In many stores, gas stations, and kiosks, thermal printers are widely used. Because of their speed, good printing, and easy transport ability, they are also used in geological engineering and subsurface exploration. They record the real-time images of earthquakes and subsurface activities. From this, it is clear that thermal printers do play a very small part of everyone’s lives.
As with any other electronic appliance, thermal printers also have a number of disadvantages. But before seeing them, let’s look at what is a thermal printer and whether are of any worth.

Thermal printers – what are they?
Unlike inkjet printers which use ink cartridges, thermal printers use electrically heated needles to create the image. These hot needles make an impression on the thermal sensitive paper to print. The variation in the temperature causes different colours to appear on the paper.
Are they any good?
When you hear the word thermal printers, you might have heard that they are appliances of limited value. In reality, they do have many good benefits. They are small, very fast, transportable, and durable. They consume very little power for operation and quite easy to use. The price is highly affordable, and it’s paper cartridges are easy to recharge.
Thermal printers also have a fair share of disadvantages. The machine body gets very hot because it uses heat to print. Once the device becomes hot, it starts to use more ink. The resulting print will not be stable and accurate. Another disadvantage is that the paper used here is highly heat-sensitive, and even a slight touch by the hand can spoil it. The heat of the machine body can ruin the print head and needs repairs or replacement often.
Disadvantages of thermal printers
- The labels cannot tolerate prolonged exposure to high heat or sunlight. For example, if you leave gas station receipt undisturbed on the car’s dashboard, you will notice the printing fade.
- Even if the printed labels are not exposed to heat, they tend to fade with time. That is why thermal is not the best choice for labelling boxes if you want to store them in inventory for many years.
- Sometimes, the speed of printing is slow.
- The label can fade if you put an acrylic adhesive tape directly on top of it.
The bottom line
Any device you see in the market, you will see both pros and cons. That is also true for thermal printers. Even though they have some disadvantages, it doesn’t mean they are useless. When you compare it to other types of printers, you can see the thermal printers being used everywhere. The pros of the thermal printers can compensate for the cons present in it.
Whether you want to buy a thermal printer or not is up to you. But don’t let the disadvantages stop you from buying something that fits your needs and preferences. Thermal printers are the best option if you want to save money and time.