Must Read · Thermal Printer Knowledge ·Jun 02, 2021

The Ultimate Guide to Thermal Printers

Welcome to the ultimate to thermal printing. Learn everything you need to know from what thermal printers are, what features they have, the newest and best models and what they are used for.

What is a thermal printer?

Thermal printers are printers that use heat to transfer heat on thermal paper. Thermal printers do not require ink or toner, thus saving a lot of costs in the long run. They are ideal for printing shipping labels or stickers.

Do thermal printers use ink?

The short answer to this question is no. Thermal printers do not use ink or toner. Let's get in to how thermal printers actually work. Thermal printers work by creating the image on paper using heat. The process heats the thermal paper with a special dye coating that turns black when it is heated. You can only use special direct thermal labels to print on a thermal printer.

What are the advantages of a thermal printer?

With thermal printing becoming more and more popular you may be wondering if its a good investment and if its worth purchasing your own. Let's go over some huge advantages to thermal printers and why it will make your life easier and more convenient.

Convenience

The biggest advantage of a thermal printer is how much easier printing becomes. It adds so much convenience since the labels come out fast, the perfect size and all you need to do it peel it off and stick it on. No more printing them of regular sized papers, then cutting them out and taping them on. There are also printers like the FreeX thermal printer that have wireless capabilities. This makes it even more convenient for its users since you can print through the WiFi connection and not a USB cord.

Safe Cost Over Time

Even though thermal printers are an investment at first, they save a lot of cost overtime. You do not need to purchase ink or toner, and those costs add up. Even though thermal paper is more expensive than normal printing paper, you can find very affordable thermal paper online if your printer is non-proprietary like the FreeX WiFi SuperRoll Thermal Printer.

High speed printing

Next thing that makes purchasing a thermal printer worth it is how quickly they print. If you have a lot to print in a short period of time, or a high volume of labels to print, then it is the perfect solution for you. The normal speed for thermal printer is about 150mm/s but there are some printers that have higher speed like the FreeX Thermal printer which prints at 170mm/s.

More durable

Thermal printers are way more durable than regular printers because they have a simpler design and less moving parts.This means a thermal printer will likely last you way longer and you won't have to replace it as soon as a regular printer.

Quiet operations

Lastly, thermal printers are way more quiet than regular printers. If the noise of printing bothers you or if you are printing a lot in volume and don't want to be bothered, a thermal printer is a better route for you.

What are the disadvantages of a thermal printer?

The biggest disadvantages of thermal printers are that they tend to be more expensive than regular printers, you need to purchase thermal paper, they have color limitations, thermal labels fade overtime, and print heads can get damaged by heat and they are expensive to replace.

Higher Cost

One of the biggest disadvantages of a thermal printer is that it can be more expensive than regular printers and you need to purchase paper which is more expensive than regular printing paper. On top of that, because of the high heat, there is a chance of damage to the print head overtime which results in additive costs.

This seems like a big disadvantage but when it comes to cost, other things have to be taken into perspective. Thermal printers do not use ink or toner, which saves so much cost over time. The savings from that will justify the higher price and cost of thermal paperAlso there are printer like the FreeX WiFi SuperRoll thermal printer which are compatible with any direct thermal label, meaning you can find cheaper options online.

As for the possibility of repairing your printer. Thermal printers do not break as often as regular printers due to their simple design and no moving parts, so the chance it breaks and you'll have to replace it is much lower.

Color Limitations

Another disadvantage of thermal printers is the color limitations they have. Usually thermal printers do not have as many color options and they ones they do have are less vibrant and pigmented.

This shouldn't be a huge issue if you are printing shipping labels, receipts or barcodes. This will only be a problem if you are trying to print high definition pictures which most people wouldn't do on a thermal printer.

Labels

The last disadvantage of thermal printers is the labels themselves. Thermal labels remain heat-sensitive after printing which means if there is enough heat exposure the printer paper will get darker over time. Also, the thermal labels can degrade from human touch. The warmth of the human body will damage the print and can cause imprints.

Thermal Printers vs Inkjet Printers

The difference between thermal printers and Inkjet printers is that thermal printers use heat to print and Inkjet printers use ink to print. To use a thermal printer you will need direct thermal labels, and to use an Inkjet printer you will need ink and paper.

A thermal printer is best for:

Shipping Labels
Return Labels
Product Labels
Stickers

A Inkjet printer is best for:

Office printing
Home printing
Documents
High Definition Images

Thermal Printers vs Laser Printers

The difference between thermal printers and laser printers is that thermal printers use heat to print and laser printers use laser and toner to print. To use a thermal printer you will need direct thermal labels and to use a laser printer you will need toner and special laser paper.

