Carbonless vs. Thermal Receipt Paper
With many things to think about on a daily basis, it’s likely that receipt paper is far from the top of your list. However, when you get low and go to order, you may find yourself a bit confused at the differences in options at hand. Specifically, what is the difference between carbonless and thermal receipt paper? Which is best for you? Let’s take a look.
Carbonless Receipt Paper
Carbonless receipt paper is exactly what it sounds like – paper without any carbon. If you have been around long enough, you likely remember getting receipts that had a sheet of black carbon paper in between copies. When pressure was applied to this carbon paper, it imprinted a copy on the lower receipts. However, this was extremely messy.
This problem has been solved with carbonless receipt paper. This type of paper typically has several layers with multiple colors – typically white, pink, and yellow. The back of the paper has microscopic dye-containing capsules. When pressure is applied, these capsules release dye that reacts with the chemicals on the front of the next sheet to make a copy.
3" x 95' 2-Ply Carbonless Paper (50 rolls/case) - White / Canary
BUY NOWThermal Receipt Paper
Thermal receipt paper utilizes a heat reaction for printing. This type of paper has a chemical coating that interacts with concentrated heat to turn black. Thus, when this paper is printed, heat is applied to areas by the printer to produce pictures or text. The coating is only on one side of the paper and can be easily identified by its bright, smooth surface.
Thermal receipt paper is incredibly popular for its convenience and cost-savings as businesses do not have to worry about purchasing ribbon. It is also mess free. While carbonless receipt paper prints a blue image, thermal receipt paper prints in black. However, it is important to note that thermal paper is designed specifically for thermal printers and is not universal.
3 1/8" x 230' Thermal Paper (50 rolls/case) -- BPA Free
BUY NOWFinal Thoughts
Carbonless and thermal receipt papers are both excellent quality items. Thermal receipt paper is less costly in the long run as you save money from not having to purchase ribbon. Both types of receipt paper utilize chemical reactions and have chemical coatings. Hopefully this article helps shed some light on the differences between the two types for the next time you go to order receipt paper.