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
4. Loyalty Programs
5. New products
6. Reviews






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!

Spot Color vs. 4-Color Process

As a continuation of our previous post, I will discuss the differences between two printing processes: Spot color and 4-color. Depending on the type of artwork that will be used for the custom printed paper roll job, one process may be a better fit than another. In this post I will give a basic overview of spot color and 4-color printing.

Spot Color consists of printing with one or more solid pre-mixed colors. The ink is printed directly on the paper or substraight. We use the Pantone Matching System (PMS) as our reference chart. PMS lists consist of colors with an ID number and the color mix or recipe to create that color. For Example PMS #2945 uses 60.6 parts of Process Blue, 36.4 parts of Reflex Blue and 3.0 parts of Black to create that shade. PMS colors are shown for both coated and uncoated media. Spot color printing is effective for reproducing logos or simple graphics. We can print spot colors in up to 3-5 colors on the back and front side of the sheet. A PMS color chart can be found here:
http://www.interplas.com/product_images/Tools/PMS%20color%20chart.pdf

When using multiple spot colors sometimes trapping (adding a slight overlap between colors) is used to avoid gaps between colors.

Overprinting can also be used, which involves colors being printed on top of one another. The diagram to the left shows the differences in printing methods:



4-color process printing uses screens to separate colors. The press can print dots on top of dots to mix colors to create the illusion of many more colors, thus helping to attain photographic types of images or graphics with lots of color depth. The following four colors are used by the printing press: Cyan (a blue-green color), Magenta (a reddish-pink color), Yellow and Black (CMYK).

Below you will see how the combination of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black printing plates create a full color photo:

Take a close look at the dots used to mix the colors.



Please keep in mind that these printing abilities are available, but are dependent on what you have in mind for your custom printed project. A receipt that features a photo may need a 4-color process job, while a simple one or two color logo may lend itself more to a spot color job. If you have any questions or if you would like to discuss a specific idea you please call us to discuss in more detail.

Components of Thermal Paper

Thermal Paper is commonly used in Point-of-Sale, Cash Register, Credit Card Terminal, Kiosk, Fax, Pay-at-the-Pump, Medical, Casino/Gaming, Self Check-out, Mobile Printer and many others. Thermal Paper differs from bond paper in that the printer doesn't need a ribbon to image the paper. Another advantage of thermal printing is that there are less moving parts which translates into fewer breakdowns. Additionally, thermal printers are much faster than impact printers.

Here is how the process works on thermal paper:

In order for thermal paper to be imaged, it needs a static heat source like a hot stylus or more

commonly by a dynamic source of heat like a thermal print head. This is accomplished by a row of very fine dots that are heated and cooled as the paper is transported across the print head by a step motor.

The density of the image can be measured by how dark the image is when given different levels energy. See the graph below that shows the activation curve for a low, medium and high sensitivity papers. The darkness or density is measured bya Densitometer and paper must be fully imaged or reach a 1.2 density ready to attain the optimum image life for that grade.

Substrate - Paper or synthetic base sheet that comes in different calipes that the coatings are applied to.

Base Coat - Used like a "primer" to seal the substrate and provide a

surface that the thermal coating will adhere to.

Active Coat - This is the thermal coating, primarily a leuco-dye based chemistry sy

stem that will image when heat is applied.

Top Coat - A this clear layer of PVA that seals the active coat and provides environmental resistance and a longer image life, typically used in harsh or stressed environments.

Anti-static coat - This coating is applied to the back side of some papers, but primarily used as an anti-static coating on synthetic base sheets like Polypropylene based thermal grades which can generate or draw static and can burn out electronic components.

I hope this gives you a basic understanding of the construction of thermal paper. Please keep in mind as you are working on your various thermal paper projects that we carry a wide range of thermal roll papers that are made to OEM specifications. We can also produce custom printed paper rolls for just about any special application you might have. If you have any questions or you would like to discuss a specific topic please contact us for more information.

Printing Methods for Custom Printed Paper Rolls

We are often called upon by our customers to produce a wide variety of custom printed paper rolls. For this reason, I thought a post that discusses the different printing methods available to us would be helpful. This post will give you the basic differences between the conventional printing processes used today for point of sale paper rolls, kiosk paper rolls and many other thermal paper roll applications. The types of printing that will be explained in this post will be Letterpress, Offset and Flexography.

