Thermal?

Direct thermal stock has a heat-sensitive coating; the printhead darkens it directly, with no ribbon or ink. Cheap and simple — used for shipping labels, receipts, and grocery price tags. The catch is that the same chemistry reacts to heat, light, and friction, so images blacken or fade fast above ~60 °C or in sunlight; shelf life is roughly 6–12 months and print is black-only. Not for long-term archival, outdoor, or chemical exposure — and it cannot be used in thermal-transfer printers.

Thermal-transfer printing melts a ribbon onto the facestock, giving far better durability than direct thermal. The ribbon grade must match the material: wax ribbon for coated paper (short-term indoor); wax-resin for semi-synthetic films like PP/BOPP (warehouse, fridge/freezer, moderate chemical and abrasion); full resin only for synthetic films (PET/PP/polyimide) where strong chemical, heat, and abrasion resistance is needed. Mismatching — resin on paper, or wax on polyester — gives poor adhesion or uneven transfer.