Printing device having print head and counterpressure surface in fixed relationship

A printing device for printing sheet elements (2) that are serially fed to the printing device comprising:

• at least two separate feed devices (3a, . . . , 3f) for at least one liner strip (1) having the sheet elements (2) removably affixed thereto, wherein each feed device (3a, . . . , 3f) comprises a separate peeling-off device (4a, . . . , 4f) for peeling the sheet elements (2) from each of the at least one liner strip (1), and wherein each feed device (3a, . . . , 3f) is associated with a print head (5a, . . . , 5f) with a thermal slat (6a, . . . , 6f) for printing each sheet element supported by a counterpressure surface (7a, . . . , 7f);
• and
• an application device (8) for removing each printed sheet element from the print head (5a, . . . , 5f) and for applying each printed sheet element to a product, characterised in that the counterpressure surface (7a, . . . , 7f) forms part of the print head (5a, . . . , 5f) so as to maintain a fixed relationship to said print head so that no relative movement between the counterpressure surface and the print head can occur and wherein the counterpressure surface and the thermal slat are configured to have a rigid association therebetween so as to stabilize the sheet element at a print-active surface of the thermal slat.