The Death of Thermal Printing?

[Jstpssng]

Inkjets heads and ink dry out when not used and the bills I recieve that use an inkjet smudge if they get wet

Thermal paper doesn't like getting wet, either.

 

[ultrarunner]

Thermal prints more data faster… no ink or ribbon.

I have 30 year old sterilizers with ribbon and the same model only 10 years old is thermal…

The thermal only requires loading paper when empty.

 

[Willman]

Most industrial outfits still use thermal printers for making shipping tags today.

I have sold, installed and repaired industrial thermal printers for 30+ years, most were direct thermal (short label life) rest were thermal transfer with wax ink ribbons ( very long label life)
I must of handled millions of labels in that time

 

[Tinhack]

All the hospital patient monitors have Thermal Printers as well as most of the newer equipment with a printer.

I just bought a mini printer that is thermal. I use my phone to create labels for the shop. It's low resolution but it can print anything you can fit on a "receipt-size" paper.

 

[DarkBlack]

I have sold, installed and repaired industrial thermal printers for 30+ years, most were direct thermal (short label life) rest were thermal transfer with wax ink ribbons ( very long label life)
I must of handled millions of labels in that time

At one time, I worked in the R&D department of a thermal printer manufacturer. We made both direct, and ribbon transfer types. I handled a lot of thermal paper for testing. I’m still here.

A little trick to see if paper is thermal, is to quickly run the sharp edge of your finger nail over it. The heat of friction will allow your fingernail to “draw” on it

 

[DarkBlack]

New study reveals serious hidden risk of touching store receipts:

Maybe someone in the know can enlighten?

Around the hospital thermal printers are everywhere.

New study reveals serious hidden risk of touching store receipts: 'Really eye-opening'

It’s a “new” study of an existing known. BPA was called out in thermal paper 20 years ago replaced with similar BPS. Only thing “new” is that the California Sue & Settle ™ machine aka the proposition 65 legal industry, is threatening fines for companies using the paper and not having a warning label.
If you’re keeping up, you’ll realize everything in California could cause cancer. From simple steel nuts and bolts, to coffee.
The initial study is typical. Feed mice a substance at 1000x a typical occurrence would be, then document the mice got cancer growing. What a surprise.

I read the initial layer letter to the companies they’re threatening. Burger King is first. Be careful about eating a lot at Burger King, the receipt is bad for your health
Looks like they need to go after the millions of gas pump printers and ATM’s next. More lawsuit $$$$

If this was actually a real, genuine health problem……They would simply use real data from people who have spent a considerable portion of their lives touching the paper, like Cashiers.
Notice how they purposely didn’t?

 

[kennyd]

We have two thermal label printers for shipping, I can’t imagine the 10’s of thousands of labels we’ve peeled, stuck and rubbed since 2011

 

[BackRoad]

I have a shovel that came with a "California Cancer" warning.

 

[jyoutz]

I have a shovel that came with a "California Cancer" warning.

I have a Case pocket knife that came with that warning. It has a natural bone handle.

 

[MossRoad]

Any time I get a thermal receipt for something that may need warranty/repair in the future, I make a copy of it and print it out with ink at home, and digital copy. If it talks about needing the original receipt, I staple it to it. Hey, it IS the original receipt. You can't read it, but it's the original!

Fortunately, never had to use it.