Techniques to Ensure Your Thermal Receipt Printer is Functioning Properly 

In this busy world we often find ourselves rushing to get the little things done such as loading our thermal receipt printers. This could be the difference between a functional printer and a non-functional one. When loading your thermal printer you may run into the problem that it feeds roll paper but it does not print. The cause could be that it's not thermal-coated paper or it was loaded upside down. There are three simple steps you can follow to fix the problem. 

1) To verify that the roll is thermal coated paper, scratch the surface of the paper with a coin or nail. 
2) Make sure the top coat shows a black mark where the scratch was made to ensure the paper is thermal-coated. 
3) Finally, verify the thermal paper was loaded correctly and try printing again. 

Example of proper paper loading: 














Please let us know if you have any questions, thoughts or comments 

What is the Difference Between Paper Basis Weight, Caliper and Equivalent Weight for Paper Rolls?

We are often asked about the differences between paper basis weight, caliper and equivalent weight. So we thought a blog post was in order to explain the differences as it relates to paper rolls, thermal paper rolls, and wide format paper rolls. 

Basis Weight: The basis weight of a paper is the designated fixed weight of 500 sheets, measured in pounds, in that paper's basic sheet size. It is important to note that the "basic sheet size" is not the same for all types of paper.

Caliper: Refers to the thickness of a sheet of paper expressed in thousandths of an inch. This measurement is take with a micro meter. Normally, paper caliper should not have more than a + or - 5% variance within a sheet. Generally, the relation between caliper and basis weight- the greater the caliper (the thicker the paper) the greater the paper weight.

Equivalent Weight: While different paper types have different basic sizes, papers can still be compared by using equivalent weight.

Basis Weight ("Category") Table

Type of Paper	Basic Size – 500 Sheets
"Bond" Ledger Mimeo Duplicator Rag Paper	17" x 22"
"Offset" Book Text Coated Paper	25" x 38"
"Cover"	20" x 26"
"Tag Stock"	24" x 36"
"Index"	25-1/2" x 30-1/2"

Download PDF version here

Virgin Bond Roll Paper and Blended Bond Roll Paper

We are often asked about the differences between Virgin Bond Roll Paper and Blended Bond Roll Paper.  So we thought a blog post was in order to explain. 
 

What is Bond Paper? The term bond was originally a term applied to cotton-content paper used for printing bonds and legal documents. They are distinguished by strength, performance and durability. Bond paper is now made from either cotton, chemical wood pulp, or a combination of the two. Bond receipt paper rolls are used in impact printers that utilize ink ribbons. They are strong and durable, consisting of wood, cotton, or both, most commonly used for letterheads, stationery, business forms, cash register, calculator rolls etc. Bond papers are made to perform equally well for a pen/pencil, offset printing, engraving, laser printing and inkjet printing.

Virgin Bond vs. Blended Bond: The term Virgin Bond, means the paper was made from the fibers in their first use, usually from wood pulp representing the highest quality paper rolls available. Virgin bond roll paper is also referred to as Hi Bulk or Bright White paper.  Blended Bond paper (aka Environmentally Correct Paper) are classified as “medium” or “standard” grade level products, which leads to continuous confusion regarding the quality of these paper roll products. Blended Bond is made from alternative pulp (Thermo-Mechanical Pulp) of fast growing hybrid trees grown specifically for this purpose. Blended Bonds are not the same as recycled paper products which are actually the lowest grade Paper Roll Products.

Brightness (aka Whiteness): The alternative pulp is naturally whiter with a lower resin content thus requiring less bleaching agent to be used. This results in discernibly lowering the amount of bleaching agents and other chemicals typically used that are expelled into our rivers and streams, creating a more environmentally friendly product. The only significant difference when compared side-by-side is the brightness of Blended Bond is slightly less than the Premium Grade Paper Rolls.

