So you need a Bluetooth thermal receipt printer
but are baffled by the different types and models out there? This
article takes you through the different types and explains which type is
suitable for which environments making your decision easy and informed.
There are 3 main types of Bluetooth thermal receipt printer
Bluetooth thermal receipt printer
Bluetooth
thermal receipt printer are now the most popular choice of receipt
printer as they are often the most reliable and easy to use as they do
not require any ink or ribbons. The technology relies upon chemically
treated paper that is sensitive to heat. The printer heats the paper via
holes in the print head to create text and graphics. Thermal printers
are also regarded as the fastest type of receipt printer printing up to
250mm second making them very suitable to fast turnover environments
such as supermarkets and high street retail.
The one
downside to thermal receipts, due to the technology, is that they fade
in sunlight and can turn black and unreadable if subjected to heat.
Thermal receipts are therefore unreliable for businesses that require
their receipts to remain readable for long periods of time due to
regulations. Dual colour can be obtained by some models at the higher
end of the market with special paper but the results can be
disappointing and the technology is rarely used at present.
Bluetooth thermal receipt printer are generally recommended for high turnover/ general retail and hospitality front of house.
Impact printers
This
type of printer generally requires a ribbon which holds the ink like a
typewriter and uses an impact mechanism that stamps the characters
through the ribbon onto the paper. Some printing devices can utilise
paper that contain mcrocapsules of ink embedded into them that burst
upon impact and therefore do not require ribbons. Impact printers are
easy identifiable as they are considerably noisier that other types of
printer and are generally considerably slower than thermal printers.
Impact printers are commonly the type that offers models with a two and
three ply paper or a second roll for audit purposes. In recent years and
in most environments this type of printer has been superseded by
thermal printers due to their speed and lack of a need for consumables
other than paper.
In certain markets impact printers
remain dominant as in the banking and gaming industries. Impact printers
also tend to be used in restaurant kitchens as thermal receipts are
easily erased by heat. Some industries such as banking and gaming have
regulations regarding certain types of receipts and about the length of
time receipts are required to remain readable. Ink based receipts last
considerably longer than thermal receipts and is therefore used by these
industries as standard. It is worth noting that ribbons come in
different colours such as purple, black, red and dual red/black with the
latter ribbon being used to highlight certain transactions types such
as refunds in red.
Impact receipt printers are recommended for kitchens, banking, gaming, and low turnover retail and hospitality environments.
Inkjet receipt printers.
Inkjet
printers are regarded as the successor to impact printers as they also
use ink but they offer a superior printing quality. Most inkjet printers
allow printing via ink cartridges in two colours with normally a mix of
black, green, red and blue. Businesses spend a great deal of time and
resources on brand recognition and using colour is a popular way of
doing this. The technology can also be put to great use by printing
colourful advertising or promotions on the receipt thus generating
return visits from the customers.
In reality the take
up of inkjet receipt printers has been minimal. This is thought to be
due to a couple of reasons, firstly it is perceived that the changing of
ink at the till point is tricky and time consuming and secondly the
speed at which these printers operate is considered too slow for major
retailers to adopt. Inkjet receipt printers do however offer the same
longer lasting receipts as impact printers making them suitable for most
business types.
Inkjet receipt printers are recommended for low turnover retail, banks and gaming industry.
Manufacturers. So what brand should I go for?
This
market is well serviced by numerous manufacturers with a wealth of
choice and price range. As with many markets there is a huge influx of
far eastern models at rock bottom prices. As with most things that you
purchase, you get what you pay for and it is worth noting that with the
major manufacturers you tend to get better products that last longer and
receive better support if something goes wrong. Remember if your
receipt printer stops working you will find it very difficult to trade.
The general rule is the higher turnover your business achieves the
better the receipt printer you should invest in.
Anything else?
Remember
that the Bluetooth thermal receipt printer you choose has to work with
the software and hardware that you are going be using. Firstly check
with the software supplier which brands and models the software
supports. Also check that the printer you intend to buy has drivers for
the operating system that you are going to be using. Lastly, ensure the
printer has the right interface for the hardware that you are going to
be using. These are usually serial (RS232), USB, parallel or Ethernet
but rising up the ranks are wireless and Bluetooth.
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