Receipt printer or label printer: which do you need?

The receipt printer: speed at the counter

A receipt printer prints on a continuous thermal paper roll and cuts the receipt automatically. It is built for one thing: getting the receipt into the customer's hand fast. Speed is measured in millimetres per second, and good models cut the receipt before the customer takes their change.

The label printer: precision on adhesive

A label printer works with rolls of separated labels (gapped or die-cut), tracks them with a sensor and prints exactly within each label's edges. It is used for price tags, product barcodes, scale labels and shipping. Many models also support thermal transfer with a ribbon, for labels that must not fade over time.

The difference you must not forget

• Media: receipt paper is continuous; labels are separated and adhesive. They are not interchangeable between devices.
• Sensors: a label printer knows where each label starts and ends — a receipt printer does not.
• Print lifetime: a receipt needs to stay readable for weeks; a product label sometimes for years (that is where the ribbon comes in).