Why Kitchens Still Use Impact Printers
Impact printers use a 9-pin head that strikes an inked ribbon against ordinary paper. The result is louder and slower than thermal printing, but the paper is not heat sensitive. Next to grills, fryers and ovens, thermal tickets can turn grey or black and become unreadable, while impact printed tickets stay clear. The audible print sound is also useful on a busy line, because cooks hear a new order arrive.
Carbon Copies and Two Colour Printing
Because the head physically strikes the paper, impact printers can produce carbon copies on multi part paper, giving one copy to the kitchen and keeping another for records, which thermal printers cannot do. Some models, including the Epson TM-U220, can print in red and black with a two colour ribbon to highlight allergy notes or order changes. Both models in this range use 3-inch paper.
Running Costs and Setup
Impact printers need ribbon replacements as well as paper, so factor both into running costs. They connect to POS systems in the same way as thermal models and generally use ESC/POS commands. If your counter printers do not face kitchen heat, thermal receipt printers are faster and cheaper to run. Our POS printer buying guide compares the two in detail.
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