DTP, Direct Thermal Poster Paper Rolls and TTP or Thermal Transfer Plus Poster Paper

There is a difference between the two and It's important to understand it.

Varitronics®, Fujifilm, Minnesota Western and even Lanier brand poster printers are direct thermal machines.  They each have three print heads that heat up and cool down - no ink or toner is ever used.  In the case of DTP, Direct Thermal Poster paper or even Standard poster paper, the paper itself is chemically coated.  As the print heads heat up the chemical reaction causes a color to image to appear - black or blue ink.  Because heat is used to image the color, if the poster were heat laminated, the poster would turn either black or blue depending on the color.  DTP poster paper can be cold laminated, not heat laminated.

With TTP or Thermal Transfer Plus poster paper, adhered to the paper is an ink film.  As the print heads heat up, the ink is melted or transferred to the paper or substrate below.  When the poster is completed, the ink film is pealed off, and the image is left.  This type of poster printer paper can be heat or cold laminated.

The real important difference is the cost of the poster paper and the poster paper colors.  Our DTP paper rolls are as much as 33% below Varitronics® dealer pricing.  Their TTP poster paper rolls cost as much as $65 a roll or more VS. our paper rolls.  Granted, many schools have hot lamination systems which preclude laminating DTP paper.   However, because of tight school budgets, principals are stopping teachers from laminating posters altogether or verifying the need to laminate everything that comes out of the poster printer.  And still others are investing Xyron cold laminating machines.  Besides the benefits of cold lamination - no electricity, no heat, no waste, etc. - it immediately cuts your paper cost in half.  

We have written an excellent sheet (Adobe PDF file) on the costs of TTP paper VS DTP paper called Breaking the Transfer Plus Habit.  The difference in price over 20 rolls of paper is enough to save our customers the cost of a Xyron 2500 laminator.  And by cold laminating rather than heat laminating, you'll never have to purchase the TTP paper ever again.

If you have any questions, feel free to call us at 800-321-5716. 

Varitronics ®, ProImage ® and PosterPrinter ™, are  trademarks of
Brady Worldwide Inc. & Bright White Paper Co.
has no ownership interest in the marks.