 

How is Brightness Measured? Brightness is measured as the percentage of light in a narrow spectral range reflected from the surface of a sheet of paper. It is not necessarily related to color or whiteness. A blue-white and yellow-white paper can have the same brightness value but look very different.  Paper with a brightness of 98 is an extremely bright sheet with almost all light being reflected back to the viewer. Bright white sheets range from 92 to 100; the papers illuminate transparent printing inks, giving cleaner, crisper color and better black contrast.  Most virgin bond roll paper is around 92 bright and most blended bond roll paper are 85 bright. 

Please let us know if you have any questions, thoughts or comments. 

Are your Currency Counters and Counterfeit Detectors ready for the New $100 Bill?

Get the Facts:

The Federal Reserve announced that the new $100 note will be placed into circulation on October 8, 2013.  All of POS Supply Solution’s Currency Counters and Counterfeit Detectors will work with the new $100 note.  

Security Features and Changes to the New $100 Bill

The new security features make it easy to check the new $100 note in seconds. Learn how to use the two advanced security features: the 3-D Security Ribbon and Bell in the Inkwell. All U.S. currency remains legal tender, so you do not need to trade in old-design notes for the new ones.

1.   3-D Security Ribbon: Blue ribbon woven into the note with alternating bells and 100s that shift as you bend the bill

2.   Bell in the Inkwell: Color shifting bell changes from copper to green

3.   Portrait Watermark: Faint watermark appears on the right when held up to the light

4.   Security thread: Vertical left of portrait and pink under UV light

5.   Color Shifting 100: Color shifting 100 on the front changes from copper to green

6      

6.   Raised Printing: There is raised printing throughout the bill which is noticeable to the touch

7.   Gold 100: Large gold 100 on the back of the bill to help those with visual impairments

8.   Microprinting:  
The United States of America – Benjamin Franklin’s collar

·     USA 100 – Around the watermark

·     One Hundred USA – Along the golden quill

·     100s – Note borders Philadelphia’s Independence Hall rear view on the new $100 bill, the time will be changed to 10:30

Please call us at 888-431-5800 with any questions on currency counters or counterfeit detectors. 

Thermal Paper Storage and Shelf Life Recommendations

We are often asked about the storage and shelf life of our thermal paper rolls.  Listed below are some general thermal paper storage and shelf life recommendations.  

Shelf Life - Storage of thermal products in a dark place at a relative humidity between 45 percent and 65 percent and a temperature below 77°F (25ºC) will assure satisfactory performance for at least three years from the date of manufacture.

Image Life - Once thermal paper has been imaged on the recommended equipment, it is expected that the image will remain legible for at least seven years, assuming the documents are properly stored with compatible materials under normal filing conditions, with a relative humidity between 45 percent and 65 percent, as well as a temperature below 77°F (25°C).

Fade Resistance - Most thermal products use dye and co-reactant technology to form an image. The combination is sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light and may exhibit some image decline with extended exposure to office light or shorter exposure to intense UV light (sunlight). The stability of the image will depend upon the degree to which the image was originally developed, the individual product design, the intensity of the UV light and the character of UV (percent of UV range in a light source). Sheet discoloration may also occur with prolonged exposure to UV light.

Contact Storage - We recommend that thermal grades not be exposed for long periods to the following specific materials to avoid: 

1. Organic solvents, including: Alcohol, Ketones, Esters, Ethers, 

2. Cleaning fluids
3. Plasticizers: Alcohol-type (cellophane tape), Ester-type (PVC film), Polyethylene glycol-type Dioctyl phthalate, Dioctyl adipate
4. Petroleum solvents: Gasoline, Toluene and Benzene
5. Wet-type diazo copy paper
6. Carbon papers (certain types)
7. Cast-coated papers
8. Papers containing tributyl phosphate
9. Dissimilar thermal systems
10. Carbonless paper solvents
11. Ammonia
12. Certain oils 
13. Water (prolonged exposure)

An exception to these general guidelines would be our specialty top-coated media, tag, ticket and label grades.

Note: Most thermal papers, regardless of the manufacturer, are susceptible to many of the same items shown on this page. These incompatible substances are not unique to any thermal products.

Please feel free call us if you have any questions on thermal paper storage and shelf life recommendations. 

