Overview
- Determining Label Printer Use
- Printing Coverage and Expected Print Volume
- Compatibility and Connectivity
- Label Life Requirements
- Types of Label Printers
Producing quality machine-readable labels comes from the mouth of a quality label printer. It does a different trick from ordinary printers as it has specialized feed mechanisms that can work on rolled stock or tear sheets. It prints on self-adhesive label material also called a card stock or tags. A label printer is usually involved in retail price marking, supply chain management, fixed assets management, packaging labels, and more.
Determining Label Printer Use
Popular printing mechanisms are direct thermal printing, thermal transfer printing, and inkjet printing. Just remember that you can make the most out of your printer if you know how you are going to utilize them in your business. It simply means identifying your business needs is one of the most important factors in choosing the right printer for your business.
For instance, you have to determine how often you will be doing prints and the type of labels you want to produce. There is a whole carousel of medium variety – from tickets to receipts to tags and wristbands.
Important factors that play a major role in choosing a label printer include the following:
Printing Coverage and Expected Print Volume
Every type of label printer varies from one another based on the printing task, work environment, and print volume. Knowing how many jobs you are planning to punt to your printer is critical because this determines the measure of capability and durability you want the machine to possess. Even specifics such as maximum label size and desired print resolution should also be defined.
Compatibility and Connectivity
Is there a uniform operating system or type of device distributed in your organization? Choosing a label printer hastily without checking its compatibility and connectivity features can drain down your efforts and spending.
Label Life Requirements
A device’s expected life largely depends on your usage and business environment. Are you operating in a heavily industrial-oriented building or a spacious, well-ventilated office environment? There are different kinds of printers that fit best to your business niche which will be discussed later on.
Types of Label Printers
Before jumping at stores and pinpointing the label printer that looks sleek, it is important to have an idea and a quick review of the printer types. Every kind of printer differs based on how you plan to use them. Here are some of the major types and their capabilities for a day’s work:
Industrial Label Printers
If you are operating in a rugged environment that involves continuous operation, shop for an industrial label printer. This kind of printer is specially designed for big warehouses, factories, and distribution centres. Its heavy-duty mechanism fits best in completing in-location and tough printing jobs.
Desktop Label Printers
Desktop label printers are reliable for light to medium-volume printing. It can work on a roll of stock around 4″ wide max that fits well in an office or corporate environment as this printer works quietly. It is also more economical than other label printers. Some commercial quality label printers can do the job on an 8″ roll of stock.
Smart desktop labels of today are equipped with handling high volume tasks and advanced features. You can shop for one with multi-system capability, standard programming languages, dual connectivity, and internal Ethernet. These features future proofs the printers so you can integrate them easily into your business processes. It’s perfect for small to medium warehouses not ready to make a full commitment to independent labelling processes.
Mobile Label Printers
For better manoeuvrability and on-the-fly labelling fulfilment, investing in mobile label printers can solve your problems. Its portability goes hand in hand with its great durability. An average mobile label printer can print up to 3″-4″ per second. Today’s releases offer wide connectivity among different devices and better battery life.
Label Makers
Label makers act as your label manager for your day-to-day tasks. It is often described as a label printer equipped with a keyboard. Label makers are usually working alone or hand-held but can also be attached to a computer. It spits out custom labels and can print various symbols – characters or numbers.
Having basic knowledge about label printer types can expedite your shopping experience for your labelling needs. Exploring the rugged and foreign-label printer section may be overwhelming at first, but as long as you know what you need from the device, you can pick up a type that works best for you. If you like to dive further and discuss how you can integrate these powerful machines into your business, send a message to Qbasis to schedule a free business consultation.
