TBS/CDC1 0 (6437 ) P3 
  
 
© TBS 2019 Al l right Reserved                                                                 First Edition 2019                                                                
  
DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TBS/CDC -10 (6437 ) P3 THERMAL PAPER ROLLS  — SPECIFICATION  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARD STBS/CDC10( 6437 ) P3 
 
© TBS 20 19 - All righ ts reserved                                                                       First Edition 2009                                                                     0   Foreword  
 
This Draft Tanzania Standard is being developed by Station ery and Paper  Products Technical 
Committee  under supervision of the Chemical Division Standards Committee and it is in 
accordance with the procedures of the Bureau.  
 
 
This Draft Tanzania Standard is the first edition  of specification for  thermal paper rolls . It specifies 
requirem ents for materials , types  and sizes.  
 
Thermal paper is most ly used  in Electronic Fiscal Printers (EFP) at point of sales (POS) such as 
restaurant s, hotels, gas stations,  supermarkets , and for  labels, gaming,  ticket & tag s and othe r 
applications of similar nature.   
 
 
This Draft Tanzania Standard has been prepared with assistance drawn  from the following 
documents:  
 
 
CKS 612, Paper for offset lithograph ic printing specification , Published by South African 
Bureau of Standards.  
 
BS EN 12858 , Paper – Printing and business paper  -requirements for continuous 
stationery.  
 
 
For the purpose of deciding whether a particular requirement of this Tanzania Standard is 
complied with, the final value observed or calculated, expressing the result of a test or analysis, 
shall be rounded off in accordance with TZS 4 (see clause 2) . 
 
 
 
 
                                                                         TBS/CDC10( 6437 ) P3 
  
 
©TBS 20 19 – All rights r eserved                                                                                                   1  
 
DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD                TBS/CDC 1 0 (6437 ) P3 
 
 
Thermal paper rolls   – Specification  
 
 
1   Scope  
 
This Draft Tanzania Standard specifies the requirements, sampling  and methods of  test of 
thermal paper rolls .  
 
2   Normative references  
 
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are 
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated 
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.”  
 
TZS 4:  Rounding off numerical values  
 
TZS 80: Paper – Sampling methods for testing  
 
TZS 81: Method for the determination of grammage (basic mass)  
 
TZS 82 - ISO 187:  Paper,  board and pulps – Standard atmosphere for con ditioning and 
testing and procedure for monitoring the atmosphere and conditioning of samples.  
 
TZS 83: -ISO 287 : Paper and board — Determination of moisture content of a lot — 
Oven -drying method  
 
TZS 84: Paper  and board – Determination of opacity (paper b acking) – Diffuse 
reflectance method  
 
TZS 748 -2: - ISO 1924 -2, Paper and board — Determination of tensile properties —- Part 
2: Constant rate of elongation method (20 mm/min)  
 
TZS 886: -ISO 2470:  Paper and boar d – Measurement of blue refl ectance factor (IS O 
brightness)  
 
TZS 891: -ISO 534 : Paper and board — Determination of thickness, density and specific 
volume  
 
ISO 4046: Paper, board, pulps and related terms - Vocabulary  
 
ISO 5627 : Paper  and board - Determination  of smoothness (bekk  method)  
 
            ISO 8791 -2: - Paper and board - Determination of roughness/smoothness  
             (air leak methods) -- Part 2: Bendtsen method  
 
ISO 2493 -1: - Paper and board -- Determination of bending resistance -- Part 1: C onstant rate of 
deflection   
  ©TBS 20 19 – All rights reserved   ASTM D 6789 : standard test method for accelerated light aging of printing and writing paper by 
xenon -arc exposure apparatus   
©TBS 20 19 – All rights reserved                                                                                                    3   3   Terms and d efinitions  
 
For the purpose of this  draft Tanzania Standard the fo llowing definitions sha ll apply:  
 
3.1  bursting strength  
 
the maximum uniformly distributed pressure, applied  at right angles to its surface, that a te st 
piece of paper o r board will stand, under specified test conditions.  
 
3.2 chemical  
 
when used to describe paper or paper fibres, den otes a derivation from chemical  pulp.  
 
3.3 chemical pulp  
 
defined as in ISO 4046, but with the provision that it may contain at most 5 %  by mass of 
mechanical pulp.  
 
