Thermal Printer Problems? It could be your power supply.

Below we will detail some factors to consider when choosing a correct power supply for your thermal printer in your kiosk. Two power supplies may look identical and may both have 24v DC with 5A specifications, however, they might not perform the same.

Thermal printers are in need of high amounts of current over very short pulses. The specification for peak current is not always clearly label, when you are looking at average power supply datasheet or online description, it is more common to describe ‘average’ current. However, it is peak current parameter is essential for thermal printers. Pyramid Technologies power supply for its Reliance Thermal Printer was designed to handle a 13A peak load with an Output Voltage of 24V DC +- 10%.

A high-performance thermal printer power supply is even more necessary if following conditions are true in your application.

  • Printing dark images.
  • Needing maximum torque to pull the largest paper roll possible.

If you are far enough along in the kiosk process and you are testing a thermal printer and you have seen any of these issues.

  1. The text on the ticket being light or hard to see.
  2. A ticket with lines of text being squished or missing.
  3. The printer is stopping or resetting during a print process.
  4. Improper cutting of the paper (this can cause paper jams).
  5. Generally slow, erratic printing.

It is time to investigate the power supply, it may not be suited for the kiosk application. You should ask your thermal printer manufacture what the product’s peak current requirement is. Then work with your power supply vendor to ensure it can meet that need.

Don’t forget to include the power needs of any other peripherals that are connected to the same power supply.

Choosing the right power supply is as critical as choosing the right printer!