A lady wearing a red top removing a printed address label from a Brother thermal label printer which is on a desk in an office environment

Thermal printers, explained

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Brother UK
Global Technology Solutions and Services Provider
Brother UK Ltd

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From capabilities to running costs, learn more about all the ways thermal printers differ from inkjet to see if it’s the right option for you.

What is a thermal printer? How does it work? And are thermal printers any good? In this article, we answer all these questions and more – telling you everything you need to know about this specific type of printing.

What is a thermal printer?

Instead of ink, thermal printers use heat to transfer the image onto paper with a heat-sensitive coating. It first came to prominence back in the 1970s, when the retail industry adopted it as a way of printing receipts and labels. And today, it’s still favoured by retailers – as well as companies in the transportation and healthcare industries, who use the technology to print quickly and efficiently.

How do thermal printers work?

There are two different types of thermal printing – direct and transfer – so each type of printer works in a slightly different way.

Direct thermal: there’s no ribbon, ink or toner required. Instead, the printhead selectively heats special thermochromic paper, which turns the required areas black to produce the image.

Thermal transfer: these types of printers contain a printhead made of tiny, heated pins – one for each pixel – all controlled by a microprocessor. This processor determines which pins are needed to form the specific image, and heat is used to transfer wax or resin-based ink to the print surface. This could be paper, plastic or another material.

What are thermal printers used for?

You won’t usually find a thermal printer in a home office – they tend to be used for more specific industrial applications. Some of the most common sectors and uses are:

Retail and hospitality: producing high volumes of price tags, receipts, barcodes, ID badges and shipping labels.

Logistics and transportation: shipping, receiving, inventory management and tracking – including the creation of packing slips and return labels.

Healthcare and laboratories: patient identification wristbands, lab or pharmacy labels and other asset management solutions.

Manufacturing: compliance labels, maintenance or parts management, quality assurance and progress tracking.

Government: supply chain labels, emergency management, ID badges and system administration.

Creative industries: custom designs and arts and crafts.

What are the benefits of using thermal printers over traditional printers?

With their unique way of working, thermal printing offers a variety of benefits compared to more traditional inkjet printing.

For one, thermal printers are specially adapted for the applications above. Whereas printing labels on an inkjet printer would mean using costly and inefficient pre-cut label sheets – and that’s just one example.

Here are some other benefits of thermal printing:

Speed and efficiency: the heat transfer method produces long-lasting, highly legible results at high speeds – often taking just milliseconds to print. As no ink is used, there’s also no risk of smudging either.
Lower operational costs: these types of printers require no cartridges, ribbons or other supplies that need to be regularly replaced.
Minimal maintenance: with fewer moving parts, there’s less opportunity for thermal printers to break. An average thermal print head usually lasts for around 10 years.
Compact design: less parts also mean these types of printers are more lightweight and transportable – ideal for tradeshows or demos.
Environmentally friendly: fewer consumables mean less waste.

What are the main differences between inkjet and thermal printers?

When you’re choosing between an inkjet or thermal printer, the crux of the issue is about choosing the right tool for the job.

For example, a desktop inkjet isn’t ideal for label printing but still has a place on the packing bench when it comes to printing documentation.

There are a number of things to consider in deciding which option is the best for your print needs. This includes running costs, print methods and questions like can thermal printers print colour?

Here’s a breakdown of the biggest differences across seven key categories:

	Thermal	Inkjet
Printing method	Heat transfer with specialist paper or a wax pigment.	Ink sprayed from a nozzle in tiny droplets.
Running costs	Higher upfront costs but less running costs for consumables and maintenance.	Cheaper to purchase but require regular replacement supplies and more likely to need repairing.
Print quality	Limited colour options available, but very consistent and precise print quality in black and white.	Capable of producing lifelike colour images, but prints are susceptible to smudging and moisture damage.
Durability	Fewer moving parts so less likely to break down. Lasts for an average of 10 years.	More likely to break down as the spray nozzles can be easily clogged.
Portability	A variety of smaller, mobile devices to choose from.	Not very portable, generally limited to office settings.
Power	AC and battery powered models available.	Usually require AC power.
Applications	Best for high volume printing of signs, labels, barcodes and receipts.	Best for basic home or office printing, photos and other documents.

Choosing a thermal printer

As we’ve just seen, there are lots of differences between thermal and inkjet printers, ranging from cost and print quality to recommended applications. However, if you’re wondering are thermal printers worth it, it really comes down to what you’ll be using them for.

If you have decided a thermal printer is the right option for you, the next step is to choose the right model. Brother offer a huge variety of thermal print models for specialist label printing including mobile, desktop and industrial options – and the reliability of our machines makes them real leaders in the market. Some of the core ranges include:

TD: mid-volume desktop thermal printers for a range of print media

TJ: high-volume industrial label printers built with integration, speed and durability in mind

Take a look at each of the ranges to find the best option for you. And if you have any questions about thermal printing, just get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.