Koehler Paper Announcement

Last week Koehler Paper Company announced they would begin withdrawing the supply of their lightweight thermal paper in the US.   This action is directly related to increased tariffs imposed by the US Department of Commerce stemming from an initial 2008 ailing. Koehler has outlined a phased withdrawal plan calling for reduced shipments to converters in February and March of 2013 with the potential for complete shutdown of shipments beginning in April of 2013.

 

 

Currently Koehler estimates it supplies approximately 44% of the US market for lightweight thermal paper. Their decision to reduce shipments and potentially exit the US market altogether will no doubt create tremendous strain on lire supply chain for thermal paper and has already had an impact on the price of thermal paper. 

Rest assured, POS Supply Solutions is doing everything possible to ensure we continue to have a continuous source of supply. This includes on-going discussions with the remaining thermal paper converters & mills as well as looking at offshore alternatives. Our most immediate, and number one goal is to create an uninterrupted source of supply for our thermal paper needs.

POS Supply Solutions will make every effort to keep you updated on developing news as it relates to the supply of lightweight thermal paper. POS Supply Solutions appreciates your business and values the relationship between our companies.

The Power of Color for POS Receipts

From retail stores to restaurants, businesses are always looking for new ways to sustain and grow a steady customer base and increase product awareness.  Color printing on receipt paper rolls helps to enhance branding and customer communications. This creates the ability for businesses to use their receipts as promotional tools. 

Memory retention studies show that humans are naturally drawn to color. When color is combined with the printed word, there is greater recall, recognition and retention. Leatrice Eiserman, director of the Pantone Color Institute’s speech on the Impact on Consumer Behavior spoke to the impact of color on consumers: “Memory retention studies tell us that consumers are up to 78% more likely to remember a word or phrase printed in color than in black and white. The human eye is naturally drawn to color. Color activates the right brain, while the printed word activates the left brain. When color is combined with the written word, it impacts consumers with the triple whammy of greater recall, recognition and attention.”

There is a distinct psychology to color and it is shown that different colors naturally evoke certain feelings among consumers. Here are some examples:

Color Meanings/Association

Red: Encourages appetite and evokes strong emotions. Many restaurant chains like Wendy’s, KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonalds use red in their logos.

Orange: Incites feelings of excitement, enthusiasm and warmth. Orange is often used in signage to draw attention or promote a sale. It is also an appealing color to children.

Yellow: Makes people feel optimistic and warm. It is a stimulating color that draws your attention so it is often used in promotions.

Green: Associated with nature, ecology, health and tranquility. It is often used to promote natural products.

Blue: Induces feelings of serenity, trust and dependability. It is the color most preferred by men. 

Purple: Often thought of as symbolizing wealth, royalty and success. Businesses often use purple to represent a high quality product.

Pink: A youthful and lighthearted color that is also calming. Businesses targeting women may benefit from using pink in their promotions.

Black: While it can be thought of as a powerful and controlling color, it is also thought of as trendy and high end. It works well when used with vibrant jewel tones. 

Brown: Evokes feelings of comfort, maturity and reliability. Like green, it is often used to promote wholesome and organic products as well as outdoor products.

Whether a customer is buying groceries at the supermarket, getting a coffee at the local espresso bar, paying for gas, or buying a big-ticket item, receipts are indispensable. You can choose from several different options of color receipts that will help your business stand out from the competition:



Custom Printed Receipt Paper Rolls
By investing in custom printed paper rolls, you can instantly increase awareness at a low cost. At a minimum, adding a color logo and website information will reinforce branding and increase product awareness. But that is just the beginning. Why not go one step further and use the receipt as a more powerful marketing tool? Your business can increase customer visits and build brand loyalty by simply featuring a color coupon or special promotion on the back of your pre-printed paper roll receipts. 

Two-color Thermal Receipt Paper Rolls
Another way to achieve color accents on your receipts is through 2-color thermal papers. This thermal media has been available for some time and offer blue / black and red / black printing combinations. These high tech thermal papers generate 2-color images within the receipts. There are many printers on the market with the firmware needed to generate the two color text and graphics. The down side is that the paper is currently hard to find and thermal coaters require a significant volume to produce these products.

