Sharp, scannable codes on film and labels.
Marksol UMSD thermal transfer printers print dates, batch numbers, barcodes and QR codes directly onto flexible film and labels on your form-fill-seal, flow-wrap or labelling machine. 300 DPI print, ribbons up to 600 m, and ribbon-saving modes that stretch every roll.
- Sharp, scannable print: 300 DPI text, logos, barcodes and QR codes on film and labels.
- Fewer ribbon changes: up to 600 m per roll with a 0.5 mm gap between prints.
- Intermittent and continuous in one unit: fits start-stop and continuous-motion machines.
- Local installation, training & ribbons from JHB, Durban & Cape Town.
Want to see it print on your film first? Call 011 466 0030 and ask for a sample.
Get your TTO quote
Tell us about your packaging machine and film. We'll recommend the model, printhead width and ribbon, print a sample on your material, and send a quote, usually within one business day.
When TTO is the right choice.
We supply continuous inkjet, thermal inkjet and laser as well, and each has its place. Thermal transfer earns its spot when these matter to you.
You print on film or labels
The printer mounts on the packaging or labelling machine and prints on the web before it is formed and filled. The natural fit for VFFS, flow wrappers, pouch machines and labellers.
The code has to scan
300 DPI print gives clean barcodes, QR codes and small text on glossy, flexible surfaces where other methods can spread or smudge.
You want predictable running costs
Ribbon is the only consumable. Long rolls, a 0.5 mm print gap and ribbon-saving modes make the cost per code easy to forecast.
A clean, dry process
No ink, no solvent, no fumes. Ribbons are non-toxic and dust-free, and the print is dry the moment it leaves the head.
Heat, ribbon, film. That's the whole process.
A thermal transfer printer holds a roll of inked ribbon between a printhead and your packaging film. The printhead has a row of tiny heating elements, one per pixel. As the film passes, the elements heat up exactly where the code should be, melting ink off the ribbon and onto the film. Nothing is sprayed and nothing has to dry.
The two Marksol models work slightly differently to suit different machines: the UMSD6 handles both intermittent and continuous motion, and the UMSD1 is a compact, air-free unit built to replace hot stamp coders.
- Real-time dates and times, expiry and manufacture dates, batch and serial numbers
- Barcodes, QR codes, logos and graphics, with variable databases on the UMSD6
- Ribbon-saving modes and a 0.5 mm minimum print gap keep ribbon use to a minimum
- USB, Ethernet and RS-232 (UMSD6) or USB and RS-485 (UMSD1) for line integration
Film stops, head moves
For machines that index the film in steps: VFFS baggers, pouch machines, many labellers. Print area up to 53 x 75 mm on the UMSD6.
Film moves, head stays
For continuous-motion machines: flow wrappers and high-speed labellers. Print area up to 53 x 150 mm, at up to 48 m/min.
Wax/resin to high-resistance resin
DP and DG wax/resin for everyday film, DC enhanced wax/resin, DT resin and DN high-resistance resin for scuff, heat and chemical resistance. Black, white, red, blue, green, brown, silver and gold.
UMSD1 or UMSD6?
A compact hot-stamp replacement, or a full-featured TTO printer for faster, more demanding lines.
| Specification | UMSD1 | UMSD6 |
|---|---|---|
| Printhead widths | 24 mm or 32 mm at 200 DPI | 32 mm or 53 mm at 300 DPI |
| Print area | 24 x 15 mm or 32 x 15 mm | Intermittent: up to 53 x 75 mm · Continuous: up to 53 x 150 mm |
| Print speed | Up to 20 m/min · up to 200 prints/min | 1 to 48 m/min · up to 350 prints/min (32 mm) or 300 prints/min (53 mm) |
| Printing mode | Intermittent | Intermittent and continuous in one unit |
| Ribbon | 350 m · 25 mm or 33 mm wide | Up to 500 m (32 mm) or 600 m (53 mm) · 22 mm to 55 mm wide |
| Compressed air | Not required | Required · 0.6 MPa max, dry and clean |
| Controller | Compact HMI, hot-swappable · one HMI can run several printers · PC editing software | 10-inch 1280 x 800 colour touchscreen · full on-screen editing, templates and custom fonts, no PC needed |
| Print contents | Dates, times, batch and serial numbers, text and graphics | All of that plus barcodes, QR codes and variable databases |
| Connectivity | USB · RS-485 | USB · Ethernet · RS-232 · traceability software |
| Print unit | 158 x 149 x 114 mm · 2.1 kg | 210 x 233 x 180 mm |
| Best for | Replacing hot stamp coders; simple date and batch codes on baggers and labellers without an air supply | Faster lines, barcodes and QR codes, larger print areas and multi-printer traceability |
Both models print on films and labels with a 0.5 mm minimum gap between prints and use the same DP, DG, DC, DT and DN ribbon grades. Specifications are indicative and subject to change.