3.4 defecti ve  
 
thermal paper rolls that fails in one or  more respects to comply with the re levant  requirements of 
this specification.  
 
3.5  grammage  
 
the mass of unit area of paper or board  determined by the  specified method of test and 
expressed in grams per square meter . 
 
3.6 mechanical  
 
when used to describe paper or paper fibres, denotes a derivati on fro m mechanical pulp. 
 
3.7 lot 
 
at least five containers or packets containing nominally identical thermal paper rolls , or at l east 
five. 
 
3.8 wood-free paper or board  
 
paper or board having in principle only chemical pulp in its fibre composition; in pr actice, 
however, it may accidentally contain a small amount of other fibres or pulps.  
 
3.9 Thermal paper  
 
heat sensitive paper  used in thermal printers  which is coated on one side or both sides with a 
heat sensitive coating material .    
 
3.10 Ageing  
 
the proce ss of growing old, about three  years.  
  
  ©TBS 20 19 – All rights reserved    
 
4 Requirements  
 
4.1. G eneral req uirements  
 
4.1.1  The base paper sh all be manufactured from  bleached chemically processed cellulose 
fibres or recycled fi bres (or both)  or any other material that will ensure compliance wit h 
the requirements given in Table  1. 
 
4.1.2  The paper shall be of type 1, type 2, type 3, type 4, t ype 5, type 6 or type 7 as specified 
by the supplier.  
 
4.1.3  The thermal paper shall be capable to withstand temperature betwee n 100C to 600C. It 
shall be coated on one  side or both sides w ith a heat sensitive  coating material.  
 
4.1.4  The colour of the base paper and  of the coating shall be an acceptable white unless 
otherwise  specified . 
 
4.1.5  The papers shall be free from tears, holes,  dust, wood splinters , blemishes, slime spots , 
creases and other  visible defects and shall be uniform in texture.  
 
4.1.6  The paper shall be machi ne finished on both sides and shall be reasonably free  from all 
defects specified in clause 4.1. 5 that may impair its serv iceability.  
 
4.1.7   The thermal paper  shall be heat, moisture  and l ight resistance  and shall comply also 
with requirements set out in table  1.  
 
4.2 Specific requirements   
 
4.2.1  The physical a nd chemica l properties of  thermal paper  rolls shall comply with the 
requirements set out in Table 1 . 
 
4.2.2  The type of thermal pa per rolls shall be such  that optical density , image density and image 
life under proper storage conditions are visible for 3 years  minimum  without disappear ing.  
 
Table 1 – requirements of thermal papers  rolls  
 
 
Property  Requirement  
 
 Method of 
test (see 
clause 2)  
Paper Type  Type 1 Type 2  Type 3  Type  4  Type 5  Type 6  Type 7  ISO 9184 -
3 
Grammage g/m2,  40 -48 44 - 52 51- 59 54 - 62 61- 69 64 - 72 72- 82 TZS 81  
Brightness, % min . 80 
 TZS 886 
Moisture content, %  5.0 - 6.5 wood fr ee 
5.5 - 7.5 wood co ntaining  TZS 83  
Bendtsen Roughness, 
mL/min 150 to  max. 500  ISO 8791 -
2 
Relative humidity  (RH)  
inside the packaging  40 – 55% at 19 0C to 23  0C -  
Tensile strength (MD), 
N/15 mm , Min   40 42 45 48 55 55 55 TZS 748-
2  
©TBS 20 19 – All rights reserved                                                                                                    5   Stiffness  report  ISO 2493  
 
 
 
 
 
Optical 
density 
before 
aging   
Light 
resistance, 
5,000 Lux, 
24h                    >1.33  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ASTM D 
6789  Heat 
resistance, 
60 0C/ 
24h 
Moisture 
resistance, 
60 
0C/90% 
R.H/ 24h  
 
 
 
 
 
Optical 
density 
after aging  Light 
resistance, 
5,000 Lux, 
24h >1.25  
Heat 
resistance, 
60 0C/ 
24h 
Moisture 
resistance, 
60 
0C/90% 
R.H/ 24 h 
Thickness, micron  44- 54 50 - 60 55 - 65 60 -70 68 - 78 69-79 80-90 TZS 891  
Brightness, 
% min.  Before 
aging   75 TZS 886  
After aging  60 
Smoothness, coated  
side, sec, min  375 300 250 250 220 220 200  ISO 562 7 
 
 
4.3 End-of-roll-marker  
 
4.3.1  End-of-roll marker  requirements shall be specified by the client . If a warn ing mark is 
required, it shall be readily visible, but not so t hat it would render any  recor ded image unreadabl e.  
 
