What Is Thermal Printer? Its Types And How Does It Work?
Recently I have learned that most people are interested in thermal printing. That’s why I decided to introduce what is thermal printer and related things to them. The printer that creates images through its thermal printhead is a thermal printer. With this printhead, thermal papers are activated.
At the same time, it forces the ribbon to release the solid ink for the medium. During thermal printing, toner cartridges are not utilized. So you can create labels, barcodes, ID badges, etc. While they have a big name in banking and grocery purposes. Sublimation Printing Is also the same but a little bit different from thermal printing.
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How Does A Thermal Printer Work?
The working of the thermal printer depends on two printing methods: Direct Thermal Printing and Thermal Transfer Printing.
Direct Thermal Printing
Thermal printing, which works without toner cartridges, is known as Direct Thermal Printing. Here, heat-sensitive thermal paper gains pressure and heat from the printhead and forms the images.
In this procedure, you will not have to waste your peerless money as toner cartridges are absent. Heat and light severely impact thermal paper, so the printed materials will fade with time. The printed things do the determination of colour, and you can not print too many colours simultaneously.
Thermal Transfer Printing
Thermal Transfer Printing is opposite to Direct Thermal Printing. The printing material receives wax-coated ink from the thermal transfer printhead. First, we observe the melting of the wax, then the ink exposure, and lastly, the ink drying on the printed material.
Here, the prints are permanent, so there is no threat of fading. At the same time, the printing of multi-colours has been activated. Soon you will have to replace the ribbon, which may prove expensive.
What Is A Thermal Printer Used For?
Thermal Printer has various applications because of their fast speed. In logistics, it is well known for Return Labels and Inventory Management. It has a significant role in Progress Tracking and Parts Management. You can use a thermal printer for medical purposes like Asset management and Wristbands Identification.
The production of Price Tags, ID badges, Guest Cards and Inventory Management, is also due to the thermal printer. Besides the ordinary people, the government is also using this modern printer for System Administration and Emergency Management.
Types Of Thermal Printers:
A Thermal printer has various types, but I will talk just about the 3 major types:
- Mobile Thermal Printers.
- Desktop Thermal Printers.
- Industrial Thermal Printers.
Mobile Thermal Printers
Mobile Thermal Printers are in your front if you want to use a handheld printer model. They support wireless printing because of their portable nature. The installation procedure of an excellent mobile thermal printer is straightforward, resulting in the labels’ printing. Durability is also found in them, making them perfect for rough environments and godowns. A few mobile printers have waterproof and temperature-resistant features.
Desktop Thermal Printers
The handheld counterparts of Desktop Thermal Printers are smaller than their size. Make sure that your desktop thermal printer is not resulting in giant footprints. Such printers support wireless connection. This is the reason a significant number of labels are handled in minutes. For this printer, you will not have to take very much care because it is reliable and comes at a low price.
Industrial Thermal Printers
For huge-volume printing, there is no better option than Industrial Thermal Printers. They have a big size to manage the manufacturer and logistics prints in seconds. Combining the Internet Of Things Software (IoT) with top-of-the-line models will make control very easy. Thus take the Industrial Thermal Printers in all cases and ensure continuous printing.
Thermal Printer Advantages And Disadvantages:
Advantages
- They are easy, reliable, and have portability.
- Some moving parts are also present in them.
- Their speed is very high and gives stunning results.
- Thermal printers are inexpensive because of their independent nature.
Disadvantages
- If the sun’s heat is high, they will attain black colour.
- Direct Thermal Printing doesn’t support multicolours.
- Thermally printed labels don’t survive long and result in fading.
- Some thermal printers are not affordable because of their higher prices.
FAQs
A thermal printer is involved in the printing of receipts and shipping labels.
The staying duration for thermal printing is 7-25 years.
A thermal printer comes in use because of direct thermal labels.
All the thermal printers use a temperature of 270°F.
No ink is not compulsory for thermal printers.
If your thermal printer is faded, its heat settings are incorrect.
The printer which catches the resin from the ribbon and sends it to the label surface is known as a Thermal printer.
Final Verdicts
I am sure the thermal printers blog will amaze you very much. Here, the thermal printhead forms the images and activates the thermal papers. At the same time, the medium gets the solid ink from the ribbon. Note that toner cartridges are not essential for thermal printers.
Must Read:– Know About The Unclog Thermal Printer
The most common use of thermal printers is the creation of labels and barcodes. Mobile Thermal printers, Desktop Thermal printers, and Industrial Thermal printers are the basic types of thermal printers. At the same time, 270°F temperature is the general heat of thermal printing.
