How to Pick the Best Shipping Label Printer for Your Small Business

As you probably know, shipping products to consumers would be impossible without using shipping labels and label printers. They keep all parties involved with the delivery of your product informed. Your delivery driver will know exactly where your package needs to go, and your customers will be able to monitor their packages. Labels are a necessity for every large and small business.

There are many ways you can print your shipping labels, but the most effective and convenient way is by using a label printer. A label printer is a unique type of printer explicitly created for this job. Today, we’re going to introduce you to the best label printer for small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs).

Traditional Printers vs Label Printers

Traditional, all-purpose printers, whether that be laser or inkjet, are helpful in many different ways in the home, office, and warehouse. While you can use these kinds of printers for shipping labels, you often end up wasting a lot of blank paper and time. And as you know, time is crucial to business success.

You can get your hands on label sheets that work with your traditional printer. However, for best results, we recommend using a thermal label printer. This type of printer is especially relevant if your traditional printer is an inkjet, as your delivery driver will not thank you for those smeared labels.

What is a Label Printer?

A thermal label printer utilizes a heated printhead, creating images and text on your label. Thermal printing is usually more precise and capable of withstanding shipping-related wear. Compared to inkjet printing, they are much more helpful.

The printed image is immediately set after it is printed, and you can be sure it won’t smear or smudge when applied to packages.

Different Types of Thermal Label Printers

There are two different types of thermal label printers. Direct thermal printers and thermal transfer printers.

Direct thermal printers use heat to directly apply the text and images you want to the label. These labels are chemically treated to react to the heat source. An advantage of using this is that it requires no ink or toner, resulting in no ongoing ink costs.

Thermal transfer printers use resin or wax-based ink for melting designs onto the label via a ribbon. An advantage of thermal transfer printers is the long lifespan of the label, as they are not sensitive to water, chemicals, or high temperatures.

Our Suggestions

We’ve listed below a few of our top pick label printers:

Dymo LabelWriter 4XL

This printer is ideal for lower volume shippers looking for something easy to use at the lowest cost.

Arkscan 2054A

This direct thermal printer works on many platforms. It can print various label sizes — covering all your product and barcode labels.

Zebra ZD420

If you’re a larger business wanting rapid printing, this is the wireless and Bluetooth printer for you.

Rollo Label Printer

This printer prints faster than most, meaning smaller shippers can enjoy the quicker pace of the printer’s capabilities.

Conclusion

In short, having a proper label printer is crucial to the success of your business. Having an appropriate printer that is able to quickly and effectively print your labels will decrease your costs significantly. If you have any questions about this article, let us know!

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