Colored Paper Rolls
This option is an economical alternative to pre-printed rolls. These colored paper rolls are a simple and easy way to make your business stand out from all the rest. Instead of custom printing, you can choose a paper roll in a solid color like blue, green, yellow, or even pink. Using colored paper rolls is a simple yet effective marketing tool to ensure customers remember your business by your attractive receipt. With plenty of colors to choose from, it couldn’t be easier to brighten up your receipt! 

Now that you know how to add color to enhance your receipt, the options for promotions on your receipts are almost endless. They can include logos, coupons, email registration, advertising specials, promotion of special events, customer surveys and employee recruitment. 

What to Consider Before Purchasing Currency Handling Products

Coin and currency handling products help save time, increase counting accuracy and improve loss prevention. They are a key component of daily operations for many businesses including banks, credit unions, casinos, vending operators, amusement operators, retail stores, restaurants and more. To be sure that you purchase the right coin and currency handling product for your business, we recommend you ask yourself these three simple questions first: 

1. What do you want to count? 

You will need to take into account that most bill or currency counters are designed to work with U.S. currency. Although many bill counters can count currency from other countries, the counterfeit security features may not work. You will want to investigate what security features your country uses before purchasing a bill counter. 

Coin counters are also designed to work with U.S. currency. Coin counters are not built with any counterfeit detection hardware. 

2.  How often will you need to count money? 

Different currency counters are built with different counting speeds. If you are counting money often, you may want to purchase a bill counter with a large duty cycle and counting speed. Purchasing more than one currency counter will help you count money even faster. 

3. How much security do I need? 

Counterfeit money is a growing problem. If you feel that you may be subject to counterfeit money now or in the future, you may want to purchase a currency counter that has built-in counterfeit detection. Counterfeit detection will let you know if the money you are counting is legitimate. Different currency counters are available with different grades of counterfeit detection.

Next, you will want to consider is what type of counterfeit detection you will need. You can choose from two different types:

1. Ultra Violet Light Detector 

Currency created by a color copier or printer produces an image that rests on the surface of paper that can easily be seen when UV light is placed over it. Tiny particles of toner outside the image can also be easily seen with a UV light. Bill counters and counterfeit detectors have a UV light built into the machine. If a counterfeit bill is run through the machine, an alarm or light will alert you that the banknote is counterfeit. 

2. Magnetic Detection or MG detection 

U.S. banknotes are made with magnetic components. Several foreign currencies and travelers checks are also made with magnetic components. MG detectors are capable of detecting the magnetic components in money. When a detector does not find the presence of the magnetic components, an alarm or light will sound letting you know the money is counterfeit.

Marketing Tools Part 3: Using Surveys on Your Point of Sale Receipts to Gain Valuable Feedback

Receipt surveys not only drive customers to your website, they also provide important feedback. You obtain very precise data on the participants which will help you better market to them in the future. By asking customers to complete a survey it also shows that you value their opinion. Data that can be collected through a survey include:

1. Feedback on the quality of service customer your received
2. Open ended suggestions such as ways to improve customer experience
3. Input on current promotions
4. Input on new products ideas
5. Demographics of shoppers

Your next question may be "What kind of rewards can I offer?" on my custom printed receipt paper roll? In exchange for participating in a survey, you can offer a perk such as:

1. A free item at next purchase
2. % off next purchase
3. Entry into a drawing to win a gift card or cash prize

Here is an example of a Before and After receipt. You can see that along with the addition of a logo, the bottom now includes a survey with the chance to win a $50 gift card.

Top retailers such as Wendy's, Home Depot, Dunkin' Donuts, WalMart, Starbucks, Target and JCPenney (just to name a few!) are taking advantage of the space at the bottom of their receipt paper rolls to engage customers.  Find out what you are doing right and what you can improve on by including a short survey. Don't forget that a happy customer is your best customer!