4.3.2  It shall not leave a re sidue on, or cause damage to, the thermal head of a thermal printer. 
When measured it should conform t o 5.6. 
 
5.Dimensions  
 
5.1 Dimensions shall be specified by the client . Thermal  paper  rolls shal l in all cases be describ ed 
as follows :  
 
  
  ©TBS 20 19 – All rights reserved   
 
 
5.1.1  Length based dime nsions shall be as 
 
Width (W) × Length (L) × Core ( C, C) 
 
Where  
 
W is the nominal width of t he roll, measured in millimeters  
 
L is the nominal length of paper  roll, measured in meters  
 
C, C is the nominal inside diameter of the core on which the paper is w ound, and is in millimeters 
expressed to a single decimal  
 
5.1.2  Diameter based dimensions shall be  as 
 
Width (W) × Diameter (D) × Core (C, C)  
 
where  
 
W is the nomi nal width of the roll, measur ed in millimeters  
 
D is the nominal diameter of the r oll, measu red in millimeters  
 
C, C is the nominal inside diameter of the core on which the paper is wo und, in m illimeters 
expressed to a single decimal . 
 
5.1.3  Thermal paper rolls for electronic ta x register (ETR) and elec tronic fiscal printer (EFP) shall 
be not les s than 30 meters in length.  
 
5.1.5  Thermal paper rolls for electronic signature devices (ESD) shall be not less than 20 meters 
in length.  
 
5.1.6  Thermal paper roll s for electronic fuel pump pr inter (EFPP) shall be not less than 50 meters 
in leng th. 
 
5.1.7  The fiscal paper roll width shall  not be  less than 57  millimeters for ETR, EFP a nd ESD  
 
5.1.8 The fi scal paper roll width shall be  between 40- 80 millimeters for EFPP.  
  
©TBS 20 19 – All rights reserved                                                                                                    7   5.2 Dimensional toleran ces 
 
5.2.1  The specified dimensions when measured in accordance  with clause  5.3 to 5.5. inclusive, 
shall conform to the appropriate tolerances g iven in tab les 2 and  3 wh en inspected.  
 
 
                        Table  2 -Dimension s relating  to length -based rolls 
 
1 2 3 
Dimension  Requirement  Tolerance   
Length of roll, N ominal, m  L  
Length of roll, Actual, m  L − 0.2 
Diameter of roll, mm, max  D (use r specified )  
Width  of roll, Overall, mm  W -1 to 0  
 
Width of paper web on roll, m m W -1 to 0  
 
Inside diameter  of core, mm  C, C -0.5 to 0  
 
Table  3 -Dimension s relating  to diameter -based rolls  
 
1 2 3 
Dimension  Requirement  Tolerance  
Diameter of roll, No minal, mm  D − 
Diame ter of roll, Actual, mm  D ± 1.5 
Length of roll, m, min  L (user  specified)  – 
Width of roll,  Overall, mm  W −1 to 0 
 
Width of web paper on roll, mm W –1 to 0  
 
Inside diameter of core, mm  C, C – 0.5 to 1 
 
 
 
5.3 Styles  and roll construction  
 
5.3.1 The web  paper  shall be evenly, squarely and tightly wound on the core.  The coated side 
(thermo sens itive surface) of the web shall be on the outside of the roll.  
 
5.3.2 The web shall have smooth cut edges, and the roll shall be so wo und as to give smooth  
end-faces that are free from dust and loose fibres  and debris . 
 
5.3.3 The length of the core shall n ot exceed the nominal width of the paper roll nor sha ll the cor e 
be recessed from either end -face of the roll by more than 1 .5 mm.  
  
  ©TBS 20 19 – All rights reserved   5.3.4 The free (outer)  end of t he paper shall be attached to the roll with glue, a small self -
adhesive tape or sticker or o ther acceptable sealing methods.  
 
