Thermal transfer labels produce a crisp image that will last longer than images printed on direct thermal labels. They require a ribbon that contains ink which is absorbed into the label material to form the image during printing. These blank paper labels have an adhesive backing that sticks to surfaces such as packages, shipping containers, and warehouse or retail racks. A compatible thermal barcode label printer is used to print addresses, barcodes, company logos, and other useful information on the labels for shipping, tracking, inventory, product identification, and pricing applications.