Direct Thermal Coatings

Direct thermal coatings are applied to paper, film or tag applications to convert them into thermal image receptive materials. With direct thermal printing, everything needed to print is included in the direct thermal coating. The only thing required to create an image is heat from the print head.

Lubrizol is a recognized global expert in the milling of pigments, which is extremely complementary to the core technology of our direct thermal coatings and lends itself to continuous improvement of our coatings. It also enhances the development of new innovations to keep improving print density and durability. Lubrizol direct thermal coatings work well with a range of compatible substrates to deliver high optical density and high print quality.

Our direct thermal coatings provide flexibility by being able to be applied wherever needed on the substrate, such as in print blocks (spot printing) or over the entire substrate. With spot printing, preprinted film or paper can be taken one step further and coated in one area to enable direct thermal printing for a specific application, which lowers costs by reducing the amount of coating needed. We also offer a direct thermal top coat that provides improved resistance to water and several solvents, while also reducing print head wear and providing excellent resistance to fade.

Lubrizol is one of only a few companies that manufacture and sell direct thermal coatings in pails or drums that are ready to use, making it easy for label manufacturers to create their own configurations without the need to purchase an entire roll of thermal paper. We also work directly with customers to customize formulations based on their specific requirements.

Typical Applications

Lubrizol direct thermal coating technologies are used in film, paper and tag applications.

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