Super Premium Wax-Resin Ribbon

CW-25 is our super premium wax-resin grade, and it has the longest label list in the wax-resin range. In the grade table it is listed for coated paper in harsh environments, polyester (PET) labels, polypropylene (PP) labels and HDPE labels. It is the only wax-resin grade listed for HDPE.

That makes CW-25 the grade to ask about when the label is a plastic container label, or when a coated paper label has a hard life. Printer makers place wax-resin at moderate abrasion and moderate to extreme chemical exposure, and Zebra places resin above that, for harsh to extreme chemical exposure and heavy abrasion. CW-25 and CW-30 are the two top-of-range grades in our wax-resin family, just under the resin grades.

Compared with CW-22, CW-25 adds HDPE and the harsh-environment coated paper listing. If your label is coated paper, PET or PP and the conditions are not unusually hard, CW-22 may be enough, and it is worth testing first. Compared with CW-30, the other top-of-range wax-resin grade, CW-25 is the one with HDPE on its list. CW-30 is the one with a stated temperature range, from -40°C to +80°C. So the choice between those two is HDPE or cold.

The step above wax-resin is resin. TSC says a premium wax-resin can come close to resin durability on select labels, so test CW-25 on your label before moving to CW-28. If the label is a polyester or polypropylene film and it will see sustained solvent or chemical contact, or long outdoor exposure, resin is the right ribbon.

Expect CW-25 to need a little more heat and a slower speed than CW-20. Zebra places wax-resin at moderate print speeds and resin at the lowest, and TSC notes the higher temperature that wax-resin needs. Raise darkness in small steps, slow the speed if the barcode does not verify, and stop at the lowest setting that works. A setting that is too high can burn through the ribbon and wear the printhead early.

Use a ribbon at least as wide as the label, so the back coating covers the printhead completely, and re-check the setting whenever you change label stock between paper and plastic.

Because CW-25 is chosen for hard jobs, test the exact ribbon and label together. Print a batch on your own printer, then do to it what the label will meet: rub it, wipe it with the cleaner or chemical used on your site, wet it if it will get wet, and scan the barcodes after each step. Zebra tells buyers to pre-test every ribbon for its end use, and the label and adhesive set the limit as much as the ribbon does.

CW-25 is slit in widths between 25mm and 160mm and in lengths from 50m to 600m, on half-inch or 1-inch cores, notched if needed, wound inside or outside. Standard sizes have no minimum order and are dispatched the same day. A free sample is available, and MSDS on request.