If you are new to online surveys, check out these sites for more information: Survey Monkey, Constant Contact, Zoomerang and Question Pro. Many offer free accounts if you have ten questions or less on your survey. 

Most importantly, don't be afraid to experiment with your receipt marketing. Sometimes it takes a little trial and error to find something that works for your business. The key is to engage your customer and let them know that you value their business and their opinions.

Marketing Tools Part 2: Using Coupons on Your Point of Sale Receipts to Increase Sales

People are always looking for ways to cut costs and save money. Adding coupons to your point of sale receipt paper rolls is a great way to help customers save while increasing sales at the same time. Coupon incentives encourage customers to buy something that they may not have tried otherwise. You can experiment with using a coupon to promote a new product or offer a BOGO or % off promotion. Here is a side by side comparison of two coupons that illustrates how you can use a coupon to drive sales and awareness.

Recently pcAmerica wrote a great article that outlined several tips for creating effective coupons that we found very informative, and we hope you will as well: 

1. Make your coupon specific. If your coupon is good on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, then it is only good on that day. If your offer is too good, you can reduce your discount or change your offer the following week.

2. Offering a deal for your customers gets your customers used to reading and redeeming your coupons. It not only keeps your old customers coming back, it gets you new customers.

3. Think of it this way. If you offer your customers 90% off on their next purchase or meal, you're going to get a really high coupon redemption rate. On the other hand, if you offer your customers 5% off on any Tuesday between 4:50 PM and 5:00 PM, you are likely not to see anyone redeem your coupon.

4. If you really need to, you can use unique coupon codes just by stamping or printing a unique number on every coupon that you issue.

5. Likewise, you can track email coupons by asking recipients to submit their email address when redeeming a coupon and comparing it to your list of issued coupons.

Did you find these tips useful? Do you currently have a couponing program in place? Do you find it effective? Are there any stumbling blocks that you are looking to overcome?

3 Secrets of Successful Multi-Channel Companies

Guest post from nChannel.com

Let's start out by defining multi-channel sales.  The term multi-channel is used to describe environments in which you are selling products through different avenues, or channels such as a store, web store, a marketplace like eBay or Amazon, or even an event such as a flea market or trade show. You could also consider dropship suppliers as a channel too.

You need software or systems to execute a multi-channel strategy and herein lies the problem.

Your systems aren’t connected and when these systems aren't connected you spend lots of time keying items into multiple systems, updating items and prices, gathering orders, updating order status...you get the idea. Managing inventory can also be a problem because you need to constantly update many systems with the inventory you have on hand or you'll end up selling products you don't have.

The issue of manual effort required to keep everything running smoothly is so widespread that most companies can't move forward with taking products to new channels because it's simply too much work. However, getting your products into many channels could help you increase sales - quickly.

Here are three secrets that successful multi-channel companies have made sure their channel strategies include. Anyone can throw up a bunch of web sites and hope for the best, but to truly make it work (i.e. make money) your strategy has to include the following:

1.  Successful multi-channel companies deploy item syndication.  To do this effectively they've connected the system that acts as the Item Master to the channel system. For example, the Point of Sale system (the item master) is connected to the web store system and automatically pushes new products and updates to pricing to the web store. These companies are easily able to manage items pricing, price lists and updates electronically to their web store with very little manual effort.

2.  Successful multi-channel strategies automate order management.  Orders from a web store or marketplace get pushed to the item master system creating centralized management of orders to be fulfilled and customer data. Once orders are filled, the system pushes an order status to the web channel so it can notify the customer shipment is on its way.

3.  Successful multi-channel companies automate inventory management. Each time a web order is placed it is pushed into the master system to await fulfillment. Upon receiving the order, the inventory for the item is "committed" and once order is filled the total inventory is decremented.  Items in which no inventory is available are automatically hidden in the web site or an "out of stock" is automatically published to the web for that item.

If this were easy - everyone would've figured it out right?  Many companies put together detailed import/export processes, which require time and effort - but considerably less than manual entry.  Custom Integration can be costly and hard to support, but if you have your own resources (or super-technically inclined) you could do it yourself.

