First, let's outline the most popular printing techniques. They are listed as follows:

A fuller description of each method is as follows:

• Thermal Transfer. Heat is used to transfer a resin or wax-based ink from a foil to the base film. Resin ribbons are quite durable, yet wax ribbons are not recommended for outdoor use. Many signs and bar-code labels are printed with thermal transfer printers. Thermal transfer printers are sold by Datamax, Eltron, Kroy, Zebra and others.
• Flexography. "Flexo" printing is the most common label printing method. Solvent, water and UV inks are available. Low cost plastic plates are used to transfer the ink to the base film. Many flexo presses allow the label manufacturer to print, laminate and die-cut the label in line, and this makes it suitable for longer runs of labels. Most flexo labels are sold in a roll form. Examples of flexo labels include labels on detergent, toothpaste and certain RTK labels and paper tags. Typically, Flexo printing is not used when either large areas of solid color are needed nor if the label must last outdoors.
• Direct Thermal. In this process, the printer heats a coated plastic or paper label stock. These base films have a specially coated surface that turns dark when exposed to high heat. Bar-coded airport labels used to track your luggage and UPS shipping labels are often printed with an indirect thermal printer. Printers are made by Co-Star, Eltron, DataMax, Argox and many others. The printers are very inexpensive and this means portable thermal printers are increasingly common.
• Ink Jet Printing. Ink jet printing is the fastest growing of all printing techniques. Problems associated with ink jet's speed and outdoor durability are rapidly being addressed. New pigmented inks that are replacing dyes promise greater outdoor durability. Printers include the HP 2000 or the Canon Bubble Jets. Overlaminates extend outdoor life.
• Laser Printing. Laser printer prices continue to come down and this means that more and more computers are attached to a local laser printer. The best laser printers for labels offer a straight paper path, such as the Brother line. Black toner, especially if protected with an overlaminate, has excellent outdoor durability.
• Screen Printing. Screen printing is the most durable of all printing techniques. This process "lays down" a very thick layer of pigment and this extends outdoor life. Both solvent and UV inks are common, with the UV inks imparting good chemical resistance. Most signs and pipe makers are screen printed. Other screen printed products include the design on a CD-ROMs, many automotive nameplates, the defrost screen on a car's rear window or the decoration on china plates.
• Offset Printing. This is a plate-based printing method often used for paper tags.
• Die Sublimation. Heat sensitive sublimation inks are bonded to permanently dye substrates with polymer coated surface with desktop printers such as those by Epson and badge printers by Fargo, Datacard and others. Die Sublimation is great for short-run custom designs, such as ID Badges, promotional mugs, mouse pads and T-shirts. A new dark-ready T-shirt sublimation system is now released by Sawgrass Systems. See http://www.sublimation.com
• Engraving. This is a process that uses an engraving tool to mark office nameplates, trophies and awards. In general, a rotating diamond-tipped tool scratches lettering into metal or a two-ply plastic. For plastic signs, the core color, in a contrasting color, is exposed. Formica, in fact, is one of the materials that engravers use. There are a wide variety of common plastic engraving materials, including ABS, phenolic and acrylic laminates.