wand scanner).

liner: Material used as a label carrier which enables the labels to be released.

media: The label or tag stock used as the receptor for the printed image.

perforations: A series of holes used to separate labels on a roll for easy tear off.

permanent adhesive: Adhesive capable of long-lasting bond strength to a wide variety of surfaces.

picket fence: A horizontal bar code presented in such a manner that its overall length dimension is parallel to the horizon; The bars are presented in an array which look like a picket fence.

pin feed: Round holes in label stock that help maintain the labels proper alignment during printing.

polyesters: Strong film that resists moisture, oils and many chemical solvents.

polymids: A synthetic polymeric resin resistant to high temperatures, wear and corrosion.

polypropylenes: Any of a group of durable, thermoplastic resins.

preprinted: Printed in advance of use.

pressure sensitive label: Label material with adhesive backing and protective silicone-coated release liner to permit it to adhere instantly to most surfaces with the application of slight pressure.

print head energy levels: The amount of energy (heat) at the point of contact on the print head.

print quality: The measure of compliance of a bar code symbol to the requirements of dimensional tolerance, edge roughness, spots, voids, reflectance, print contrast, quiet zone, and encodation.

processing temperature: The temperature a label would be expected to withstand as its normal environment.

quiet zone: A clear space, containing no machine readable marks, which precedes the start character of a bar code symbol and follows the stop characters.

reflectance: The light which is reflected from the white spaces of a bar code during scanning; this light is converted to an electrical signal, amplified and transmitted to a data entry terminal.

removable adhesives: Pressure sensitive adhesive that offers low ultimate adhesion to a variety of surfaces for easy removal.

repositionable adhesive: Pressure sensitive adhesive that can be cleanly removed and repositioned on a variety of surfaces.

resolution: In a bar code system, the narrowest element dimension which can be distinguished by a particular reading device or printed with a particular device or method.

scanner: An electronic device that electro-optically converts optical information into electrical signals.

scratch resistant: The ability of an image to withstand abrasion.

smudge: The tendency of an image to smear or streak onto an adjacent area when rubbed; involves the redisposition of abraded material.

smudge resistant: The ability of an image to withstand smudging.

static: Electrostatic discharge caused by two surfaces coming together.

substrate: The surface on which a bar code symbol is printed.

synthetic label: A manmade compound or material, usually a plastic film.

tack: The amount of stickiness of an adhesive.

tag: A paperboard card or synthetic material considerably stiffer and heavier than label facestock.

thermal transfer: A printing system where dots are selectively heated against a ribbon and common paper is used as a substrate; usually produces the highest print quality and eliminates the problems of fading or changing color inherent in direct thermal.

UL recognized label: Underwriters Laboratory tested and approved device rating labels.

ultraviolet: High frequency light present in sunlight, which causes fading of printed characters especially direct thermal images.

Universal Product Code (UPC): The standard bar code symbol for retail food packages in the United States.

UV varnish: Ultraviolet light-cured coating applied to label surfaces for a protective finish.

visible light: Used in some hand laser scanners to project a beam of light visible to the human eye, simplifying the scanning process.

wand scanner: In a bar code system, a wand that is used to scan bar codes.