There are a constellation of POS, ecommerce, and accounting systems that have integration built-in to another, but these systems require the use of both systems (which you may or may not have). If you want to add another channel to the mix, you're back to square one.

A promising new breed of cloud-based management platforms may make multi-channel strategies easier and cheaper for companies because they offer a variety of connectors for a variety of systems (POS, ecommerce, accounting, marketplaces) - so you can connect and leverage the systems you've already invested in.   

Author Bio: nChannel provides an easy-to-use, cloud-based platform that enables retailers to cost effectively synchronize and exchange sales, customer, and product data from transactions that occur at the register, in the warehouse, or via a web-store.

Marketing Tools Part 1: Adding Logos to your POS Sales Receipts

Over the next few months, we will be discussing marketing tools for your point of sale receipt paper rolls. These tools are a follow up to our original post in January. 


Marketing Tool #1: Logos
A receipt is the perfect place for you to further promote your company. At a minimum, your website (if you have one) and logo should be included on every receipt. From there, the next step is to add a call to action. This is simply a reason for the customer to shop at your establishment again or visit your website. Receipt marketing is a simple way for you to stand out from the competition and build company recognition.


Most point of sale printers have the capability to upload logos and images for printing on the paper roll receipt. These printers include credit card terminals like VeriFone, Ingenico or Hypercom; cash registers like Casio, Sharp or Royal and standalone printers like Epson, Star Micronics, CognitiveTPG, Bixolon or Citizen. 


There are two areas of the receipt that you can print your custom message: the header and the footer. Just printing the bare minimum is a missed opportunity to do some inexpensive and highly effective marketing. The example below illustrates how:

1. A logo at the top of a receipt draws more attention to the company name and helps build brand brand identity.
2. A return policy at the bottom can help avoid any potential issues with your customers.

Now that you have your first pointer on how you can market to your customers, you want to be sure that the customer sees the message. It is vital that you train your staff to point out the message by circling or highlighting it with a marker in order to increase read rates. 

Do you do any receipt marketing? If you do, how did it help your business? We'd love to hear about your real life examples!

Big News in the Point of Sale Industry

If you haven't heard the news already, Toshiba TEC recently announced its upcoming acquisition of IBM's Retail Store Solutions business. The $850 million deal, which is scheduled to close late in the second quarter or early in the third quarter will help to support Toshiba TEC's expansion in North America and Europe. Greg Busak's article for the IHL Group says that this is arguably the most significant announcement in the last 10 years for the point of sale industry.


A ZDnet blog post reports that the deal is part of Toshiba’s efforts to secure clients such as Walmart and Toys ‘R’ Us, amongst others, which IBM already holds as part of its customer base. IBM’s retail store services’ revenue in 2011 was approximately $1.15 billion, with over 1,000 employees worldwide.


According to the Toshiba TEC release, Toshiba will acquire IBM’s Retail Store Solutions overall business operation functions globally, including development, sales, and related in-store maintenance. "The opportunities in retail store solutions are expected to grow by increasing demand in POS systems,” stated Mamoru Suzuki, president and CEO, Toshiba TEC, in a release. “In addition, demand for multi-channel integration and enhancement of store back office management accelerates further expansion of sales.”


We thought this was news worthy and of interest to you, our readers. Please let us know your thoughts on the acquisition.  

Direct Thermal Technology and the Benefits of Thermal Printing

What is Thermal Printing?

In the thermal printing process, the image or words on the paper are produced by direct heat transmission. Thermal paper rolls are essentially a self contained printing system. The paper is manufactured by applying surface coatings to paper with a chemical formula that include colorless dyes and developers. When the paper goes through a thermal printer, heat (thermal energy) from the thermal printhead causes the dye and developer to activate and form a high definition image. The thermal printhead consists of miniature heating elements distributed along its printing width. The heating elements are electronically controlled and produce thermal energy which activates a color reaction on the functional thermocoating. The numerous little dots this produces then go to make up letters, barcodes, and images.