Two TTO printers. One for every packaging machine.
Not sure which fits? Tell us the machine, the film and the code, and we'll print a sample and recommend the model, head width and ribbon.
UMSD6
32 mm or 53 mm printhead · 300 DPI · 10-inch touchscreen
The TTO printer for serious packaging lines. Both printing modes in one unit, a 10-inch touchscreen that does all the editing without a PC, and ribbons up to 600 m with multiple ribbon-saving modes.
- Print area up to 53 x 75 mm intermittent, 53 x 150 mm continuous
- Barcodes, QR codes, sequential numbers, variable databases
- On-screen templates, custom font import, ribbon level and alarms on screen
- USB, Ethernet, RS-232 · traceability software
Variants: UMSD6-32 (32 mm head, ribbon 22–33 mm, up to 500 m) · UMSD6-53 (53 mm head, ribbon 25–55 mm, up to 600 m)
UMSD1
24 mm or 32 mm printhead · 200 DPI · hot-swappable HMI
Hot stamping, upgraded. No pre-heating, no type to change by hand and no compressed air. A 2.1 kg print unit that builds into existing baggers and labellers, with dates edited on screen in seconds.
- Print area 24 x 15 mm or 32 x 15 mm · up to 200 prints/min
- Power on and print, no pre-heating
- One HMI controller can run several printers, hot-swappable
- USB and RS-485 · on-screen and PC editing
Variants: UMSD1-24 (24 mm head, 25 mm ribbon) · UMSD1-32 (32 mm head, 33 mm ribbon)
Ribbons in stock. We hold DP, DG, DC, DT and DN grade ribbons in the common widths in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, so a ribbon order never holds up your line.
Ask about ribbonsTap your packaging.
The machine decides the printing mode, the code decides the head width, and the material decides the ribbon.
UMSD6 · intermittent mode
VFFS baggers index the film in steps, so the UMSD6 prints in intermittent mode as the film pauses. Choose the 32 mm head for date and batch codes, 53 mm for barcodes, QR codes and multi-line text.
Ribbon: DP or DG wax/resin for everyday PE and laminate film. Also consider: UMSD1 on slower baggers with simple codes and no air supply.
Food & Snacks
Best-before, batch and barcodes on chip bags, biscuit flow wrap, rice and sugar bags at full bagger speed.
Fresh Produce & Dairy
Dates on lidding film, punnets and pouches, with resin ribbons that survive the chiller.
Pharmaceutical
Clean 300 DPI expiry, batch and 2D codes on labels, sachets and blister foils.
Cosmetics & Personal Care
Crisp codes on glossy laminates and sachets without spoiling the pack design.
Contract Packers
Quick on-screen message changes and templates for many SKUs and short runs.
This is what a thermal transfer code looks like.
Printed on Marksol UMSD TTO printers. Dry on contact, sharp on gloss, and scannable first time.
Trusted by South African manufacturers
Built to live on a packaging machine.
Thermal transfer is a simple process. The Marksol UMSD range adds the controls and ribbon economy that make it easy to run day after day.
Everything on one screen
The UMSD6's 10-inch, 1280 x 800 touchscreen handles message editing, templates, custom fonts, ribbon level and alarms. No PC, phone or external device needed.
Ribbon that goes further
Up to 600 m per roll, a 0.5 mm minimum gap between prints and multiple ribbon-saving modes. Fewer changes, lower cost per code.
Two head widths, six ribbon widths
32 mm or 53 mm printheads and ribbons from 22 mm to 55 mm let you match the consumable to the code instead of paying for width you don't print.
