Choosing a label printer
At Delfi Technologies, we have a solid selection of the best label printers, all designed to support your business with label printing.
At Delfi Technologies, we have a solid selection of the best label printers, all designed to support your business with label printing. We know how to choose the right label printer for your business, which is why we’ve created a guide to help you quickly and easily find the right label printer for your business needs. There are different types of label printers, and since the selection is large and broad, we also know that the decision can often be difficult. To help you choose the best label printer, you should consider factors such as print technology, resolution, and label size.
What can I use a label printer for?
A label printer can support you with printing labels, stickers, tags, name labels, posters, etc. – and can therefore be used across many industries and businesses; it simply depends on your needs for printing and marking. For example, a label printer can help in your warehouse with printing parcel and shipping labels, or in your store with marking products.
In addition, with the unique label printing software, Bartender Label Software, you can design and print your own price tags, shipping labels, warehouse and logistics markings, RFID label encoding, as well as membership cards.
5 things to consider before buying your next label printer
When you are looking for the best label printer for your needs, there are some important factors you should consider. Here are five key points to help you choose the best model:
1. Print technology
- Thermal vs. thermal transfer: Thermal printers are ideal for temporary labels such as shipping labels, while thermal transfer is better for durable labels that must withstand time and wear.
2. Resolution
- DPI: Higher DPI means sharper, more detailed prints. 203 DPI is often sufficient for most tasks, but for smaller fonts and graphics, 300 DPI or higher may be necessary.
3. Width
- Label size: Consider what label size you need. Standard shipping labels are typically 4×6 inches, but there are printers that support wider or specialised labels.
4. Connectivity
- USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi: Choose a printer with the connectivity options that suit your setup. Wireless options such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi provide flexibility, especially if you plan to print from multiple devices.
5. Capacity and speed
- Print volume: If you have high print volumes, choose a printer with high capacity and speed to avoid bottlenecks in your production. This ensures you can keep up with demand without issues.
Label printers for Direct Thermal (DT) labels
A label printer with Direct Thermal indicates what type of label material it can print on. Here, the colour is in the label itself, and the printer therefore heats the text to make it appear. Direct Thermal is intended for shorter durability and is therefore particularly suitable for, among other things, shipping labels. Below, we have listed our recommended label printers for printing on Direct Thermal labels.
Desktop label printer for Direct Thermal labels
If you only have a small need for printing Direct Thermal labels, where you assess that it is not necessary to print much more than 500+ labels, we have two label printers here from our loyal partners Citizen and Zebra. Both are characterised by a small, practical size, so you can easily move them around depending on where your need is. This means you can use them in your warehouse when you need to print, for example, shipping labels, but you can also easily and quickly take one into your store for printing product markings. In addition, both models are extremely user-friendly and can be used by all your employees – without extensive training in how to use them.
Industrial desktop label printer for Direct Thermal labels
If you have a medium-sized need to print Direct Thermal labels in the range of 1,000+ labels, Citizen has made this label printer, where the mechanism is made of metal like an industrial printer, making it highly robust and able to print for many years. It prints quickly and efficiently and is particularly suitable for printing shipping labels. It connects to your existing system via USB, but if you want an Ethernet connection, you must purchase the Ethernet module separately.
Industrial printer for high-volume printing of Direct Thermal labels
These large industrial label printers from Citizen and Zebra are aimed at high, industrial demand, where the volume is more than 3,000 labels. Their size and robustness make them particularly suitable for supporting your logistics or warehouse operation, where you need to print several thousand labels per day.
Citizen
CL-E720DT
Label printers for Thermal Transfer (TT) labels
A label printer for Thermal Transfer labels uses ribbon to transfer the text onto the label. Thermal Transfer therefore ensures long durability and can, for example, be used in warehouse locations where the label itself is not worn in the same way, as it is rarely in contact with anything. Below you can see our recommended label printers for printing Thermal Transfer labels.
Desktop label printer for Thermal Transfer labels
For a smaller need, where you only need to print 500+ Thermal Transfer labels, the models from Citizen and Zebra are recommended. It is important to note that the label printer from Citizen CL-E321 can print both Thermal Transfer and Direct Thermal labels, making it a truly versatile desktop model. In contrast, Zebra ZD421t is a good choice if your business is in retail, transport, or logistics – or even in the healthcare sector, where it is suitable for all operating systems (Windows, Android, and iOS).
Desktop label printer for Thermal Transfer labels
For a smaller need, where you only need to print 500+ Thermal Transfer labels, the models from Citizen and Zebra are recommended. It is important to note that the label printer from Citizen CL-E321 can print both Thermal Transfer and Direct Thermal labels, making it a truly versatile desktop model. In contrast, Zebra ZD421t is a good choice if your business is in retail, transport, or logistics – or even in the healthcare sector, where it is suitable for all operating systems (Windows, Android, and iOS).
Industrial printers for the high demand of thermal transfer label printing
The large industrial label printers from Citizen and Zebra are suitable for very high demand of more than 3,000+ Thermal Transfer labels. Here you also get three robust and truly durable label printers, suitable for the heaviest industries. The industrial printer Citizen CL-S700II is especially suitable for those running a large production or logistics business, and is highly user-friendly and easy for all employees to use. Zebra ZT411 is also a solid choice of label printer for industrial printing, and can be connected via both Bluetooth and USB. The Citizen CL720 printer is a good, budget-friendly choice.
Print your shipping labels with Shipmondo
If you run a webshop, Shipmondo is an effective tool when you need to pack and ship goods from your warehouse. Shipmondo is many companies’ primary shipping solution, as you can easily set it up and integrate it into your existing accounting system as well as your webshop via a plug-in. In this way, you can send parcels worldwide across carriers, as all shipping solutions are gathered in Shipmondo. With a label printer connected to Shipmondo, your shipping labels, return labels, and packing slips are printed quickly. After that, you simply attach the label to your parcel and wait for it to be collected and then delivered to your customer.
Read more about Shipmondo here.
