lämpötulostimessa

Lämpötulostimessa refers to a thermal printer in Finnish. Thermal printers are a type of printer that produce a printed image by selectively heating thermally sensitive paper as it passes over a thermal print head. This process does not require ink or toner, making them a cost-effective solution for many applications.

The core component of a thermal printer is the print head, which contains a row of tiny resistive heating elements. When an electric current is passed through these elements, they generate heat. The thermal paper used in these printers contains a special coating that changes color when exposed to heat. By precisely controlling which heating elements are activated and for how long, the printer can create text and images.

Thermal printing is commonly used for receipts, labels, tickets, and fax machines. Its advantages include speed, quiet operation, and low maintenance due to the absence of moving ink or toner cartridges. However, the printed output is susceptible to fading over time, especially when exposed to heat or sunlight, and the specialized thermal paper can be more expensive than plain paper. There are two main types of thermal printing: direct thermal printing, where the print head heats the paper directly, and thermal transfer printing, which uses a heated ribbon to transfer ink onto the paper.