Barcodes, QR and traceability
Barcodes, QR codes, sequential numbering and variable databases, with full-process traceability software to protect sales channels and spot counterfeits.
Power on and print
The UMSD1 replaces hot stamp coders with no pre-heating, no type to swap and no compressed air. A 2.1 kg print unit that fits where the old coder sat.
Connects to your machine
USB, Ethernet and RS-232 on the UMSD6; USB and RS-485 on the UMSD1, where one HMI can run several printers. Both build into existing packaging machines.
Installed, stocked and supported by a South African team.
Marking Solutions has kept SA packaging lines coding since 1998. Our technicians fit the printer to your machine, train your operators and keep the right ribbons on the shelf.
Sample printing
Send us a length of your film or a sheet of labels. We'll print your code on it with the right ribbon and send it back.
Machine integration
Brackets, mounting and signal wiring to your VFFS, flow wrapper or labeller, with operator training on site.
Ribbons in stock
Wax/resin and resin ribbons in the common widths held in all three branches, with no import delays.
Remote troubleshooting
Fast phone and WhatsApp support, with Ethernet remote access to the UMSD6 where you allow it.
27–29 October · CTICC, Cape Town. Bring your film and we'll print on it on the stand.
From enquiry to coding on your packaging machine
We specify the printer, head width and ribbon around your machine, film and code, so it works from day one.
Tell us about your machine
Machine type and speed, film or label material, code content and size, and where the printer will mount.
Sample print
We print your code on your material with the right ribbon and send it back with a recommendation and quote.
Demo on site or at Propak
See the printer run at machine speed on your film before you commit.
Install, train, support
Mounting, integration and operator training on site, then local service and ribbons for the life of the printer.
Thermal transfer questions
What can a thermal transfer printer print on?
Flexible packaging film, laminates, foils, lidding film and labels, including pre-printed material with a code window. It prints on the web as it passes through your packaging or labelling machine, before the pack is formed and filled. Send us a length of your material and we'll confirm the right ribbon.
Will it fit my packaging machine?
The UMSD6 fits vertical form-fill-seal baggers, horizontal flow wrappers, pouch and sachet machines, tray sealers and labellers, in intermittent or continuous mode. The UMSD1 builds into existing baggers and labellers and is a drop-in replacement for hot stamp coders. We supply the brackets and do the integration.
Intermittent or continuous: which do I need?
It depends on how your machine moves the film. If the film stops for each pack (most VFFS baggers and pouch machines), you need intermittent mode. If the film runs without stopping (flow wrappers, many labellers), you need continuous. The UMSD6 does both in one unit, so it can move between machines.
How fast can it print?
The UMSD6 prints at up to 48 m/min and up to 350 prints per minute with the 32 mm head (300 per minute with the 53 mm head). The UMSD1 prints at up to 20 m/min and 200 prints per minute. Actual throughput depends on the size of the code and the machine.
How long does a ribbon last?
UMSD6 ribbons run up to 500 m (32 mm) or 600 m (53 mm); UMSD1 ribbons are 350 m. With a 0.5 mm gap between prints, a code 10 mm long in the direction of travel gives over 50 000 prints from a 600 m ribbon, and ribbon-saving modes stretch that further. On most lines that means a ribbon change once a shift or less.
Which ribbon grade should I use?
DP and DG wax/resin ribbons suit everyday PE, PP and laminate film. DC enhanced wax/resin adds scuff resistance. DT resin and DN high-resistance resin are for packs that face heat, moisture, oils or chemicals, and for glossy labels. We test your material and recommend the grade.
Can I replace my hot stamp coder?
Yes. The UMSD1 was built for exactly that. It needs no pre-heating, no metal type to change by hand and no compressed air, and the message is edited on screen in seconds. The 2.1 kg print unit mounts where the hot stamp sat.
What support and warranty do I get?
Every printer comes with a manufacturer warranty backed by our national team: on-site installation and integration, operator training, remote troubleshooting, and ribbons and spares held locally in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
Get the right Marksol TTO for your machine.
Tell us about your packaging machine, film and code. We'll print a sample, recommend the model and ribbon, and send you a quote within one business day.
