also: かんねつしきプリンタ
noun
A printer that uses heat to produce an image on special paper; common in receipt printers and label printers.
レジの感熱式プリンターがレシートを印刷した。
The thermal printer at the register printed the receipt.
感熱式プリンターはインクが不要なので、メンテナンスが楽だ。
Thermal printers don't need ink, so maintenance is easy.
An inkjet printer uses liquid ink sprayed onto paper, while a thermal printer uses heat-sensitive paper.
A laser printer uses toner and a laser beam, suitable for high-volume printing, unlike a thermal printer which is often used for receipts and labels.
Compound of 感熱 (kan'netsu, 'heat-sensitive') + 式 (shiki, 'type') + プリンター (purintā, 'printer').