Glossary Term
Direct Thermal Printing
A digital printing process that produces a printed image by selectively heating coated thermochromic paper. It requires no ink, toner, or ribbon.
The Standard for E-commerce Labels
Direct thermal printing is the go-to choice for FBA sellers. Since it doesn’t use ink or ribbons, it’s incredibly cost-effective and low-maintenance. The printer uses a heated head to "burn" the image onto special heat-sensitive paper. It’s fast, quiet, and perfect for the 4x6 labels used by Amazon, Walmart, and UPS.
Pros and Cons
The main benefit is simplicity””no ink to run out of. The downside is that thermal labels are sensitive to heat and sunlight. If you leave a thermal label in a hot car, it will turn black and become unscannable. For long-term storage or extreme conditions, thermal transfer (with ribbon) is better, but for 99% of e-commerce shipping, direct thermal is king.
- No expensive ink or toner cartridges needed.
- Fast printing speeds for high-volume batches.
- Compact printers (like Rollo or Zebra) save warehouse space.