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Thermal Barcode Printers

Thermal printers use heat to create an image or text. There are two types of thermal printers, thermal transfer (also known as thermal wax) and direct thermal (also known as thermal auto chrome). Special paper that is chemically treated is used by direct thermal printers, and when heat is applied to the paper it changes colour.

The paper is pulled across a heating element in the printer using rollers to form images or text. Conversely, thermal transfer printers hold the ink on a ribbon in place of on the paper itself which is then transferred to the paper when it is heated; both types of printers utilize similar types of heating elements.

Thermal transfer printers are more likely to be utilized to create labels, mainly clothing tags, as well as barcodes because of its durability and speed of the images it creates, particularly in preventing water damage. Various kinds of labels use numerous types of inks depending on the kind of material it is being printed on.

In the case of direct thermal printers, mostly they are utilised for industrial use predominantly because of their speed. The primary advantage for a direct thermal printer is that the only consumable is the paper that is used. Even though this type of paper may be expensive, there is no requirement to purchase or store ink, and it is the only item that requires replacing in order to keep the printer running smoothly.

Because of this, direct thermal printers are quite often utilised to print out receipts from various machines such as credit card machines and cash registers. Early technology such as older fax machines also often utilized direct thermal printing technology; however this type of method has mostly been phased out.

Thermal printers are well known for their high printing speed, which make some very suitable for some business applications. They do not have a lot of moving parts, therefore they are extremely reliable. Additionally, they have images that are durable, particularly thermal transfer printers.

In the past, images generated from direct thermal printers were prone to distortion or fading when exposed to water, heat, light or friction, however recent technological advancements have made them readable for periods of up to 50 years or more. Another advantage of direct thermal printers is that they have no other supply needs except for paper.

However, unlike inkjet printers and laser printers thermal printers have lower printing quality than these other styles. Thermal transfer printers only need the same amount of ink ribbon for any page, regardless of how much material is actually printed on it.

Additionally, because direct thermal printers only have the ability to print just one or two colours, they are not ideal for more detailed print jobs.