What is a receipt printer?Receipt Printer
A receipt printer (often being a part of a point-of-sale system), is a device that prints credit card slips or receipts. Businesses often need this technology to process payments, as well as ensure clear communication with customers after a purchase. Other sectors within the business may also need a receipt printer to do their tasks (such as restaurants managing food orders in the kitchen).
What are the three types of receipt printers and how do they work?
- Thermal printers (the most common): Receipts are printed by direct contact between the thermal head and thermal paper with the use of heat. Therefore, no ink is required. This type of printer prints quickly and quietly, as well as maintains a high quality of the receipts.
- Inkjet printers: They use heads that place tiny droplets of ink onto the receipt paper, which ensures high printing quality with colors. However, refilling ink cartridges can be costly, thus many businesses do not opt for this type of receipt printer.
- Impact printers (also known as Dot Matrix printers): This type of printer is cheaper compared to the first two, regarding its cost and other operating fees (such as replacing materials). Impact printers use tiny pins and an ink ribbon to create a series of dots that form letters on the receipts. The colors being used are often black and red. They are particularly made for restaurants, due to their endurance with heat.
►►► See our products: Magento POS, Shopify POS, BigCommerce POS, Woocommerce POS, Commercetools POS, MSI
What to consider when buying a receipt printer?
- The budget: Inkjet printers are the most expensive, followed by thermal printers and impact printers. However, decisions should be made based on the business demands rather than just costs.
- Business needs: Considerations should be taken into account about the specific characteristics that suit your business, for example, the design, quality of the print, or whether the printer is compatible with yourpoint-of-sale system.
