In the last article Receipt Paper: 3 common types you should know, we explained the three common types of receipt paper, and here in this article, we will explain how you can identify if the receipt paper is thermal by using these 3 methods.
1. Scratch with Your Fingernail
The easiest way to identify thermal paper is to scratch its surface with your fingernail. As mentioned above, thermal paper has a chemical coating on its surface; when you scratch the surface with your fingernail, heat is generated, and the thermal paper can show black marks on its surface.
2. Observe and Feel the Paper Surface
Another way to test if it’s a legit thermal paper is to observe and feel the paper surface and compare it with bond paper and carbonless paper. The thermal paper stands out with its smoother, shinier surface.
However, in some cases, some bond paper also has a very smooth surface, so observing and feeling the paper surface isn’t the best way to determine if it is thermal paper.
3. Test the Paper on A Thermal Printer
Last but not least, the best way to identify thermal paper is to test it with a thermal printer.
A thermal printer uses heat to produce an image or text on thermal paper without the use of ribbons. If you insert a wood-free paper roll or carbonless paper roll into the thermal printer, it won’t produce anything on these types of papers because they don’t have a chemical coating on their surface. If the paper roll can feed out printed images and texts once you run it into the thermal printer, it passes the test.
What’s Your Action Plan?
Whether in the retail, entertainment, or banking industry, printing receipts is made easy and economical with thermal paper. When you use thermal paper, you only have to invest in a thermal printer and purchase paper rolls all year round. You don’t have to think about maintaining your printer and ink cartridges—no more fiddling with the printer’s ribbons.
Are you ready to take your business to the next level with the use of thermal paper? Let us know if you need any of the receipt paper products we offer. We can send you a special price for bulk orders.
FAQ:
1. Can I use thermal paper in my inkjet or laser printer?
No, thermal paper only works for thermal printers. Inkjet and laser printers use regular (bond) paper with ink or toner. If you try to use thermal paper in a regular printer, it won’t generate an image, and it could even jam or damage the printer.
2. What happens if I try to use regular paper in a thermal printer?
If you load regular paper into a thermal printer, you won’t see anything printed on the paper. It’s because thermal printers require specially coated thermal paper to produce text or images. They rely on heat, not ink or toner. You’ll just get a blank piece of paper.
3. Is there any normal A4 paper that feels like thermal paper?
Thermal paper has a unique coated, smooth feel, and most regular A4 paper isn’t the same. Some specialty thin or glossy papers come close, but they aren’t designed for the same use and won’t react to heat from a thermal printer. But please note that A4 thermal paper is available in the market nowadays, they are specifically designed for use on A4 portable thermal printers.
4. Does it matter what thermal paper I get for my thermal printer, or are they all the same?
Not all thermal papers are created equal. Please always check your printer’s specs for size and compatibility, and choose quality-tested rolls for best results. Cheap or mismatched paper can cause jams, fading, or worn-down print heads.
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