Page 2 of Staples POS Paper

Ink-free printing with thermal paper

When you use thermal POS paper rolls, there's no need to purchase ink or keep an eye on ink levels. This paper works in certain types of cash machines. The chemicals in the paper react to the machine's heat by changing color. This creates crisp text on receipts, cash register logs, and calculator printouts. Several thermal options have a protective layer that keeps colors bright and prevents fading.

Bond POS paper rolls accommodate ink printing

If a machine uses ink to print, you need an alternative to thermal paper. Bond paper is the solution. It's a type of thick, high-quality printing stock. Its heavy weight and design make it resistant to tears and crinkles. Most models are single-ply, so each printing job yields just one copy. Some models are two-ply. These options are convenient for businesses that keep paper copies of each transaction. They're also useful in restaurant kitchens, where one order copy is used for food preparation and one is used for expediting completed orders. Some coin sorters also use two-ply rolls.

Compare sizes and paper types

Choosing the correct roll size is key, since POS equipment uses a wide range of roll widths and lengths. The machine manual should indicate which width to use. The most common options are 2.25 inches, 3.125 inches, 3 inches, and 2.75 inches. The length of the roll is also essential. If your cash counter or calculator has a small space for receipt paper rolls, it might not accommodate 150-foot or longer rolls. The smallest options are just 55 feet or 80 feet in length. Machines that hold larger rolls extend the amount of time between replacements. Rolls can measure up to 273 feet in length.

Each brand has its own length and width specifications. These common brands make several types of cash registers and printing calculators:

• Epson®
• SHARP®
• CASIO®
• Zebra®