What are the Benefits of Thermal Printing?

Thermal printing technology offers advantages including clear legible imaging, fast printing and low cost of ownership. In addition, Thermal printing offers:

1. Noise-free operation
2. 600 dpi capability
3. No ribbons or cartridges
4. Maintenance-free
5. Small printer footprint
6. Full graphics capability

In addition to thermal paper, thermal printing technology can also be used to print labels, tickets and tags. High printing speed, excellent bar code contrast, resistance and portability have contributed to the undeniable success of direct thermal technology for most variable data label applications.

What is Light Weight Thermal Paper or 48 gram Thermal Paper?

Light weight thermal paper or 48 gram thermal paper refers to a direct thermal paper stock that has a 48 gram basis weight. This paper grade is sometimes referred to as economy thermal, hi-yield thermal, 2.1 caliper thermal or simplicity 48 thermal. 48 gram thermal paper was introduced back in the early to mid 2000’s. The industry started to shift from 55 gram (2.3 mil) thermal to the 48 gram (2.1 mil) thermal paper when the major thermal printer OEM’s including IBM and Epson found there was no down side to the printers output or speed.

What are the benefits of the 48 gram thermal roll paper?

Because of its thinner caliper, 48 gram thermal paper offers several benefits:

• 10% more paper per master roll or small converted roll: For example, a 3.0” OD roll could now hold 273’ vs. the max of 230’ of the 53-55 gram base weight.

• Fewer roll changes: The higher yield of paper means you have to change the roll less often.

• More paper per case

• More paper per skid for large volume users

The common 48 gram thermal paper grades sold and converted in the United States are:

• Appleton Alpha 400-2.1 (BPA Free)

• Koehler KT 48 F20

• Koehler BPA Free KT 48 FA

• Kanzaki P30021 / BPA Free P300521

The most common converted 48 gram small thermal paper rolls are:

• 2 ¼” x 85’ thermal roll paper

• 3 1/8” x 230’ thermal roll paper

• 3 1/8” x 273’ thermal roll paper

What applications are a good fit for the 48 gram thermal paper?

48 gram thermal paper is best used in general point of sale receipt applications where the paper grade has been approved by the printer OEM and the paper will fit the application requirements. These applications generally don’t require any special image life, sensitivity, heat resistance, premium feel, image protection, paper thickness (caliper) or other specific requirements.

Are Digital Receipts the Wave of the Future?

If you have visited an Apple® store in the last few years, you've noticed that they offer the option to receive a digital (paperless) receipt instead of a traditional paper receipt at the time of purchase. Other large retailers including WalMart, Nordstrom, Whole Foods, Gap, Sears and KMart are implementing paperless receipts as well. But are receipt paper rolls in jeopardy of becoming a thing of the past? Let's review what digital options retailers and consumers currently have to choose from:

Retailer Software

Companies like My Receipts, AllEtronic and Seamless Receipts now offer a platform that allows any retailer to offer eReceipts. With this new software, retailers now have the ability to track customer purchases and target their marketing more than ever before. There may still be stumbling blocks to consider however. While the e-receipt presents new marketing opportunities for retailers, many consumers worry about possible privacy issues as well as the automatic addition to mailing lists.

Newcomer Proximiant has a slightly different approach that may alleviate customer apprehension. Proximiant enables customers to have receipts beamed directly to their smartphone without having to share personal information with the store. The Customer simply installs a digital receipts app on their smart phone and then taps the phone on a small device at the checkout counter.

Consumer Hardware

If you aren't quite ready to make the transition from paper receipt, to digital receipt, there are other options available. A scanner with digital filing software from companies like The Neat Company, Fujitsu and Brother will scan, organize and store receipts and other important documents on your computer. In addition, a company named Lemon utilizes a smartphone application that allows you to snap a photo of a receipt which can be tagged for future reference.

For most consumers, the biggest benefits come during tax season. With digital receipts, all the purchases made earlier in the year are easily accessible. Digital receipts also ensure customers can make returns if need be, thereby enhancing the customer's experience. What is your take on digital receipts? Do you see it as the wave of the future? Do you see any other stumbling blocks that would prevent widespread implementation? We'd love to hear your feedback!

