Printer Types Lesson 005: Thermal Printers Part 2

What are the stages of the thermal printing process?

Load paper roll > paper feed > guide under printhead > selective pin heating > paper color change.

What happens during the load paper roll stage of the thermal printing process?

The thermal paper roll is loaded into the printer’s feed assembly.

What happens during the paper feed stage of the thermal printing process?

The printer pulls the paper through by friction.

What happens during the guide under printhead stage of the thermal printing process?

The paper is <key term> under the printhead.

What happens during the selective pin heating stage of the thermal printing process?

Heat is used to conduct printing using the printhead, which contains small pins that heat up in a specific pattern to create the desired image.

What corresponds to the DPI rating of a thermal printer?

The number of pins that heat up during the selective pin heating stage of the thermal printing process.

What happens during the paper color change stage of the thermal printing process?

The thermal paper changes color as it passes under the heated pins creating the image or text printed.

Color Thermal Printers

Use thermal ribbons with different color layers (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) to create all the colors on a given printout.

How does a color thermal printer work in function?

Heat from the colored ribbons will transfer color from the ribbon onto the paper, producing a high quality image including glossy photographs.

What kind of thermal printer is less common in everyday use?

Color thermal printers.

What are some important considerations and limitations when using thermal printers when it comes to the use of thermal paper?

It is sensitive to heat, so exposure to high temperatures can cause the print to fade or turn entirely black.

What happens to images on thermal paper?

They can fade over time, especially when exposed to heat, light, or friction.

What should thermal printers not be used for?

Long-term documents or important records that a user might need.