"This is genuinely a groundbreaking advance in direct thermal materials," claimed Gwenaelle Legarrec, Thermal Papers product manager.
"Our aim was to develop a labelstock that combined the best qualities of both standard direct thermal print and thermal transfer print in a laminate that can run, at high speed, through direct thermal printers - and that is what Fasson Thermal Premium Top S 10 D offers."
The labelstock has been developed with the burgeoning ready meals industry in mind. Because it can be used in high temperatures, it is ideal for labels on heated ready meals or heat-shrink wrapping.
"With Fasson Thermal Premium Top S 10 D, you can really experience the qualities of thermal transfer print with a direct thermal medium," said Legarrec.
"It's suitable for all the tasks where you would normally use a wax thermal transfer ribbon - but as there is no ribbon involved, the job is easier to handle, and you benefit from cost savings in terms of time, a reduced media inventory, and less waste.
"Best of all, the long-term storage capability of Fasson Thermal Premium Top S 10 D brings critical, durable labelling applications within the capability of direct thermal print."
Avery Dennison says that the Fasson Thermal Premium Top S 10 D offers high performance characteristics for both converters and end users. The facestock top coating enables quality pre-printing by the traditional print processes where required, as well as high direct thermal print resolution and image density.
The company claims that this gives good definition and legibility -- even with small barcodes and texts in small point sizes, and even at high print speeds.
The product's physical structure overcomes many of the disadvantages of other direct thermal papers - particularly image fading, surface smear, and background discoloration, and it uniquely resists plasticisers, oil and alcohol, moisture, UV light, abrasion, and high temperatures - even above 70 C.
Fasson Thermal Premium Top S 10 D is available as standard with a choice of two permanent adhesives, general-purpose Fasson S2000 N and Fasson S2045, which the company claims are both suitable for high-speed conversion.
The product can be used in a wide range of end-use applications - many of them normally associated with the greater durability of thermal transfer printed labels - from in-store pricing, inventory and transportation to archiving and factory use.
Avery Dennison is a global manufacturer of self-adhesive materials, tapes and labels, office products, tags retail systems and specialty chemicals.
It operates 275 manufacturing and sales facilities in 44 countries around the world. In 2003, worldwide sales were $4.8 billion and the company, which has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since the mid '60s, is currently ranked 359 in the Fortune 500 list of the largest US companies.