Receipt printers are an important part of a point of sale (POS) system. They are used in retail environments to print credit card slips and customer receipts. Restaurants also use receipt printers to print off orders back in the kitchen or at the bar.
The main options for choosing receipt printers include thermal printers (most common),
Thermal printers cost less than dot matrix printers , and are more popular due to their improved print quality, faster speed, and quieter functioning. Thermal printers print by direct contact between the thermal head (which generates heat) and thermal paper (which is thermally coated to be sensitive to heat). Therefore thermal printers do not require ink or toner, and over time this helps to make up for the higher initial cost. More recent developments in thermal printing include multi-colored thermal printing, and double-sided printing for receipts.