▁thermal ▁( DT ) ▁labels . ▁A ▁thermal ▁transfer ▁rib bon ▁will ▁be ▁required ▁to ▁print ▁the ▁labels . ▁The ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁rib b ons ▁+ ▁T T ▁labels ▁is ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁D T ▁labels ▁on ▁their ▁own ; ▁Th erm al ▁transfer ▁rib bon ▁types : ▁ ▁W ax ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁as ▁it ▁has ▁some ▁sm ud ge ▁resistance , ▁and ▁is ▁suitable ▁for ▁mat te ▁and ▁semi - gl oss ▁paper ▁labels ; ▁ ▁W ax ▁and ▁res in ▁are ▁sm ud ge ▁resist ant , ▁suitable ▁for ▁semi - gl oss ▁paper ▁and ▁some ▁synth etic ▁labels ; ▁ ▁Res in ▁is ▁scratch ▁and ▁chemical ▁resist ant , ▁suitable ▁for ▁co ated ▁synth etic ▁labels ; ▁None ▁– ▁labels ▁can ▁be ▁printed ▁directly ▁on ▁ad hes ive ▁without ▁using ▁a ▁substr ate . ▁Label s ▁made ▁in ▁this ▁manner ▁are ▁extremely ▁frag ile , ▁however , ▁and ▁have ▁been ▁rendered ▁virt ually ▁ob sole te ▁by ▁other ▁printing ▁methods ▁such ▁as ▁sil k ▁screen ; ▁ ▁The ▁stock ▁type ▁will ▁affect ▁the ▁types ▁of ▁in k ▁that ▁will ▁print ▁well ▁on ▁them . ▁Cor ona ▁tre ating ▁or ▁fl ame ▁tre ating ▁some ▁pl ast ics ▁makes ▁them ▁more ▁re cept ive ▁to ▁in ks , ▁coat ings , ▁and ▁other ▁substr ates ▁by ▁reducing ▁surface ▁t ension ▁and ▁impro ving ▁overall ▁ad hes ion ▁of ▁the ▁pl ast ics . ▁ ▁An ▁alternative ▁method ▁of ▁lab elling ▁is ▁we aving ▁the ▁text ▁directly