For a growing business, your printer is a major part of your operation. No matter the sector, there is a need for printing barcodes, product labels, and other similar materials that need bright colours and clear text.
If your printer breaks down, your bottom line will be affected. A thermal printer gives you the reliability you need, with unmatched performance that will keep you ahead of your competitors.
What is a Thermal Printer?
Thermal printers offer longer lasting and more resilient label printing options. They don’t need any ink or toner cartridges; anyone who’s worked in an office for a while knows how expensive these cartridges are. Thermal printers remove this cost entirely.
Thanks to this cost saving, and the extra reliability a thermal printer provides, they’ve become the preferred choice of printer for a wide range of businesses.
They are best used for product labels, an essential part of any production line. Not only do these labels need to be clear, but also tough. Our printers will ensure all the details are fully legible, and you can print large batches continuously.
How do Thermal Printers Work?
Instead of using ink, images, graphics, and text are printed onto specialised thermal paper using heat. Thermal paper has been treated with chemicals, meaning it cannot be recycled. This is important to keep in mind if you are concerned about your carbon footprint.
They have fewer moving parts than a regular ink printer. This means they are less likely to break down and are easier to repair if they do.
Types of Thermal Printer
Before you order your shiny new thermal printer, you need to decide which type is best for your business. Thankfully, there are only two to choose from.
Direct Thermal Printers
In this type of printer, the print head directly applies heat to the thermal paper. The amount of heat used affects the shade, so different fonts and images are clear.
However, direct thermal printers can only print in black and white. This makes them ideal for barcodes and receipts, or for images that don’t require colour.
They also begin to fade after 6 months, or sooner if exposed to direct sunlight or water.
Thermal Transfer Printers
These printers don’t apply heat to the paper. Instead they heat up a ribbon made of wax. This then melts onto the paper and sets, creating your text, images, or graphics.
This system is more advanced than direct thermal printers, and the media they produce is of higher quality and looks better for longer.
The only downside with using thermal printers is that the wax ribbons can only be three colours at a time (excluding black). This means that, for more colourful images, you will have to swap the ribbons during printing. Although an inconvenience, this process is quick and easy once you get the hang of it, and we can supply all the wax ribbons you need.
This type of thermal printer is, as you can imagine, more expensive than its counterpart. Which brings us on to the biggest question business owners have when it comes to thermal printers.
Are Thermal Printers better Value for Money?
At Label Line, we’re big advocates for thermal printing, and have been for many years now. However, the initial cost of a thermal printer is the biggest hurdle we face when selling them.
Thankfully, the numbers speak for themselves. The cost of the machine is higher than a regular printer, but when you consider the lack of printer ink cartridges, and the lower maintenance costs, the value starts to shine through.
We provide a range of refurbished thermal printers, machines that are still working at their best thanks to the incredible work of our team. These are cheaper than a brand-new equivalent, giving you the opportunity to try out a thermal printer without breaking the bank. We stock thermal printers from major manufacturers including Zebra, Toshiba, Cab, Sato, Intermec and Datamax, and we can help you choose the ideal model for your requirements.
With our professional maintenance team ready and waiting to help you, with regular inspections and all the spare parts and peripherals required, we’ll make sure your machine stays up and running for as long as you need it.
Simply put, if you need a printer for labels, stickers, and barcodes, you need the best machine for the job: a thermal printer from Label Line.
FAQs
Is a Thermal Printer worth it?
Thermal printers are faster and more reliable than regular printers. If you need a machine for large amounts of printing, a thermal printer is great value.
Can you Print Anything on a Thermal Printer?
Yes, but thermal printers are best at printing labels, stickers, and signs. Depending on the printer you use, they may be in colour or black and white.
Can you use Normal Paper in a Thermal Printer?
Normal paper does not work in thermal printers. Instead you need thermal printing paper that has been treated with chemicals.
Do Thermal Printers only print Labels?
Thermal printers are most often used for product labels, but can also be used for stickers, receipts, and barcode labels.
What is the Life Expectancy of Thermal Printing?
Depending on the type of thermal printer you use, you can expect it to last anywhere between 2 – 30 years. With regular inspection and maintenance, it will easily last for two decades or longer.
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We deal with all leading manufactures of Thermal Printers and can offer advice, Demonstrations, Installation and competitive prices
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