Many people find that there comes a
time when printing labels at home becomes
increasingly difficult. Perhaps a business
is growing, or you or printing many
address labels for friends and family.
You may be the person who needs to consider
acquiring a label printer. Many label
printers are small, and although some
are more expensive than conventional
ink jet printers, they are still competitively
priced. These printers are specially
designed for larger printing needs such
as bulk mailings.
Many people, including myself, find
that printing labels on standard label
forms designed for ink jet or laser
printers is sufficient. Avery, an
industry leader in making label papers,
offers many types and styles to choose
from. These labels can be found in
almost every office supply store.
Using these labels is an inexpensive
alternative to a label printer for
the person who does not generate large
quantities of labels. Templates are
easily found to fit these labels and
are easily customized to suit your
needs.
For those who require more involved
label printing needs, having a dedicated
label printer will be an attractive
option. The prices will vary. The
lower cost printers start at just
under $100 and usually are be a good
choice for a lower volume or occasional
user. For heavy duty and high volume
industrial applications, label printers
can cost upwards of $700. And then
there are printers at almost every
price in-between. You will need to
look at the features, speed and durability
to decide which label printer best
meets your needs.
Many label printers use heat technology
to do the printing. They are called
thermal printers. The heat will transfer
or burn the ink onto the label paper.
This technology has been around for
a while and is dependable and stable.
Some lower end thermal label printers
have a resolution of around 300 dpi,
or dots per inch. Higher end models
may have increased dpi and allow you
to print labels with better print
quality.
Most label printers will interface
with your pc. You will be able to
create a label template and combine
it with your data to create a professional
looking label in minutes.
When shopping for a label printer,
be sure to check on the following
features to compare various models.
Differences may be found in the printing
method used, the print resolution,
the print speed, the maximum printing
width and length (your label size),
the resident memory in the printer,
the communications interfaces (most
common are RS232 and USB), as well
as the number of resident fonts in
the printer.
