What type of printer uses heat to create images or text, typically for receipts or barcodes?

Thermal printers utilize heat to produce images or text, making them particularly well-suited for printing receipts and barcodes. They function by transferring heat to a special thermal paper, which changes color when exposed to heat. This method is efficient for high-speed printing, commonly seen in point-of-sale systems and mobile printing applications.

The other types of printers operate through different technologies. Laser printers use laser beams and toner to create images, making them more suited for high-volume text printing on standard paper rather than on thermal paper. Inkjet printers spray tiny droplets of ink onto the paper, offering vibrant color prints but not using heat as a print mechanism. Dot matrix printers operate by striking an ink-soaked ribbon against paper with pins, which is a more mechanical process and not reliant on heat. Therefore, thermal printers stand out as the best fit for generating images and text via heat-based methods.