Static

Static can’t be avoided in the printing world. But with TR4085plus®, you can dissipate its perilous effects. That's because it’s been specially designed to prevent static build-up that can cause printing voids and lead to premature printhead failure.

Here's the science behind the static.

Simply unwinding a roll of thermal transfer ribbon can mean trouble. It can cause an electrical charge to develop – one that attracts and holds dust and debris to the ribbon’s surfaces. Here's the science: Based on surface resistance, you can divide materials into three main classifications.

Conductive materials are substances like copper, aluminum and most metals. Electricity flows through these materials very easily.

At the other end of the spectrum are insulative materials like wood, glass and most plastics. These substances are very poor conductors of electricity.

Thermal transfer ribbons are made by coating thin layers of ink onto a plastic base film. So unless special steps are taken, they're natural insulators and prone to static build-up. TR4085plus® ink, however, is specially formulated to prevent static charge build-up. This moves it into a class of materials that are defined as static dissipative. They have the ability to safely bleed-off or dissipate a static charge and prevent harmful build-up.

TR4085plus® is proven in independent testing.

The static dissipative qualities of TR4085plus® were proven in independent testing against four competitive wax ribbons. The findings revealed that TR4085plus® was the only ribbon to meet the dissipative requirements of both static decay and surface resistance. This means that TR4085plus® not only helps prevent static build-up, it can actually help bleed off static that might develop elsewhere in the printing system.