Did you know that over 99% of America’s 28.7 million companies are small businesses? Many like to compare small businesses to large corporations, but there are a lot of similarities between the two.
For one, both types of businesses need certain equipment, like label printers. If you’re in need, keep reading to learn how to choose the best label printer.
Table of Contents
Printer Size
When you think of a label printer, you might think of a small printer you can hold with one hand. However, there are different printer sizes to choose from.
A portable printer label is small and best for printing sample labels or for shelf edge labeling.
Portable printers are great for portability (duh!), but they aren’t right for long-life labels or labels that will be subjected to high temperatures.
A desktop printer is less durable and larger than a portable printer, but still small enough to place on a desk. You’ll need to refill the label maker more often than a larger printer, but they cost less in the initial purchase.
Lastly, an industrial label printer is metal cased, quick, and can print longer without the need for refills. They are more expensive, but you get a lot of durability and function for the price.
Durability
As we discussed above, an industrial label printer is going to be the most durable option. However, they aren’t necessary purchases for every business.
If you print 100 labels a day, you don’t need an industrial label printer. You’ll get away with using a portable or desktop label printer.
Industrial printers are durable enough to print 10,000 labels each day of the year. Epson printers can handle tasks like this.
Connectivity
Connectivity is a fancy way of deciding how your printer will receive printing orders. There are different options, including:
- USB
- Ethernet
- Bluetooth
- WiFi
- Memory Cards
- Applicator Port or Applicator Interface
USB is the most common connectivity option. Pretty much every style of printer will come with a USB connection. Some include more than one option and others have Ethernet or Bluetooth as the standard.
Performance
When buying a label printer, you’ll also want to consider the performance of the printer. Print speed ranges from four inches per second to 14 inches per second.
Unless you are waiting on labels to ship out products, speed generally isn’t an issue.
If you run a production line where every second spent waiting on a label will cost you money, speed is something to consider when looking into the different types of label printers.
Buy a faster printer for this situation or if you have staff waiting for batches of labels. Larger industrial printers are faster than smaller portable and desktop ones.
Choose the Right Label Printer for Your Needs
If you run a small business and only make about 100 labels per day, you can get away with buying a portable or desktop label printer.
If you need something faster that can create thousands of labels in a day, an industrial label printer is the way to go.
Use this guide to choose the right printer for your needs. Don’t forget to keep coming back for more articles like this.