Letterpress is the oldest printing method of printing. Invented in 1440, letterpress uses a relief (or raised text and images) printing plate. A reversed image is inked and then pressed into a sheet directly from the plate to paper to obtain a positive or right reading image. Letterpress is a very unforgiving medium, therefore printers must understand its capabilities. For instance, since most letterpress equipment prints only one color at a time, printing multiple colors can be challenging. The inking system on letterpress equipment is less precise than on offset presses, which can pose problems with some detailed graphics, small type or very fine halftone because when surrounded by another color, they can fill in with ink and lose definition. However, a skilled printer can overcome most of these problems.

Offset printing is a commonly used printing technique in that uses flat (no relief) thin metal plates in which the inked image is transferred (or "offset") from a plate to a rubber blanket and then to the printing surface. When used in combination with the Lithographic process, which is based on the oil and water don’t mix rule, the offset technique employs a flat image carrier on which the image to be printed obtains ink from ink rollers (Oil Receptive), while the non-printing area attracts a water-based film called "fountain solution" (Oil Repellent), keeping the non-printing areas ink-free. An advantage of offset printing over letterpress is that it produces higher quality, sharper images because the rubber blanket used conforms to the texture of the printing surface.

Flexography (often abbreviated to flexo) is a form of printing which utilizes a flexible relief plate. It is basically an updated version of letterpress where the ink roller transfers the ink to the Anilox Roller, then to the Plate Cylinder and then to the Impression Cylinder and then onto the paper roll or other subtrate. This method can be used for printing on almost any type of substrate including plastic, metallic films, cellophane, and paper. It is widely used for printing on the non-porous substrates required for various types of food packaging (it is also well suited for printing large areas of solid color). Laser-etched ceramic anilox rollers play a role in the improvement of print quality. Full color picture printing is now possible, and some of the finer presses available today, in combination with a skilled operator, allow quality that rivals the offset process.

Other variables that will come into play when choosing the right printing method for your custom printed paper roll include print volume and the width of the equipment. Narrow presses are better tailored to run low volumes and wide width presses to run high volume jobs.

I hope this gives you a basic idea of the options that are available for your custom printed roll paper needs. If you have any questions on the printing process and how we could help with a custom printed project, please feel free to call us to discuss in more detail.

Security Receipt Paper Rolls Stop Counterfeiters in Their Tracks

According to The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual fraud survey, return fraud cost retailers an estimated $13.95 billion last year, up from $9.59 billion in 2009. In addition, the NRF states that 52.4% of all retail return fraud is from counterfeit receipts. With today’s sophisticated technologies, criminals are now creating counterfeit receipts to obtain refunds for stolen merchandise. Retailers are faced with a growing problem as scams become more sophisticated.

Security receipt paper rolls are a simple and affordable addition to loss prevention programs. Industries that will benefit from security solutions include retailers, casinos, gaming, lottery and other point of sale receipt applications. Use of the following security features on a point of sale paper roll will help businesses fight back against receipt fraud:

• Ultra-violet Inks – A clear ink applied to the rolls face or back in a specified location and pattern. An image appears when placed under a black light (UV) light source.
• Thermo Chromic Inks – When rubbed an image changes color momentarily or disappears momentarily and then reappears.
• Coin Reactive Inks – A clear ink applied to the back (non-thermal side) of the roll in a specified location and pattern. An image will appear when rubbed with a coin.
• Scratch Inks - Unique ink offers overt and covert security options for POS rolls. Ink permanently changes color when scratched and cannot be duplicated.
• Front to Back Print Registration of Images – Builds security into the design of the receipt.
• Void Pantographs – The word VOID appears when an attempt is made to copy a document.

Finally, retailers need to train their employees on how to handle returns and what to look for. Establishing clear procedures and checking the returned item to be sure it is the right product is just another way to help prevent fraudulent returns. While retail fraud is not easy to combat, a strong commitment to fraud prevention will pay off in the long run.

POS Supply offers the highest level of security for your paper roll receipts. In addition, we have a complete line of Custom Printed Roll Paper and Fraud and Loss Prevention solutions. Customers can maximize their loss prevention programs with counterfeit detectors featuring a UV light that instantly locates security stripes or symbols that are imbedded in currencies, credit cards, traveler's checks and other legal documents. Magnifiers, UV markers, and Mini UV Lights are just a few other theft-deterrent products that make up POS Supply’s fraud & loss prevention product offerings.

What other fraud and/or loss prevention solutions do you find helpful? Please give us your feedback.