On 11/3/24 07:34, hw wrote:
Do you think that thermal transfer printers with 203dpi would be better suited to print QR codes than the 300dpi multi-mode printers? I'm not fond of thermal transfer at all. Usually what is being printed that way fades rather quickly over time and is more slightly gray rather than black and so thin that it's hard to read even when freshly printed. Perhaps better labels are available, but the labels must not get too expensive ...
Thermal transfer and thermal direct printers have the same resolution.Thermal transfer printers are used for archival labels as they fade very little over time.
Direct thermal printers are intended for mailing applications where it doesn't matter if they fade after a few months.
Given that, I think a lot of commercial shippers use thermal transfer for mailing labels. Very few shippers use laser printed adhesive address label, nor non-adhesive in pockets or pouches.
To print a QR code or other 2D code on any thermal printer, the printer manufacturer will supply an application that generate the codes and prints them independently of the host printing system. These codes will scan perfectly.
It is possible to use document generation tools like latex and printing systems like CUPS to print a label, but pixel registration will be poor. The only practical option for this route is to print the code BIG