How does Thermal Transfer Printing Work?

The Rimage CD printer is the most known and reliable thermal transfer printer on the market today.

The thermal transfer process applies sufficient pressure with just the right amount of heat to print on the surface of a CD or DVD. The thermal transfer printer presses the ribbon against the surface and applies heat. This develops a line of contact between the surface and the resin coated (ink) side of the ribbon. The disc and the ribbon move in unison past the stationary print head.

During the thermal transfer process, each color is applied separately and the surface of the disc could have a ridge or step at the edge of a color. The surface of a disc will have steps at the object boundaries if: screened with spot color objects a spot color object is printed over another where spot color coating thickness is unequal. These steps are very minuscule and most often will not be noticed.

It is best to print a sample first and check to assure the output is acceptable. If not, you can adjust the artwork and then reprint until your desired affect is achieved.

Some CD or DVD surfaces are too rough for thermal printing. These surfaces include ink-jet printable, process colored, or textured silk screen CD-R surfaces. CD-R surfaces that are inherently smooth enough for successful thermal printing are spin coated lacquer (blank discs); silk-screened single ink (major manufacturer's matte gold, white, or silver thermally printable discs); and offset printed discs.

Thermal printing is a great substitution to the more expensive silk-screening. While you do not get that silkscreened look, you do get a professional looking quality print.