Thermal paper is a widely used printing material that plays an important role in many industries and applications. This article will introduce the principle, application and the difference between thermal paper and other printing materials.
- Principle
Thermal paper can be heated to activate the dye layer and form an image on the surface of the paper. Specifically, thermal paper consists of two layers: a substrate and a dye layer. The substrate is usually a thin film material, such as mylar or polypropylene film. The dye layer usually contains a fixed color dye whose chemical properties change with temperature. When heat is applied by the thermal head, the dye molecules diffuse to the surface of the paper and combine with the substrate to form a visible image.
Ii. Application
1, cash register system: thermal paper is one of the standard materials of cash register, used to print invoices, receipts, etc.
2, medical industry: thermal paper is widely used in medical records and prescription printing, because they do not need ink, for some medical paper has a waterproof, oil-proof, anti-pollution role.
3, logistics industry: thermal paper is widely used in printing transportation labels and packaging labels. These labels need to be used in harsh environments, such as high temperature, humidity and so on.
4, portable printer: Thermal paper can be used with portable printers, such as Bluetooth printers and Wi-Fi printers, convenient for users to print anytime, anywhere.
- Difference
Compared with other printing materials, thermal paper has the following advantages:
1, low cost: thermal paper does not need ink or carbon tape, so its production cost is low.
2, no noise: Because there is no nozzle or engraving machine, there is no noise when printing thermal paper.
3, bright colors: thermal paper can print out bright colors, which makes them particularly suitable for labels, bills and other scenes that need obvious contrast.
4, easy to use: thermal printer does not need to clean or replace the nozzle, so it is more convenient to use.
Although thermal paper has many advantages, it also has some limitations. For example, because the dye layer is the product of a chemical reaction, its color stability is poor and it is easily affected by environmental factors such as light and temperature. In addition, thermal paper is not suitable for long-term storage, because its image will gradually fade.
In short, thermal paper is a printing material widely used in commercial and industrial fields, its principle is simple, easy to use, and has many advantages. However, when choosing whether to use thermal paper, it is also necessary to consider its limitations and the advantages and disadvantages of other optional materials on a case-by-case basis.