How to Choose the Right Till Roll Size for Your Business

Start With Two Measurements

Before you order anything, take a ruler to the till roll you are using right now. Two numbers decide whether a new box will work: the width of the paper and the internal diameter of the cardboard core. Get those right and almost everything else falls into place.

Measure the paper from edge to edge, across the roll, not the outer diameter. In the UK the most common widths are 57mm and 80mm, with 44mm and 76mm turning up on pocket printers and older impact machines. Measure in millimetres and write it down — "about 8cm" is how people end up with a shelf full of unusable rolls.

Then measure the hole in the middle. Lay the ruler across the tube and measure from inner edge to inner edge. Standard cores are 12.7mm (half an inch), 15mm, 18mm, 25mm and 40mm. A roll of the right width on a spindle that is too loose will wobble, feed at an angle and jam; too tight and it will not spin at all, which drags on the motor and can burn out the print head.

Stick a note inside the till drawer with both measurements. It takes thirty seconds now and saves a wasted order later.

The Sizes You Will Meet Most Often

If you are replacing a worn-out label or ordering for a second site, these are the sizes that cover most UK tills, cafés, salons and card machines:

• 80mm x 80mm — the workhorse of busy retail, restaurants and cafés. Fits most standard countertop EPOS printers.
• 80mm x 70mm — the same width with fewer metres on the roll, useful where the printer housing is shallow.
• 57mm x 40mm — card terminals, handheld PDAs, kitchen order printers and mobile units.
• 57mm x 50mm — a little longer between changes, popular on portable chip-and-pin devices.
• 76mm x 76mm — older counter tills and specialist impact printers.
• 44mm x 40mm — pocket printers and small handheld labelling devices.

The second number is the outer diameter, and it matters as much as the width. Two rolls can both be labelled 80mm x 80mm yet hold very different amounts of paper, depending on the core. That is why buying on price alone is a false economy: a cheap roll on a fat core can run out during the lunch rush.

Thermal or Plain Paper?

Most modern EPOS printers use thermal paper, which is coated and printed by heat rather than ink. There are no ribbons or cartridges to replace, which is why it dominates. Plain (bond) paper is for impact printers that strike through an ink ribbon, and it is usually bought as two-ply or three-ply when you need a carbonless copy for the kitchen or the accounts file.

Not sure which you have? Scratch the surface firmly with a coin. Thermal paper darkens where you scratch it; plain paper does not. If your printer has a ribbon, it is an impact model and needs plain paper — putting thermal paper through it wastes money and gives you a poor image.

Ask your supplier for BPA-free and BPS-free thermal rolls if your team handles receipts all day. It is a small change that many employers now consider standard practice, and it costs very little more.

Core Size, Roll Diameter and Printer Fit

Here is the trade-off nobody explains at the point of sale. On the same outer diameter, a smaller core means more metres of paper. An 80mm x 80mm roll holds roughly 80 metres on a 12.7mm core, around 60 metres on an 18mm core, and about 45 metres on a 25mm core. Switching core sizes without noticing can cut your time between roll changes by nearly half.

Check the maximum outer diameter your printer will physically accept. A roll that is a few millimetres too fat will stop the lid closing properly, and forcing it stretches the mechanism and misaligns the print head. If the lid will not shut with a gentle press, do not push it — order a smaller outer diameter instead.

Most businesses do best with the largest roll their printer accepts on the smallest core it supports. That combination gives the longest run and the fewest interruptions.

Before You Order: a Five-Point Check

• Width in millimetres — measured across the paper, not the roll.
• Core diameter in millimetres — measured across the inside of the tube.
• Maximum outer diameter your printer housing allows.
• Paper type — thermal or plain, and single or multi-ply.
• Weekly usage — count how many rolls you get through in a normal week, then order four to eight weeks' worth.

If you are unsure, buy a single box and test it across a full trading day before committing to a bulk order. Bulk pricing is only a bargain when the rolls actually fit.

Storing and Handling Till Rolls

Thermal paper is sensitive. Keep boxes in a cool, dry cupboard away from radiators, windowsills, fryers and direct sunlight. Heat and UV will grey the coating before you have used a single metre, and you will notice the print fading within weeks.

Keep rolls in their original wrappers until needed, and avoid storing them against PVC folders, cling film, cleaning solvents or hand sanitiser — plasticisers and alcohol attack the coating. Do not stack heavy boxes on top of loose rolls, as squashed rolls feed unevenly.

Finally, rotate your stock and use the oldest boxes first. Keep the empty core from your last roll as a physical template, hand it to whoever places the order, and you will never guess the size again.