Technology has shown significant advancement that helps businesses out appreciably. One of these advancements is thermal printing. This is a money and time saver for businesses and your customers will appreciate how quickly a receipt prints out, keeping them from having to wait too long. This blog is going to take a look into what thermal printing and paper are, the disadvantages of it and the advantages for your shop.
What is Thermal Paper?
Thermal paper and printing is an inkless way to print receipts at shops, grocery stores, and banks. It utilizes a heating technology where the receipt is printed through a heating coil onto the paper. The paper is made specifically for this with a coating that will allow the writing to be printed on it without the need of ink or ribbon. This is a faster process than the typical inkjet and ink ribbon printing system many people use. The coating is made out of Bisphenol A or BPA, which is used in a variety of things such as the shatterproof glass we all know as polycarbonate. This chemical is approved by the Federal Drug Administration for this usage and is not known to be harmful to people or the environment. BPA is very durable and is heat resistant, allowing the paper to withstand the high heat needed to print a receipt with a thermal receipt printer.
Disadvantages of Thermal Paper
There are a few disadvantages to thermal paper, but these disadvantages are very minimal and are easy to avoid. We are going to take a quick look at these disadvantages and follow up with advantages of thermal paper and printing.
If you do not properly store the thermal paper, it may spoil. This can make storage a hassle as you may feel you do not have enough time to dedicate to proper storage.
If temperatures in your building or vehicle become too hot, the paper can melt or go dark, covering the list of items sold.
The smell of thermal paper might irritate people who are sensitive to it and are exposed to it for a long time. This does not happen to everyone, but you should consider testing out a thermal printer to make sure you are not sensitive to the paper. If you are, you may decide to have another employee work with it as a thermal printer will still save time and money.
Due to being tightly wound in a roll, thermal paper can become difficult to manage for you or your customers. Sometimes, it seems the paper comes to life and decided to do its own thing for a while. This can be avoided by placing a heavy object on it for a little bit or by spearing it on a receipt holder.
Advantages of Thermal Paper
There are many advantages to thermal paper that far outweigh the disadvantages listed above. Let’s take a look at a few of these advantages and how they can help your shop as you go to tradeshows or are even in your own location.
The receipt prints crystal clear, making it easier for the customer to see the itemized list of their purchases. This can help your customers know how much they spent on what item and also help them with their budgeting.
The receipt will print is half the time a regular ink cartridge or ribbon printer takes, saving time for you and your customers.
A POS thermal receipt printer, such as the one at Shopify, is very reliable and durable, making it the perfect traveling companion if you go to a tradeshow or event.
Thermal paper is portable and easy to pack away in bags when you travel or can be stored easily in your shop, taking up less space than other paper.
Thermal POS receipt printers print more quietly than regular receipt printers, which will make high sale days much nicer as you will not constantly be hearing a loud printer. This will also help your customers because loud printers can easily annoy many.
You will not have any messy ink refills or cartridge replacements with a thermal POS receipt printer. You will also not have to go through constant maintenance of your receipt printer because thermal printers are less likely to jam.
In Closing
Purchasing a thermal POS receipt printer will save you money in the long run and will help you get customers through your line quicker. You will enjoy the ease that comes with a thermal printer. Start your research about thermal POS receipt printers to learn more and to choose the best one for you and your shop!
