Thermal Printer Definition

There are a variety of computer printer technologies available today, and depending on the needs of the user, chances are high that a near-perfect fit can be found. Thermal printers, popular in corporate settings, use heat to warm up wax-based ink and create impressions on paper. Because of that, thermal printers are commonly used in businesses with high fax traffic, or that need clear, specialty printing for labels, tags, and other applications.

Definition

A thermal printer works from the theory of thermal transfer. This is a scientific theory which states, basically, that thermal energy (heat) will transfer through contact from one item to another. Placing a hot bowl of soup on a table leaves a hot space where it was resting, due to the radiation of heat into the table itself. This is used to transfer impressions of letters onto paper as it's spooled through a thermal printer.

Direct Transfer

A direct thermal transfer printer is the older of the two common varieties of thermal printer. Coated paper is pushed through the direct thermal printer, and as the paper passes over the heated print head, small dots are marked on the paper which show up as letters. This sort of printer requires no ink, and uses no ribbon.

Thermal Wax Transfer

The other popular variety of thermal printer is a thermal wax transfer printer. Unlike a direct transfer printer, a thermal wax transfer printer has a ribbon that contains a wax-based ink. The print head is used to heat the ink, and it's then transferred to the paper, where it becomes permanent after it dries.

Uses

Both of these thermal printers are still used widely in day-to-day functioning of several businesses. A direct transfer printer only works in black and white, and was popularly used for early fax machines, though the technology has evolved since its inception. Wax transfer printers can use monochrome or colored ink, and is popular for printing bar codes. Both varieties are also used for price tags, labels, and other, similar types of printing.

Cost

These two varieties of thermal printer, while different from each other, cost about the same. Factors that will affect the price are the size of the printer, how often it's used, and the features included. In the end, it's best to decide which printer is the best tool for the particular set of printing needs at your office.

References

• Thermal Transfer Printers