Thermal Direct Printer
Definition
A printer that activates a heat-sensitive coating on specially treated paper to produce marks without ribbon, ink, or toner; used for POS receipts, ATM slips, and boarding passes; paper chemistry analysis distinguishes paper manufacturer and lot.
- Mechanism
- Heat-sensitive coated paper, no ink or ribbon
- Common uses
- POS receipts, ATM slips, boarding passes
- Forensic value
- Paper chemistry indicates manufacturer and lot
- Distinguishing trait
- No ribbon transfer marks
Common questions
How is thermal-direct printing told apart from thermal-transfer printing?+
Thermal-direct heats a chemically coated paper directly to darken it, while thermal-transfer melts ribbon wax or resin onto plain paper, and the two leave different residues and fade differently over time.
Why does thermal receipt paper matter for evidence handling?+
The heat-sensitive coating reacts to further heat, light, and abrasion after printing, so receipts stored improperly can become illegible before an investigation needs them, making early imaging or copying important.
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