Bond Paper vs Thermal Paper: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each?

Choosing the right receipt paper can save you time, prevent printer issues, and improve print quality. Here’s a quick guide to understanding the difference between bond paper and thermal paper—and when each one is the right choice.

.

---

1. What Is Thermal Paper?

Thermal paper is coated with a heat-sensitive layer.
It prints using heat, not ink.

Best for:

- POS receipt printers

- Credit card terminals

- Portable label printers

Why people use it:

- Fast printing

- Quiet operation

- No ink ribbons required

.

---

2. What Is Bond Paper?

Bond paper is a traditional paper that requires an ink ribbon or impact printer.

Best for:

- Adding machines

- Accounting calculators

- Older POS devices

- Multi-copy receipts

Why people use it:

- Durable, long-lasting prints

- Works with impact printing for carbon copies

.

---

3. How to Know Which One You Need

Check your printer model:

- If it’s a thermal POS printer, you’ll need thermal rolls like 2 1/4" x 85 ft or 3 1/8" x 230 ft.

- If it uses ink ribbons (IR-40T, CP-13, etc.), then you need bond paper.

A quick test:
Scratch the paper with a coin → if it leaves a black mark, it’s thermal.

.

---

4. Which One Is Better?

Both work great when used in the right device.

Thermal paper → fast and clean for retail checkout.
Bond paper → reliable for accounting and multi-line calculations.