Label printers

Direct Thermal & Thermal Transfer Label Printers

We offer a wide range of label printers to suit every business and meet growing demand across industries. Whether you're printing shipping labels, barcodes, or product tags, you’ll find the right label printer for your needs.

All printers are compatible with our full labels stock, giving you flexibility and quality with every print job. We only work with trusted brands like Zebra, TSC, and our own Kite label printers, ensuring excellent reliability and value for money.

Whether you're new to label printing or looking to upgrade your current printers, our team is here to help. Looking for advice or have a question? Email envirolabel@kitepackaging.co.uk or explore our label site pages for a range of guides and product information.

How Does Thermal Printing Work?

Thermal printing falls into two categories: direct thermal and thermal transfer. Choosing the right method depends on your application, budget, and how long the labels need to last.

Direct Thermal Printing

Direct thermal printers use heat-sensitive labels. A thermal printhead applies heat to the label, which darkens to create the image or text. This process doesn’t need ink, toner, or ribbon.

Because of this, direct thermal printing is cost-effective, fast, and easy to maintain. It's ideal for short-term applications like barcode labels, shipping labels, and receipts. You’ll often find these printers in retail, logistics, and healthcare settings.

However, direct thermal labels can fade over time, especially when exposed to heat, chemicals, or direct light. For that reason, this method is best for labels that will be used within six months.

We also supply linerless labels, which are compatible only with linerless printers. These labels are wound onto themselves and require a special printhead mechanism. Never use them in standard direct thermal printers, as this may damage the machine.

Thermal Transfer Printing

Thermal transfer label printers use a ribbon made from wax, resin, or a wax-resin blend. The ribbon passes between the printhead and the label, and heat is applied to transfer the image.

This method produces long-lasting, smudge-resistant labels. It’s ideal for situations where the print must remain readable for more than six months. This includes cold storage, outdoor use, and environments with chemical exposure.

You’ll often find thermal transfer printers used in manufacturing, asset tracking, product labels, and healthcare. They work well with plastic, paper, and synthetic labels, giving you flexibility in your printing.

What Are Linerless Labels?

Linerless labels are a sustainable alternative to traditional label rolls. Unlike standard formats, these labels do not have a paper backing. Instead, they are wound directly onto themselves using a silicone release coating.

This reduces material waste and improves efficiency, as you can fit more labels on each roll. Linerless label printers are fitted with a coated platen roller to handle these labels safely.

Our Label Printers Range

We stock a full range of label printers for desktop and mobile use, suitable for all major labels and ribbons. Below are just some examples from our current stock:

Desktop Direct Thermal Printers

Kite GA 2408-T (Standard)

• Max print speed: 203mm/s
• Resolution: 203 dpi
• Connectivity: Ethernet, USB, serial
• Optional Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• 1-year warranty

TSC DA220 (Linered)

• Max print speed: 152mm/s
• Resolution: 203 dpi
• Ethernet, USB, serial
• 3-year warranty

Zebra ZD421D (Linered)

• Max print speed: 203mm/s
• Resolution: 203 dpi
• Ethernet, USB, serial
• 3-year warranty

Mobile Direct Thermal Printers

TSC Alpha 40 L (Linered)

• Max print speed: 127mm/s
• Resolution: 203 dpi
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, serial
• 2-year warranty

Zebra ZQ630 Plus (Linered)

• Max print speed: 115mm/s
• Resolution: 203 dpi
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, serial
• 3-year warranty

obile label printers allow you to print on the go. Many of these models support smartphone pairing for extra flexibility in mobile operations.

Linerless Label Printers

Kite GA 2408-T (Linerless)

• Desktop model
• Max print speed: 203mm/s
• Resolution: 203 dpi
• 1-year warranty

TSC Alpha 40 L (Linerless)

• Mobile model
• Max print speed: 127mm/s
• Resolution: 203 dpi
• 2-year warranty

Zebra ZD621 (Linerless)

• Desktop model
• Max print speed: 203mm/s
• Resolution: 203 dpi
• 3-year warranty

These printers are specially built to handle linerless labels, offering smooth, clean operation without clogging or residue.

Thermal Transfer Printers

Kite GA 2408-T (Thermal Transfer)

• Max print speed: 203mm/s
• Resolution: 203 dpi
• Ethernet, USB, serial
• Optional Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• 1-year warranty

TSC TC200 (Thermal Transfer)

• Max print speed: 152mm/s
• Resolution: 203 dpi
• Ethernet, USB, serial
• 3-year warranty

Zebra ZD421T

• Max print speed: 203mm/s
• Resolution: 203 dpi
• Ethernet, USB, serial
• 3-year warranty

If you're unsure which printer is right for your business, our experts can offer product comparisons, usage tips, and even live demonstrations.

Why Choose Kite for Your Label Printer?

At Kite Packaging, we work with companies across retail, logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing. Our printers meet high standards of durability, performance, and print quality.

With options from entry-level to advanced, we can help you pick a label printer that fits your workspace and workload, and label demand.

Looking for advice? Our specialists are here to help you choose the best printer for your label types, print volume, and working environment.