Thermal Transfer Overprinters (TTO)
Sharp 300 dpi dates, ingredients and barcodes on flexible film, mounted inside your packaging machine.
Also called TTO coders, ribbon printers and flexible-film overprinters.
What these machines do
TTO prints directly onto flexible film and labels before the pack is formed. It gives solvent-free, high-resolution variable data — best-before dates, batch numbers, ingredient lists, allergens and barcodes — on VFFS, flow-wrap and thermoforming machines.
A thermal printhead with a row of tiny heating elements presses a ribbon against the film. Heated dots melt the ribbon’s ink layer onto the substrate. In intermittent mode the head travels across stationary film; in continuous mode the film moves and the head stays put. Clutchless ribbon drives keep tension constant and squeeze prints together to save ribbon.
Typical options
- Ribbon-save modes (radial, interleaved)
- Left- and right-hand versions
- Mounting brackets for common baggers
- Remote user interface
Used in
Works on
Thermal Transfer (TTO) at work
A closer look at a typical installation. Ask us for a live demonstration on your own product.
Thermal Transfer Overprinters (TTO)
32 mm Thermal Transfer Overprinter
Compact TTO for dates and batch codes on narrow webs.
53 mm Thermal Transfer Overprinter
The standard TTO for VFFS and flow-wrap machines.
107 mm Wide-Format Thermal Transfer Overprinter
Ingredient lists, nutrition tables and logos on wide film.
53 mm All-Electric Thermal Transfer Overprinter
No compressed air — lower running cost and consistent print pressure.
Models at a glance
| Model | Machine | Print area (intermittent) | Print area (continuous) | Resolution | Max print speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TT-32 | 32 mm Thermal Transfer Overprinter | 32 × 60 mm | 32 × 100 mm | 300 dpi (12 dots/mm) | 600 mm/s |
| TT-53 | 53 mm Thermal Transfer Overprinter | 53 × 75 mm | 53 × 200 mm | 300 dpi (12 dots/mm) | 1,000 mm/s |
| TT-107 | 107 mm Wide-Format Thermal Transfer Overprinter | 107 × 75 mm | 107 × 200 mm | 300 dpi (12 dots/mm) | 700 mm/s |
| TT-53A | 53 mm All-Electric Thermal Transfer Overprinter | 53 × 75 mm | 53 × 300 mm | 300 dpi (12 dots/mm) | 1,200 mm/s |
Typical configurations. Final values are confirmed in your quotation.
Process sequence
Mount
The printer sits in a bracket on the bagger, above the film web.
Sync
A print signal or encoder from the host machine times each print.
Transfer
The printhead melts ribbon ink onto the film at 300 dpi.
Advance
The ribbon drive indexes by the print length, minus the configured saving.
Seal
Printed film continues to the forming and sealing stations.
Common questions
Wax, wax-resin or resin ribbon?
Can a TTO replace a hot-stamp coder?
Intermittent or continuous?
Tell us about your product
Send a sample, a drawing or just a description. We will recommend the right machine and show you the result.