Absolute Beginner's Guide to A+ Certification

Thermal Printers

Thermal printers use heat transfer to create text and graphics on the paper. Thermal printers are used in point-of-sale and retail environments as well as for some types of portable printing.

Types of Thermal Printing

Thermal printers are available using two different technologies:

• Thermal transfer

• Direct thermal

Thermal transfer printers use wax or resin-based ribbons, whereas direct thermal printers use heat-sensitized paper. Some printers can be used in both modes.

The Thermal Printing Process

Although both thermal transfer and direct thermal printing involve heating the elements in a printhead to a particular temperature to transfer the image, there are some differences in operation. The basic process of thermal printing works ...