Printing device for printing markings onto insulated round wires

Printing device for printing markings (23) onto a covering of an insulated wire (16) and comprising a transfer device which contains a first die half (5) with first parallel grooves (3) to partially receive said wire (16), a second die half (4) with second parallel grooves (3) facing said first grooves and a heating device (26), said first and second grooves (3) lying next to one another in said first and second die half, respectively, and having different diameters such that wires of respective different diameters can be inserted into said die halves (4, 5), means for moving said two die halves (4, 5) against one another and a transfer carrier (7) which can be arranged between said wire (16) and said second die half (4) and which can be provided with said markings, wherein the arrangement is such that after said wire (16) is laid in said first die half and said transfer carrier (7) is arranged between said wire (16) and said second die half (4), said markings (23) are transferred to the covering by at least partially in said transfer carrier (7) around said covering of said wire (16) by moving said two die halves (4, 5) under pressure against one another and by heating said transfer carrier (7) and said covering with said heating device (26).