Point-of-Sale Receipts as a Marketing Tool

If you are looking for an affordable way to increase sales and encourage repeat business, look no further than your paper roll receipt paper. In the past, a point-of-sale (POS) receipt was simply used as a proof of purchase. Many POS terminals, POS printers, credit card terminals and cash registers now offer the capability to print custom messages on every receipt. This low cost tool makes it possible for you to market to your customers, every time they purchase from you.

Check out this white paper from CognitiveTPG, an integrated supplier of barcode printers, transaction printers, printheads, and label supplies. This informative paper discusses the continued rise of coupon redemption and the value that receipt marketing can bring for a fraction of a penny per receipt.

Has your business implemented any receipt marketing? Do you find it to be a successful marketing tool? We'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject!

QR Codes On Receipts

Though they aren’t necessarily new, QR (Quick Response) codes are showing up everywhere lately. You can find them in magazines, on business cards, storefront windows, product labeling and displays, billboards or catalogs (just to name a few!). Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application simply scan the image of the QR code to display text, a webpage, Vcard contact details, video and much more.

QR codes are a great way to engage potential and existing customers. That is one reason why some savvy businesses are printing QR codes directly onto their point-of-sale thermal paper receipt! Many POS terminals, POS printers, credit card terminals and cash registers now offer the capability to print graphics on every receipt. This low cost tool makes it possible for you to market to your customers, every time they purchase from you. Adding a QR code is a great way to reward current customers and encourages repeat business.

When used effectively, QR codes offer a strong call to action. When printed on a receipt, you can have your customized code link to:

1. Coupons
2. Contests
3. Surveys
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Technological advances have made it easier than ever to add custom content to receipts. We spoke with Star Micronics®, Citizen Systems® and CognitiveTPG®, three of the major point-of-sale printer manufacturers to determine their printing capabilities:

“QR codes are printed as bitmapped images (graphics) and users simply insert the QR code as a graphic or logo using the configuration utility of the printer model. For example, for the TSP100, the QR code is saved as a .jpg, so they can insert this QR code image into the configuration utility then set it to print at the top or bottom of the receipt.” Christophe Naasz, Director of Marketing for Star Micronics.

"Our print driver has the ability to scan the receipt printed and if a key word is contained in the receipt a coupon is printed. For example, if you are running a promotion on beer, if a beer purchase is scanned on the receipt a beer coupon would print. This coupon could contain a QR code on the receipt. We can print out a QR barcode in the header or footer as well." said Herb Netal, Dir., Engineering & Business Development for Citizen Systems.

"In thermal receipt printing the QR code can be printed as a graphic using middleware software to enhance the feature of the receipt. For instance CognitiveTPG two-color thermal and hybrid printers come with a receipt marketing tool to allow the user to add logos and graphics to the header or footer of the receipt. In this case the QR code would be entered as a graphic on the receipt. However this graphic has no actual relation to the printed transaction." said Angela Mansfield, Director of Corporate Marketing at Cognitive TPG. "In order to connect the QR code to the transaction the printer must be able to print it as a symbology or formula which is embedded in the firmware of the printer just as the 2D barcode is printed. The QR code can store more information than the standard 2D linear barcode which is one reason we are seeing an increase demand for this functionality. For instance there are some cases where the user wants to use the QR code to record the historical transaction and additional information in the case of a return to vendor application."

And here are a few technical tips to ensure success with QR code scanning:

* Test your QR codes with multiple readers and devices.
* Use a site like www.bitly.com to shorten the link to create a clean code.
* Make your codes at least 1″ x 1″ to ensure proper scanning.

In addition to printing QR codes directly onto your thermal receipt paper, you may also want to consider custom printed receipt paper rolls. Your message can be printed in full color which has been shown in studies to increase customer retention. For more information, visit our custom printed paper rolls page.

What are your thoughts on QR code technology and it's future? We'd love to hear your feedback!