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A Brief History of Thermal Printers
Thermal printer began in the 1960's and has been used in the printing industry for
production ever since. As the technology advanced, the users and printers also
improved, enhancing the printing process, speed, accuracy, and refinement for mass
production printing. To print, thermo-sensitive paper was feed between the thermal print head and the
platen. The printer then transmits an electrical current to the heating resistor
of the print head. The heat activates the thermo-sensitive coloring layer of the
paper, which changes color, producing the desired pattern. This method reduced
the cost of printing, was much faster and quieter than dot matrix printers, and
it portable. Thermal printing became the common printing technique for bar codes,
receipts, medical print outs, faxes, and several other applications. However, the print did not have a long life. The thermal paper used was sensitive
to UV rays, extreme temperatures, and chemical vapors. Researchers needed to enhance
thermal printing. By the late 1970's, they had a revolutionary breakthrough with
the development of the ribbon films, and improvements in the printer head used in
what is called thermal transfer printing. By the 1990s, thermal transfer printers were considered one of the most accurate
forms of printing. Today, thermal transfer printers are still considered as one
of the most accurate printing techniques due to the fixed position print element,
with print spaces measuring as small as 0.0001 inch. Thermal transfer printing
never skips a space and always gives a smooth surface finish. The wax ink that
is used coats the surface, providing a polished looked that is presentable and appealing.
Small business guides: , Thermal Transfer Labels Guide.com |
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