POS Paper Rolls


POS Thermal Paper Rolls is one of the most common and inexpensive forms of paper used in a wide number of adding machines, credit card machines, POS systems, barcode printers, and other printing devices. Thermal paper earns its name from its chemical coating which reacts to heat – often turning black, red, or blue to print the image.

The chemical reaction is driven through a combination of a fluoran leuco dye with an acid. Whether this is for a 1-ply Bond Paper Roll, when the thermal paper comes in contact with a mild heat source, the dye has a reaction with the acid, which changes the color of the dye. As soon as the heat source is removed, the chemical reaction stops, but the dye does not lose its color. Given the fact that the chemical is contained within the thermal paper, it is not necessary to purchase ink to produce an image.

The first thermal paper applications were put on the market in 1969 by Texas Instruments. They developed a thermal printer and computer terminal which was used in many industrial applications. In the 1970’s, Hewlett Packard thermal printer was an included option as part of its HP9800 series of desktop computers. Other companies rolled out variations and improvements in the thermal paper process which were used primarily in supermarkets and for barcode applicators in the 1980s. POS Paper Rolls was the standard in industrial applications until laser printing and ink jet options began to take away market share in the 1990s.

One potential downside of POS Thermal Paper is that if there is contact with any excessive heat the image will be lost as the entire paper changes color. In some cases you can ruin the thermal image just by holding the paper too tightly in your hand, or brushing it with your thumbnail.

There are many types of protective topcoating applications that are applied to the thermal paper to assist with improving the wear of the print heads. There are also upgrades which help to reduce the fading of the thermal image when exposed to grease, water, oils, and UV light.

In the last few years, some environmental and health investigators have raised issues about POS Paper Rolls which are coated with Bisphenol A (BPA). Some tests have indicated that BPA has the potential to be an endocrine disruptor. This chemical compound could potentially disrupt the body’s natural regulation of hormones related to cell metabolism, reproduction, and development. Most companies have started producing of BPA-free POS Paper Rolls, but a few still remain on the market.