Archivability of Thermal Paper

A common concern regarding thermal paper is the length of time the paper's images will last. There are many types of thermal paper designed for a variety of applications. Some products are formulated for long image life and others are designed to balance economy and short duration use. Depending on the type of paper you use, the image could last anywhere from five to 25 years.

The life of the image depends on two critical selections: 1) Ensuring that the paper is matched to the thermal printer such that the image color is fully developed and 2) Selecting the appropriate paper grade to match the needs of the end user. For example, thermal products designed for airline ticketing or long life receipts have significantly improved image stability over products formulated for short duration labels or grocery receipts.

The higher the paper's resistance the longer its image will last (as long as the paper is stored under proper conditions). Standard resistance has a 5 year image life. High resistance has a 7-10 year image life. Ultra high resistance provides the ultimate in image retention with a 20-25 year image life.

Consider using paper with high image resistance if you print:

• ATM Receipts
• Coupons
• Merchandise Receipts
• Receipts needed for expenses or tax reasons
• Gaming, Tote, or Lottery tickets
• Anything with souvenir value such as concert tickets

Or event tickets or passes for:

• Sporting events
• Amusement parks, water slides
• Ski lift tickets
• Hunting or fishing game licenses
• Transportation

Please contact us for more information on thermal paper or any other point of sale application.

Why do images fade on thermal paper?

Standard POS grade thermal papers use dye and coreactant technology to form an image. The combination is slightly sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light and may exhibit some image decline with extended exposure to office light or shorter exposure to intense UV light. 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 light source).

Since standard POS grade thermal paper is sensitive to ultraviolet light, it must be stored properly to encourage fade resistance. Thermal documents should be stored in a dark place at a relative humidity between 45% and 65% and a room temperature below 77°F (25°C). If these conditions are met and the recommended equipment is used to create the thermal documents, the images should remain legible for at least five to seven years.

In addition to UV light, exposure to the following materials may lead to image degradation and should therefore be avoided:

• Organic solvents (i.e. Alcohols, Ketones, Esters, and Ethers)
• Cleaning Fluids
• Plasticizers
• Petroleum Solvents
• Wet-type diazo copy paper
• Carbon papers
• Castcoated papers
• Papers containing tributal phosphate
• Dissimilar thermal systems
• Carbonless papers
• Ammonia
• Certain Oils
• Water (prolonged exposure)

Thermal paper comes in a variety of grades. We offer a plethora of paper grades to meet your needs and combat image life issues. Just let us know how we can help you!