John Roper

Sustainable Imaging Technology for Thermal Printing

Traditional thermal printing, commonly used for point-of-sale receipts, uses a mechanism that involves a developer and a colorless dye, which changes colors when exposed to the heat of the thermal printhead. Bisphenol A (BPA) is often used as the developer. BPA is also commonly used in polycarbonate food and beverage packaging, where small amounts may leach out of packaging and into the contents, and then be consumed. Because BPA weakly mimics the hormone estrogen, it has become a material of concern for consumers. Although recent studies by the FDA indicate that there may be little or no health issues associated with BPA, a new thermal printing technology was developed which addresses those consumer concerns.