Fax paper: choice and characteristics

Paper for faxes – features of choice

The choice of office paper for a fax machine depends on the quality of the paper and the parameters of the office equipment. It is a mistake to think that faxes work on plain paper and that any paper will do.

Poor paper quality strains the fax machine’s mechanisms and regular use in this mode can damage the fax machine.

Fax performance depends on consumables containing the optimal amount of moisture.

Fax paper with reduced moisture content starts to absorb it from the air when unpacked.

The edges of the sheet become wavy, which can lead to jams in the fax tractor.

Store fax paper in an undamaged package before use so that it does not become saturated with moisture beforehand.

Two typical processes are used for printing in a fax machine – using thermal film and the more common one using thermal paper.

Thermal film and plain paper for faxes

Пленка для факса – это специальная термопленка, которая используется для печати на обычной бумаге (примерно так же, как как это делает печатная машинка).

The printing process is the rewinding of a roll of thermal film from one reel to the other.

The heated surface of the thermal film is pressed against the paper and a black and white image is created accordingly. It is a mixture of a dot matrix printer and a fax machine.

The choice of thermal film is determined by the characteristics and model of the fax machine.

Fax thermal paper

Thermal fax paper has a special heat-sensitive coating that reacts to heat.

Это тепловое воздействие производится с помощью линейного термоэлемента, установленного в тракте подачи бумаги.

By changing the degree of heating of thermal paper, it is possible to obtain gradient shades.

In addition to the standard characteristics of paper, such as whiteness and weight, thermal fax paper has a number of unique parameters.

Dynamic sensitivity of thermal paper

It is the reaction rate of color formation when exposed to a certain amount of thermal energy.

Expressed in units of optical density.

In order to make the information readable for many years, it is desirable to use paper, the optical density of the reflection coefficient of which does not exceed 1.1±0.05.

The dynamic sensitivity of thermal paper determines the maximum speed at which the sheet will move in the fax.

The static sensitivity of the thermal paper

Это параметр, который выражает температуру в градусах, при которой бумага начинает чернеть.

The higher this sensitivity, the faster the fax can print a page and the less energy it will consume.

Also, lowering this parameter increases the longevity of the fax itself, but not the longevity of the print on the paper.

This paper is especially bad to store near batteries or in the sun.

The static sensitivity of thermal paper also affects the storage temperature limit at which fax paper begins to lose its marketable appearance – it begins to turn gray rather than white.

Smoothness of thermal paper

The speed at which the thermal paper heats up depends on this parameter. The smoother the

The slower the heat of the thermal paper, the better the quality of your image and the longer the life of the thermal fax head.

This is a fairly standard quality indicator for any paper.

Standard rolls of thermal paper for fax machines have an inner diameter of 12 mm and a width of 210 mm.

Длина намотки (а значит и диаметр) будет разной в зависимости от производителя и конкретного заказа. В настоящее стандартная длина намотки составляет около 20 метров.

The general rules for storing copies on thermal paper are the same as for storing regular office paper.

Relative humidity in the room where the paper will lie for a long time should be 40 – 60%, the air temperature is between 18 – 25 degrees.

Important: Direct sunlight must be avoided and thermal paper must be stored hermetically in its undamaged original packaging.

When stored properly, most thermal paper manufacturers guarantee a clear image that lasts on thermal paper for five years or longer.