A medium for printing, such as a thermal receipt roll for an ATM. The medium has two sides, each side having a plurality of marks positioned to trigger an automatic operation, such as printing, movement, or cutting of the medium when identified by a detector. Preferably, the marks are adapted for optical sensing by a detector located along one side or the other of the roll, and are positioned at regular intervals along the side edges. This allows the roll to be used in business machines having different detector configurations.
1. A thermal receipt roll for an ATM, comprising:
a front side with a thermosensitive coating having a plurality of first optical sensing marks positioned at a first regular interval along one edge of said front side;
a back side including a border region and a printable region, said border region being positioned along one edge of said back side and having a plurality of second optical sensing marks that are positioned at a second regular interval along said border region;
a plurality of third optical sensing marks positioned at said first regular interval along the opposing edge from said first marks on said front side of said receipt roll, wherein said third marks are in registration with said first marks;
border regions along each edge of said front side, said regions having no markings other than said first and third marks;
a border region along said one edge of said back side, which has no markings other than said second marks; and
a plurality of fourth marks positioned at said first regular interval along the opposing edge from said second marks on said back side of said receipt roll;
wherein said first and second intervals are the same, and wherein said first and second marks are out of registration with each other;
wherein said roll has a designated feed direction when installed within said ATM, and wherein said first and second marks have a leading edge as defined by said feed direction, and wherein the leading edge of each of said first marks is forward of the leading edge of the corresponding ones of each of said second marks;
wherein said first and second marks have a trailing edge, wherein said roll has a designated cut line where said roll is cut into a receipt, and wherein said cut line is behind the trailing edge of said first mark, but between the leading and trailing edges of said second mark.