Thermal printers are types of printers that print using carefully controlled heat generated by the print head. There are two types of thermal printers. Direct thermal and thermal transfer printers. Direct thermal printers, as the name implies, print directly onto the medium. The material has a chemical coating that changes color with the heat of the print head. Thermal transfer printers use a ribbon that makes contact with the print head and the media. To create an image, heat from the print head is “transferred” through the ribbon, melting the ink into the pattern generated by the printer. The ribbon usually consists of a plastic liner that is coated with ink on one side. Thermal transfer ribbons can be coated on the inside or outside, depending on the make and model of printer the ribbon is used with. The ink is usually made of wax and/or resin. Wax ribbons are good for printing on natural paper supports. Resin blended ribbons are generally reserved for printing on synthetic media that is very soft. The higher the resin content, the more smudge resistant the print media will be. Since both printers rely on precise temperatures to create an image, both printing technologies are affected by very cold conditions.
Direct thermal printers have an advantage when it comes to printing in cold conditions. Since the print head makes direct contact with the material, it can tolerate slightly cooler temperatures than thermal transfer printers. Direct thermal printers can work in temperatures as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Conversely, thermal transfer printers can have print quality issues below the mid-40 degree Fahrenheit temperature range. Most thermal printers will give a low head temperature warning. If temperatures are not below freezing levels, the printer will warm up when you start to print. If temperatures are below freezing levels, a space heater or portable heating lamp can be placed in the direction of the thermal printer. You don’t want to place a heater too close to the printer or turn the heat up too high because the metal parts could concentrate the heat and do more harm than good. A distance of 4 to 6 feet should suffice. Also, a target temperature of 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit would be good for cold weather days. Hot enough is better than too hot. If the printer is used in a refrigerated environment, a case can be obtained or created to keep an environment for the printer separate from the outside refrigerated environment.
If the print quality of your thermal printer is important in cold conditions, be sure to keep it within its normal operating temperature range.