| Thermal paper is not new to the world market. It has | | | | car receipts, and many others. It is thus a good |
| been in use for many scores of years now. Thermal | | | | business to invest in TP as it is a prospective industry |
| paper can be easily recognized because of the special | | | | that promises good returns on your investment. |
| finesse that it has and it being impregnated with certain | | | | The pioneers of the thermal paper industry were the |
| chemicals that change color when they are exposed | | | | enterprises by the name of NCR Corporation and |
| to heat. These are the characteristics that differentiate | | | | another one by the name of 3M. Although the 3M |
| thermal-paper from other types. | | | | technology was more durable but its expensiveness |
| Thermal paper is widely used in thermal printers. It finds | | | | made NCR the market leaders in thermal-paper over |
| its gigantic use particularly in lightweight and cheap | | | | the time. The demand for TP increased with the |
| devices. These include adding machines, credit card | | | | invention of thermal print head in 1965 by Texas |
| terminals as well as cash registers. Thermal paper | | | | Instruments. It was in 1969 that a computer terminal |
| usually requires a protective coating. This is because | | | | with a thermal printer was introduced in the market by |
| of the need to reduce the fading of the thermal image | | | | the name of Silent 700. |
| caused by the exposure to UV light, grease, water, oils, | | | | With time, when the bar-code system became more |
| lard, fats, plasticizers and similar others. | | | | and more famous, the value and use of thermal paper |
| The coating also helps to provide improved print head | | | | further increased. Many big names in industry are now |
| wear. Not only this, but it reduces or eliminates residue | | | | major consumers of thermal-paper for label |
| from the thermal coating on the thermal print heads. | | | | applications. Recently, in 2006, NCR Corporation's |
| Moreover, this coating provides better anchorage of | | | | Systemedia division introduced two-sided thermal |
| flexographic printing inks that are applied to the | | | | printing technology which is now known as 2ST. it has |
| thermal-paper thereby focusing the heat from the | | | | further given a boom to thermal-paper. |
| thermal print head on the active coating. In the late | | | | Despite all its cost-effectiveness and usage, health |
| 1980s and early 1990s, thermal transfer, laser printing, | | | | experts have shown serious concern about thermal |
| electrophotography, and, to a lesser extent, ink jet | | | | paper. They claim that TP contains a high ratio of |
| printing began to take away industrial and warehouse | | | | Bisphenol A which can lead to endocrine disruption. |
| barcode applications of TP due to better durability. | | | | Special care should therefore be taken while using TP. |
| However, thermal paper made a strong comeback. | | | | Children should particularly be monitored so that they |
| Thermal paper has had a difficult journey in the market | | | | do not, in any case, chew or swallow thermal-paper. If |
| with many ups and downs. It is now being vastly used | | | | they do so, medical help should be immediately sought. |
| for sale receipts, gasoline pumps, cash registers, rental | | | | |