Technical documentation

Please see the ETPA statement on Bisphenol A in thermal paper

For a minimum of 5 years after the date of manufacture, in its original packaging and in a dark place with a relative humidity of 50% ± 10% and a temperature less than 25ºC.

In order to guarantee the durability of thermal paper, it is recommended that Termax papers not be exposed for long periods of time to chemical products such as:

• organic solvents and petroleum derivatives (alcohol, acetone, ester, ether, toluene, benzene, gasoline)
• cleaning products
• plasticizers (cellophane, PVC)
• coated papers
• carbonless paper
• ammonia
• oils

Once the image appears on thermal paper in a thermal printer, it remains legible for a minimum of 5 years, as long as the documents have been properly stored with compatible materials in warehouses with a relative humidity of 50% ± 10 and a temperature lower than 25ºC.

• organic solvents and petroleum derivatives (alcohol, acetone, ester, ether, toluene, benzene, gasoline)
• cleaning products
• plasticizers (cellophane, PVC)
• coated papers
• carbonless paper
• ammonia
• oils

Direct thermal printing has important advantages over other printing systems.

• It is fast, compact and quiet.
• It is reliable. Printing is sharp and clear and resolution is high, thus enabling images to be read perfectly by barcode scanners.
• It is ecological and economical. It does not use toner, ribbons or other printing consumables. It consumes very little power and maintenance costs are low.

Direct thermal printing is a printing system with the following properties:

• high efficiency
• low maintenance costs
• easy-to-use printers
• no consumables
• security (no printing marks)
• noiseless printers
• small printers
• high-resolution images
• very fast
• highly reliable

Both technologies employ a printing head which, through the use of heat, produces an image on the paper.

The main difference is direct thermal printing is based on a chemical reaction of the components of the paper, which react with the heat of the head and produce an image.

In the case of thermal transfer printing, the ink is in a polyester ribbon that comes into contact with the paper. The ink is wax- or resin-based depending on the required durability of the print. When the head is heated, the ink melts; contact with the cold paper results in the transfer of the image.

Due to the fact that direct thermal printing does not require ink, toner or a transfer ribbon, these printers are more economical and easier to operate than thermal transfer, inkjet, laser or dot-matrix machines.

• Better operation: Direct thermal printers and thermal transfer printers print at a similar speed. However, thermal transfer printers require more attention and operation time. These printers need a polyester ribbon that contains the ink. This represents an additional consumable that must be changed when it wears out, and the changing process is laborious. In addition, the ribbon must be watched carefully to assure that it is functioning correctly, as it tends to wrinkle.
• Better image legibility: Direct thermal printers print sharp, well-defined images, with a resolution that allows for the image to be easily read by a scanner. In this way, reading bar codes is guaranteed. With thermal transfer printers, the ribbon can become unaligned or wrinkle, preventing bar codes from being read. Moreover, in warm climates the image can be stained as a result of rubbing, with the same consequences.
• More efficient: Does not require any consumables other than paper or labels. Thermal transfer printers, on the other hand, require, in addition to paper, a ribbon that is compatible with the machine and the materials to be printed, with the additional inventory requirements that this entails.
• Higher security: In thermal transfer printing, the negative of the printed information remains on the section of the used ribbon. This information can be used for fraudulent purposes. For this reason, in order to guarantee the privacy of patients, direct thermal printing is used for medical documents.

Please refer to the table of recommended inks for printing Termax thermal paper.