BPA Free Thermal Paper Grammage Brightness and Image Life

Receipt paper is usually bought on price per roll, which is the one number that tells you least. Three specifications do the real work.

Grammage

Thermal paper is supplied from 48 to 75 gsm. Lighter paper puts more metres on the same roll diameter, which suits a high-volume ticket or queue printer. Heavier paper feels more substantial in the hand and is less likely to tear on a hard cutter, which suits a restaurant bill or a bank slip.

Going lighter than the printer was designed for causes feed and jam problems that cost far more than the paper saved.

Brightness

Brightness runs from 92 to 100 percent. It is the contrast behind the print: a brighter base makes the same printed image easier to read and easier to scan if the receipt carries a barcode or QR code.

Image Life

A properly coated thermal paper holds a printable, durable image for 3 to 5 years. That is the number that matters for returns, warranty claims and tax records. Cheap rolls fade in months and the customer cannot prove the purchase.

BPA

Bisphenol A has historically been used as a developer in thermal coatings. Retail buyers in Europe and North America now ask about it as a matter of course, and staff handling receipts all day are the reason. A BPA free coating removes the question.

Ask for the documentation rather than the assurance. Thermal paper supplied under the NP-Label brand is covered by ISO 9001, ISO 14001, RoHS, SGS and FSC, and the coating is BPA free.

Cores and Storage

Rolls are available on plastic cores, paper cardboard cores or coreless, in 57 mm, 80 mm, 2 1/4 in and 3 1/8 in widths. Store away from heat, sunlight, solvents and PVC materials, all of which age the coating whether or not it has been printed.