Thermal paper is cleaner than your standard ink, produces a crisper resolution, and is ultimately cheaper. Though thermal paper used to be considerably more expensive, the price has come down in recent years, thanks in part to better technology that allows its manufacturers to produce it at a more reasonable cost. Moreover, a thermal paper roll is quieter than bond paper, which is an added bonus for any shopper at the end of a long day.
Most direct thermal papers require a protective topcoating to:
Reduce fading of the thermal image caused by exposure to UV light, water, oils, grease, lard, fats, plasticizers, and similar causes
Provide improved printhead wear
Reduce or eliminate residue from the thermal coating on the thermal printheads
Provide better anchorage of flexographic printing inks applied to the thermal paper
Focus the heat from the thermal printhead on the active coating.
Thermal paper is paper that is impregnated with a chemical that changes color when exposed to heat. It is used in thermal printers and particularly in cheap, lightweight devices such as adding machines, cash registers, and credit card terminals.
The paper is impregnated with a solid-state mixture of a dye and a suitable matrix; a combination of a fluoran leuco dye and an octadecylphosphonic acid is an example. When the matrix is heated above its melting point, the dye reacts with the acid, shifts to its colored form, and the changed form is then conserved in metastable state when the matrix solidifies back quickly enough.
Most printer manufacturers offer ribbon/label combinations which are known to work well together, which is particularly important as some combinations produce no image at all. Plastic labels with resin ribbons will survive outside in full sunlight, can stand immersion in water and may be resistant to chemicals and oils dependent on type. Often used in Automotive and Aircraft parts manufacture, any items stored outside and essential for the labelling of hazardous chemicals which must remain identifiable, for example, after being submerged in sea water for extended periods.
The type of thermal paper you choose depends largely on the specifics of your business. The width, length, and grade of thermal paper varies widely depending on the manufacturer and the type of machine the paper is used for. Many online wholesalers, however, can customize your order so that you get the product you need to keep accurate records of all your transactions.
Tag: Thermal Paper
Thermal paper is one product which can be used in a variety of different businesses. Depending on the type of register, adding machine or credit card printer a business uses, a specific type of thermal paper is necessary to operate the machine. Thermal paper comes in several different paper grades, sizes and colors. Considering the amount of choices of thermal paper available, it is important to understand which type of thermal paper is right for your business.
38mm x 48ft Thermal Paper Rolls
38mm x 48 foot thermal paper rolls are used in Centrodyne printers which can be found in taxis and limousines. The thermal printer in Centrodyne printers can print 19.2 characters per second or 1.2 lines per second. Centrodyne printing taximeters include fare and tax totals in both the display and the printout. 38mm x 48 foot thermal paper rolls are also used in Pulsar 2030 taxi meters. The Pulsar 2030 taximeter and printer is more compatible with other automobile electronics and late-model transducer systems.
38mm x 165ft Thermal Paper Rolls
38mm x 165ft thermal receipt rolls are used in a variety of registers and receipt and label printers. This type of thermal paper is most suited to be used in ticket offices, back office operations and check out cash registers. The Epson TM-L 90 printer uses 38mm x 165ft thermal receipt rolls and comes with a “peeler mechanism" which can substantially increase efficiency in a ticket office.
38mm x 165ft thermal receipt rolls are also compatible with the Royal Alpha 9180 printer. This printer offers 12 character descriptions used to segment different types of sales, and also prints customer receipts as well as journal tapes. Perfect for a grocery store or department store, the Royal Alpha 9180 can handle 30 clerk identifications used to track the sales record of individual employees. This printer also comes with a handheld barcode scanner which is useful in precisely and quickly tracking sales during a check out process.
44mm x 230ft Thermal Paper Rolls
44mm x 230ft thermal receipt rolls are used mostly in registers and printers in businesses which track sales, such as retail stores and restaurants. Specifically, 44mm x 230ft thermal receipt paper rolls are used in the Sharp ERA410 cash register. The relevant features of this register include inventory tracking capability, age verification, refund keys and a training mode.
44mm x 230ft thermal receipt rolls are also compatible with the Sharp ERA450T cash register. This cash register works well for any business which scans items frequently, such as a retail store. Another strong point of the Sharp ERA450T is the accessories it is compatible with; it can be expanded to include a scale, slip printer and additional scanner. These features make these printers, and the 44mm x 230ft thermal receipt rolls they are compatible with, a great choice for a grocery store, retail store or restaurant.
2 ¼ Inch wide Thermal Paper Rolls
This size of thermal paper is used in mobile POS terminals with printers such as the Hypercom 4000. The main advantages of the Hypercom 4000 are that it is hand-held, fast and customer friendly. Perfect for restaurants, 2 ¼ inch wide thermal paper rolls print outs receipts on the hand-held Hypercom 4000, which displays advertising and promotions as well. A hand-held mobile printer like the Hypercom 4000 adds convenience to the dining experience, and also improves customer service.
Another mobile POS terminal which uses 2 ¼ inch wide thermal paper rolls is the Nurit 4000. This wireless credit card machine is ideal for the delivery and restaurant business. It is lightweight and can process credit cards as well as debit cards. The touch screen accepts and records signatures, and it weighs only 1.2 pounds. Overall, customers like using either the Hypercom 4000 or the Nurit 4000 because they can use their credit and debit cards while keeping them in hand and in sight.
3 1/8 Inch Wide Thermal Paper Rolls
3 1/8 Inch wide thermal paper rolls fit most POS and credit card thermal printers. This size of thermal paper comes in premium grade, which looks and feels like quality paper, prints out a sharper image, and also makes bar codes more readable. 3 1/8 Inch wide thermal paper rolls are used with the Axiohm A760, which is a two color thermal printer that specializes in minimizing receipt fraud and increasing print clarity and accuracy. The Axiohm A760’s high quality printing and usage of premium 3 1/8 Inch wide thermal paper rolls can help define brand image with bright, bold images and text.
3 1/8 Inch wide thermal paper rolls are also used in the Ithaca 80 thermal receipt printer. The Ithaca 80 series provides high-definition graphics, lightning-fast speed and multiple language capabilities. This printer has a simple paper loading feature and can manage thermal paper rolls up to 4 inches wide.
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