Advantages to Thermal Cash Register Paper

Thermal paper rolls at Cash Registers Online
Thermal paper for cash registers.

Thermally treated paper isn’t just your average white register tape. This technology is fairly new, first pioneered in the 1960s, and popularized in the 70s. It’s partially linked to laser printing, which explains its use in most cash registers. Although, registers aren’t the only use. Nintendo briefly used thermally treated paper during the 80s and 90s to power its printer for the Game Boy mobile console. Thermal paper is still relevant today, and one of the cheaper alternatives for small businesses.

Thermal Paper Explained

Thermal paper has been coated with a special mixture that usually consists of dyes and chemicals. It’s designed to react to heat, usually by changing color. The coating on the paper will usually turn black or blue when heated, but red is also used. Thermal printer paper will also react from sources of light heat, like dragging a fingernail across the face of the sheet.

Advantages to Thermal Paper

Thermal paper is better than ink for high quality images. Complicated receipts that features graphics like a company logo tend to render better when printed on thermal paper. You’ll often find thermal paper in supermarkets and ATMs, where precision of graphics matters. Thermal printers are also very reliable, and much quicker than ink printers. They are also much less noisy than ink printers, with far fewer moving parts. Ink printers are also susceptible to smudging, which also opens your store to security risks. Simply put, it’s much harder to fake a thermal printed receipt. Thermal paper can even print a barcode that is of a high enough quality to be scanned.

Ordering Thermal Paper

If you’re ordering cash register supplies online, you can usually find thermally treated paper wherever cash registers are sold. Also, most thermal rolls will fit just about any printer. Thermal paper isn’t usually recyclable, so it’s hard to find environmentally safer alternatives, although you do cut down on your ink consumption.

Final Thoughts

Most people will recognize thermal paper immediately if they play the lottery. Thermal paper is best for situations where accuracy will be a concern. It’s faster to use thermal printing, and you’ll get longer life out of your point of sale. Your employees may also find thermal printers easier to work with, as fewer moving parts mean they tend to jam less as well. Though they may carry a higher cost than ink printers, you’ll easily make up the difference over the life of the printer.

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Cash Registers Online sells receipt tape, cash register keyboard covers, and thermal printers from its store online.