IS 17568:2025

Thermal Paper – Specification (First Revision)

This Indian Standard provides a comprehensive and structured framework for defining the specifications, testing, and conformity requirements of thermal paper. Recognizing its widespread use in sectors such as retail, banking, healthcare, transportation, and ticketing, the standard ensures that thermal paper meets stringent quality, durability, and safety benchmarks essential for consistent print performance and reliability. It reflects technological advancements and evolving industrial needs.

The revision introduces two material categories—Thermal Coated and Top Coated—each designed to generate clear, durable images under heat without the use of ink or ribbons. The top-coated variant provides enhanced protection against moisture, solvents, and plasticizers, ensuring longer image retention for applications requiring extended readability. The standard also prescribes essential parameters for base paper, including grammage, thickness, tensile and tear indices, opacity, brightness, gloss, and smoothness.

In alignment with environmental and safety objectives, the use of Bisphenol A (BPA)-free coatings is mandated, along with recommendations for BPA-free packaging to prevent contamination. The standard further includes detailed testing procedures for assessing image density, heat and humidity resistance, and overall climatic durability to maintain print clarity under various storage and operational conditions.

Comprehensive provisions are established for packing, marking, and BIS certification, requiring manufacturers to disclose key product details such as type, grammage, dimensions, and date of manufacture, in accordance with the Legal Metrology Act, 2009. Through these measures, it aims to enhance product reliability, promote sustainable and standardized manufacturing, and align India’s thermal paper industry with modern performance, environmental, and safety expectations.

Last Updated on October 24, 2025