A Guide To Journal Printers

By Andrew Kelly

Journal printers are used by businesses to keep records. They are often incorporated into machines like cash registers and credit card machines, and a perfect for creating hard-copy records of business transactions, credit card transfers, customer orders, etc.

Most journal printers are a style called direct thermal printers. They use specially treated paper that changes color when subjected to heat. Rubber rollers move the paper across a heating element that touches the paper in specific patterns at specific intervals, creating images or text. There are several advantages to using this kind of printer. Direct thermal printers generally print faster than other styles, and they have few moving parts, making the very reliable. While the special paper for this style of printer can be expensive, it is also the only supply needed to keep the printer running. Images from this kind of printer used to be very susceptible to distortion from heat and light, but estimates say that the images created by modern versions could last 50 years or more. While direct thermal printers have a low print quality compared to many other kinds of printers and can normally only print in a few different colors, most journal printers only need to print utilitarian text.

Using Journal Printers

Ultimately, whatever specific use they are put towards journal printers are for keeping records. Which records and how this is done is up to the user. One of the most common uses is tracking the transactions made by cash registers. Many cash registers come with two printers for this purpose. One prints a receipt that can be torn off and given to the customer, while the other prints a long roll that catalogues all the actions of the machine. Most cash registers are computerized, and keep electronic records as well, but the paper copy serves as a backup in case the electronic copy is damaged. Credit card machines often use a similar method to keep track of money transfers.

Another common use of journal printers is for tracking information within a company. For example, a restaurant could use a journal printer to keep track of customer’s orders.
When an order is made it is keyed into a computer, which is connected to one or more printers in the kitchen, which then print out an exact copy of the order for the cooks to use.

Of course, these are just some of the most basic applications for a journal printer. There are many more possibilities that would be useful for almost any business.

Author Details
Andrew Kelly writes articles for various sites concentrating on computer technology. He contributes heavily to The A-Z of.com on computer matters and has helped set up a wireless local area network for his remote village in Scotland

Source: The A-Z of Printers

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