For most engineers involved in bar code system automation deciding where a bar code printer is appropriate is a straightforward task. But specifically, when should a thermal printer be considered?

Direct thermal or thermal transfer printers can be specified for use in applications when any of the following criteria are specified:

A point-of-application system is required
Point-of-application refers to the requirement for a label to be generated at the exact time and location where it is to be applied to the product in question. In a manufacturing process, point-of-application labels are frequently required to label the product for product identification purposes or to label the product packaging in preparation for shipment.

Individual and / or batch printing of labels with variable data is frequently produced
Thermal printers are ideal for applications that require individual or batch labels that contain variable data bits or fields that change frequently and cannot be serviced by an outside printing agency. In such cases, thermal printers promote efficient and flexible label production with virtually no label waste, enabling users to print only what they need when they need it.

Alternating label widths and/or length materials are frequently being used
Thermal printers are ideal for labeling applications with varying label widths and/or lengths because they adapt to varying size labels easily and promote label production without waste. Comparable available print technologies, such as laser or dot matrix, cannot make such claims because of the waste factor and the limited availability of label materials and/or sizes in sheet or pin feed format.

Graphics printing and/or unlimited adjustable (scalable) text font sizes are desired
Thermal printers not only promote user-flexibility to print individual or batch labels on alternating size media. It is the only print technology whose software permits you to incorporate and print virtually any custom graphic or international symbol, be it your corporate logo or other related universal graphic icons such as Fragile, UL, or Flammable into the label design. Text fonts are also scalable meaning that they can be adjusted to any point size requirement. Bitmap fonts, by comparison, are only adjustable to a limited number of point sizes – e.g. 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 or 18 point sizes. A printer’s a capacity to operate such text fonts or to download graphic formats is dependent on the amount of memory that the printer has to adequately store and process such information. The more memory a printer has, the more complex fonts operations it can perform and process more quickly and efficiently.

High density bar codes are needed
Thermal printing is ideal where high density (crisp, high definition / contrast) bar codes are required. Thermal print bar codes also have one of the highest scanner read rates compared to comparable print technologies.

Clean, quiet, compact printer operation with low maintenance and operating cost is preferred
Thermal printers are highly compact promoting clean, quiet operation compared to comparable print technologies, such as dot matrix or ink jet printing, for example. Thermal printers come in two basic varieties – tabletop and desktop. Tabletop thermal printers are typically bigger than desktop thermal printers in size primarily because of their ability to hold a full 8" roll of media compared to the 3-5" roll capacity of a standard desktop printer. (Larger roll capacity enables users to print longer without frequent interruptions to change or replace media which can effect one’s overall productivity, dependent on the number of printed labels required).

From a space consumption perspective, tabletop printers typically take-up the surface area of a typical office laser printer, whereas a desktop printer utilizes about the surface area of a typical office phone or standard mouse pad. This surface area or space consumption comparison is typically referred to as the printer’s footprint within the bar code industry.

From a cost perspective, thermal printers tend to have a higher initial cost but a lower long-term maintenance and operating cost compared to standard office or document print technologies. This is due, in part, because thermal printers are considered a specialized print technology, accessible through a limited number of channels compared to that of popular office printing equipment which is readily available at any retail store. In the long-term, the total cost of ownership of a thermal printer is lower due to (1) lower maintenance costs; (2) efficient label production with the decreased occurrence of label waste; and (3) steadily decreasing prices of ribbon and thermal based papers. Lower long-term maintenance costs quickly offset one’s initial investment cost enabling a rapid return on investment to be realized, especially when coupled with the increased efficiencies of bar coding automation on the whole.