Printer for labels?

413x · 1 Jun 2020 at 10:00

Looking for a printer for labels.
I'm selling stuff on ebay often and doing returns etc.

Used to just go into the office.

What's out there? Ideally this will be cheap and need jam up like an ink jet.

Any ideas? Cheap and as reliable as possible!

Andre · 1 Jun 2020 at 10:27

Virtually any of the thermal ones are great, just watch the cost and size of the labels. We use Zebra at work, but they are not cheap! but then the labels are (16x1000 for like £45 last time we bought some)
Just make sure they print on a variety of label sizes, and not just the tape!

Alternatively, use the Avery labels on A4 sheets - they used to supply software where you said which row/column to start printing from so you print what you want and then re-use the sheet

413x · 1 Jun 2020 at 15:03

Andre said:
Virtually any of the thermal ones are great, just watch the cost and size of the labels. We use Zebra at work, but they are not cheap! but then the labels are (16x1000 for like £45 last time we bought some)
Just make sure they print on a variety of label sizes, and not just the tape!

Alternatively, use the Avery labels on A4 sheets - they used to supply software where you said which row/column to start printing from so you print what you want and then re-use the sheet

I only need a 3 or 4 prints a week.
Looks like the the thermal. Ones would be ideal, but when you get to postage label size they get very expensive.

Considering a cheap Ink jet.

Andre · 1 Jun 2020 at 15:53

Cheapest inkjet you can find, maybe a HP one with instant ink? and then Avery labels is your best bet then

Steeps · 4 Jun 2020 at 00:06

Probably the wrong end of the scale but we bought a zing/rollo/intuk or whatever sticker brand is trying to sell it currently for about £130 which came with half a roll of 6x4 thermal labels and is quite happy to take the royal mail rolls which some people sell on cheap when they shouldn't. Could use it for a few weeks while you need it for labels then sell it on after for near enough what you paid for it as the only consumable parts are the labels themselves. Doesn't take up much space, easy to store, no other consumables apart from label rolls which is much cheaper than using avery or zebra branded.

Phil2008 · 6 Jun 2020 at 16:56

I have just bought this,,its quite old now, but it was cheap, prints all sorts of sizes, nice and easy to put the label reels into the machine, fast printing and works on windows 10 64bit. Cost me £45

https://www.brother.co.uk/labelling-and-receipts/ql700

Zefan · 6 Jun 2020 at 17:04

I'd just get cheap black and white laser and then print on A4 label sheets.

Phil2008 · 6 Jun 2020 at 17:15

Zefan said:
I'd just get cheap black and white laser and then print on A4 label sheets.

But thats the hard way to do it.

I was going to do it that way, but couldnt be bothered buying the label sheets and then getting the correct template so the printer printed on the labels. So I just bought the cheapest label printer I could find that took decent sized labels.

Steeps · 6 Jun 2020 at 20:44

I know Royal Mail and Hermes have built in templates for 4x 6x4 labels on an A4 page as that's what we started off with before moving to a label printer. We made the change as even on B+W the laserjet was still using colour to make up the blacks on the labels.

Phil2008 · 6 Jun 2020 at 22:59

My label printer will do a max of 62mm x 1meter, but I dont know why you would want a label 1meter long though.lol

kingteeb · 9 Jun 2020 at 16:45

I just have a little dymo 450 and it works perfectly. Never had trouble with it getting jammed or anything. Picked it up second hand so pretty cheap. Its small so the label size is pretty small, but I have prebought postage on ebay and printed it with that for years. Even though it comes out small i've never had any issues with things not getting delivered. You don't need to print at the full size they give you.

413x · 12 Jun 2020 at 22:43

In the end I've gone for a second hand
Brother HL-L5100DN

Has 58 percent drum and 30 percent toner left
Might last me a lifetime.

Was much cheaper than those dynos too.
25 quid

Apparently 40ppm. I could probably print my years worth of printing in under a minute!

Phil2008 · 13 Jun 2020 at 14:56

the brother ql-700 prints out about 100pm so the specs say, but set at high resolution it prints about 1 every 2-3seconds.

413x · 14 Jun 2020 at 01:20

Quality isn't great on prints. Might bit old or something. Think it's an old office printer or something

They look a bit faded and 'liney'

Fine for labels

Steeps · 14 Jun 2020 at 11:52

If it was installed with a "compatible" drum it might have been a re-chipped recycled unit which was already beyond end of life but put back into service. Work kept buying compatibles from their stationery supplier and the print quality was terrible (printer where toner and drum were the same unit), problem disappeared when new OEM units were installed.

413x · 14 Jun 2020 at 13:29

Steeps said:
If it was installed with a "compatible" drum it might have been a re-chipped recycled unit which was already beyond end of life but put back into service. Work kept buying compatibles from their stationery supplier and the print quality was terrible (printer where toner and drum were the same unit), problem disappeared when new OEM units were installed.

I guess it's something along those lines.

Yeah it wouldn't be up to the job if printing formal documents let's say

Ill use what it's got until the the barcodes are illegible.
It's main job is labels. Already saved me 10 pounds.