5.3.5 Measure, to t he nearest  0.5 mm  by a suitable caliper , the overall width of the roll and its 
core on each of five ro lls of th e sample and  report any measurement that fails to comply with t he 
requirements of clause 5. 3.3.  
 
5.4 Core of thermal paper roll  
 
5.4.1 The core shall be o f a material that is suitable for the purpose and such that the core wi ll not 
deform or coll apse unde r normal conditions of handling, transportation, storage and us age.  
 
5.4.2 The core shall h ave a wall thickness of maximum 2 mm.  
 
5.4.3 The cor e inside d iameter shall be specified by the client. thermal paper rolls without t he 
core shall comply with all the requirements specified in clause 4.  
 
5.4.4 The internal dia meter of the core when measur ed to the nearest 0.2 mm, of each of at least 
five ro lls of the  sample and report any measurement that fails to comply with the requir ements of 
clause 5.  
 
5.4.5 Th e length of the core when measured to the nearest 0.2 mm, the l ength of the core of each 
of at least five rolls of the sample and report any meas urement th at fails to comply with the 
requirements of clause 5. 3.3. 
 
5. 5 Web paper on roll  
 
5.5.1  Measure length to the nearest 0 .1 m, the length of the paper web on each of  five rolls of the 
sample. Re port the average of the readings and check for compli ance with  clause  5. 
 
5.5.2  Measure  width to the nearest 0 .2 mm, the width of the paper web on each of five roll s of the 
sample. Report the average of the readings and check f or compliance with  clause  5. 
 
5.5.3  The web paper on all rolls shall be free from breaks and  splices.  
 
5.5.4  The inner end of the web paper shall be free when the  last of the paper is  pulled f rom the 
roll and should not be fixed to the core.  
 
5.6 End-of-roll ma rker  
 
5.6.1  Measure,  
 
a) to the nearest 2 mm, the width of the end -of-roll mar ker, and  
 
b) to a minimum of 200 mm, the distance of the end -of-roll marker from the end of the web, 
and 
 
c) to a mi nimum of 200 mm, the length of the end mark.  
 
on each of at lea st five rolls of the sample a nd report any measurement that fails to comply with 
the require ments of 4.3.  
 
 
 
  
©TBS 20 19 – All rights reserved                                                                                                    9   6   Sampling and Criteria for con formity   
 
6.1 Sampling methods shall be carried out as prescribed in TZS 80  
 
6.2 All the thermal paper rolls  in the sample shall be examined  for various requirements and any 
thermal paper roll  failing to  satisfy one or more of the requirements shall be te rmed as defective.  
 
6.3 The lo t shall b e accepted a s conforming to the requirement of this specification if the nu mber 
of defective articles  does not exceed the permissible number of defectives gi ven in sampling 
methods as prescribed in TZS 80.  
 
7   Packaging and marking  
 
7.1 Packagin g 
 
7.1.1 Thermal pape r rolls shall be packed in an upright position (chimney stacked ) in corrugated 
board pack ages  that are rigid enough to prevent damage to the cont ents du ring handling,  
transportation and storage  of the pro ducts.  
 
7.1.2 The thermal pape r rolls  shall be supp lied in packages, containing of the same type  and size . 
Each pa ckage shall be wrapped in paper to protect the thermal paper rolls  from damage dur ing 
handing,  transportation  and storage of the products .  
 
7.1.3 The package  shall be of s uch quali ty and stren gth as to prevent bursting, tearing, distortion 
or opening - up from the weight of thermal  paper rolls . 
 
  
 
7.2 Marking  
 
7.2.1 Each package shall be l egibly and indelibly marked with the following:  
 
a) the manufact urer's name or trademark , or bo th; 
b) the name of the  product i.e. Thermal paper rolls (for example. W × L × D × C, C 
(whichever is applicable ));  
c) the paper grammage ( actual ); 
d) the nominal length and  nomina l width of the paper web for length -based rolls;  
e) the n ominal width, nominal diameter and min imum length of the paper web for diameter -
based rolls;  
f) the internal diamete r of the core;  
g) the date of  manufacture of the rolls; and  
h) the number of rolls per package . 
i) batch number or code number  
j) country of origin  
k) unique security feature  
 
 
7.2.2 Each Thermal  paper  roll s hall be legibly and indelibly marked  as agreed between the clie nt 
and the supplier :     
 
 
©TBS 20 19 – All rights reserved