A thermal printer is best for:

Shipping Labels
Return Labels
Product Labels
Stickers

A laser printer is best for:

Office use
High volume of printing
Text
Documents

Best Thermal Printers

We will be looking at the top 4 most popular thermal printers on the market, ROLLO, DYMO, Zebra, Brother, and FreeX Wireless Thermal Printer. This will give us a good range and comparison on what is available and the best on the market right now.

FreeX WiFi SuperRoll Thermal Printer

I recommend this thermal printer for anyone looking for a wireless option. This saves so much time and hassle.

Pros

FreeX can print wireless using the WiFi on Mac and Windows
It has a SuperRoll label holder that holds 600 4x6 shipping labels
It is good for home use, small business, and commercial use
Compact design with labels on the inside
Fast printing speed and unmatched print lifespan
Any direct thermal label will work with FreeX thermal printer

Cons:

A longer set up process
Printing wireless takes a few seconds longer than printing using a USB

Dymo LabelWrtier 4XL

I recommend this printer for anyone who is looking for higher printing quality since this one is 300dpi.

Pros:

Pretty easy to set up
Compact design with labels on the inside
High quality of printing with 300dpi

Cons:

Dymo uses proprietary labels meaning only specific labels will work with this printer
It does not have wireless capabilities
Switching between labels can be difficult

Rollo Label Printer

I recommend this printer if you like the design of labels being on the outside and want to use fan fold labels.

Pros:

It is fast, reliable and affordable
Any direct thermal label will work with Rollo Label printer
It is a well known brand and proved to be good quality by many users
No jams

Cons:

No label holder, need to put labels behind the printer which means you need more room for that, adds cost if you want to buy the label holder separately
No the best printing quality
No wireless capabilities

Brother QL-1100

I recommend this printer if you are looking for a good quality printer and don't need wireless capabilities.

Pros:

Has great printing speed and quality
Label holder on the inside, has great compact design
Brother is a well-known brand that is reliable

Cons:

No wireless capabilities
Brother uses proprietary labels meaning you can only use certain labels with this printer

Zebra LP2844

I recommend this printer if you are looking for good quality but no wireless capabilities.

Pros:

Popular among users and get really good reviews
Compatible with all direct thermal labels
Small and compact design
It holds labels on the inside

Cons:

No wireless capabilities
Does not work well with Macs
Hard to find, discontinued

All these thermal printers are great in their own way. When choosing a thermal printer it always depends on which features you are looking for and what purpose it will serve.

Best Wireless Thermal Printers

There are not many wireless thermal printers on the market since this technology is quite new for thermal printing, but these are the top ones we've found and tested: FreeX WiFi SuperRoll Thermal Printer, Brother QL-1110NWB, and Zebra ZD420.

All of these printers have the same printing speeds, print quality and are compatible with most shipping platforms, barcodes and marketplaces.

FreeX WiFi SuperRoll Thermal Printer

Prints wireless through WiFi connection on both Mac, Windows, iOs, and Android
Has a SuperRoll label holder which hold 600 4x6 shipping labels
Non-proprietary labels meaning any direct thermal labels will work with this printer
Cost: 200 dollars

FreeX is a great wireless thermal printer and has amazing features for the price. It's SuperRoll label holder saves a lot of time and money and makes printing using FreeX super convenient.

Brother QL-1110NWB

Prints wireless through WiFi connection on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, also prints wireless through Bluetooth on iOS and Android
Uses proprietary labels meaning only specific labels work with this printer
Cost: 279.99

This Brother printer has great features but it uses proprietary labels which means not every direct thermal label will work with this printer. Sadly, that makes things a little more complicated for the user.

Zebra ZD420

Prints wireless through WiFi connection on Mac and Windows. Also prints wireless through Bluetooth on iOS and Android
Non-proprietary labels meaning any direct thermal labels will work with this printer
Hard to find on the market
Cost: 350

The Zebra ZD420 is a very popular wireless printer and works great but it is very pricy due to high demand and low supply. It is difficult to find one to purchase.

If you are looking for a wireless thermal printer, all of these are great options but I would recommend the FreeX WiFi SuperRoll Thermal Printer out of these 3 options due to its features, accessibility and the fact that it is compatible with any direct thermal labels.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully this guide helps you learn more about thermal printers and if they are the best option for you. If you have any other more specific questions visit our FAQ page