Whether you are in a trading business that requires shipping a lot of materials, run a distribution facility of any kind, or simply need to manage your stock, a label printer is a useful device that can play an important role in managing your stock by customizing labels.
A label printer is also called shipping label printer, or thermal label printer. The printers are essential not just for large warehouses but also for small business owners such as those running FBA stores.
Here we will look at 5 best label printers. These differ in price ranges as well as functionality.
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If you are looking for sticker printers instead, read this article.
Comparison Table of Top Label Printers in 2020
| Model | Speed | Label Software | Zebra Support | Connectivity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DYMO LabelWriter 450 Turbo | 71 Labels Per Minute | Yes | No | USB | See details |
| DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo | 71 Labels Per Minute | Yes | No | USB | See details |
| MUNBYN Label Printer | 5.9 inches per second | No | No | USB | See details |
| Brother QL-810W | 110 Labels Per Minute | Yes | No | USB, Wireless | See details |
| Arkscan 2054A | 5 inches per Second | Yes | Yes | USB | See details |
List of Best Label Printers in 2020
We have selected the following Label printers as the best in certain aspects. Note that all of the following printers are thermal label printers.
What are Thermal Label Printers?
Thermal label printers do not require any ink. However, they can only print in monochrome and not in color.
- DYMO LabelWriter 450 Turbo – Budget – 71 Labels Per Minute
- DYMO Label Writer 450 Twin Turbo – 71 Labels Per Minute – Two Independent Rolls
- MUNBYN Label Printer – Feature Rich
- Brother QL-810W – 110 Labels Per Minute – Wireless Connectivity
- Arkscan 2054A – Supports Stamps.com and Zebra LP2844
Lets look at these selected printers in more detail.
1. DYMO LabelWriter 450 Turbo – Budget – 71 Labels Per Minute
If you are tight on budget, or if you are looking for a basic option, then this may certainly come in handy.
You must note that while any conventional printer can print labels, a dedicated label printer can greatly increase your efficiency.
Plus being a Thermal Printer, it does not require any ink.
This printer prints at about the speed of 71 labels per minute given that the label follows the standard 4 line address.
If you customize your own label, it may be slower or faster depending upon the design.
Speaking of customization, this printer also comes with a dedicated DYMO Label software which allows you to create and customize your labels.
Note that this model also as a none “Turbo” version i.e the vanilla DYMO LabelWriter 450. It is even cheaper, but it has slower speeds and also does not print postage.
All in all, if you are looking for a budget option, then this is one of the best label printers.
Also Read: Best Legal Size Flatbed Scanners
2. DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo – 142 Labels Per Minute – Two Independent Rolls
This is a step up from the DYMO LabelWriter 450 Turbo above and it is excellent for high volume business.
Since it is basically twice as capable as the base version, it is also twice as expensive.
Each section can print at the speed of 71 standard labels minute.
However, there real benefit here is that you can have two different tolls installed at the same time. Therefore, you can have one label for address another for stamps.
That way you would not have to swap the rolls each time you want to print something different.
Like the DYMO LabelWriter 450 Turbo above, this too comes with a specialized software for label creation and customization.
All in all, if you want to improve efficiency with your label and stamp printing, then this is one of the best label printers in 2019.
3. MUNBYN Label Printer – Feature Rich
MUNBYN Label Printer is slightly more expensive than the DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo however, it comes with several robust features for ease of use.
For starters, this is also a thermal printer and therefore you won’t need any ink replacement. Secondly, it comes with safety features like overheat protection.
A thermal printer can heat up when used for several minutes continuously. This printer has a system that allows it to take a break for 5 minutes until it cools down. This can prevent any damage to components inside.
Other than that, it also has features that improve its reliability. It offers Auto Prevent Paper Jams as well as anti skid function. These features may seem trivial, but they can save your from a lot of frustration in the long run.
Another ease of use feature it offers is the Auto Learn your Paper Size. This feature allows the printer to detect the size of the labels. As such, the printer prints without any discrepancies in terms of size and layout.
If there is one thing this printer offers, it is reliability. This can certainly be seen by the load of positive customer reviews it has received.
Given all that, this surely deserves a spot in this list of best label printers in 2019.
4. Brother QL-810W – 110 Labels Per Minute – Wireless Connectivity
Brother needs no introduction. It is a highly respected and a reliable brand in the printer market.
You would expect that a label printer from Brother would be expensive since Brother in itself carries a premium over generic brand names, however, that is hardly the case.
For its speed and features, this is fairly cheap Thermal Printer to acquire. It prints at speeds of 110 labels per minute. Which is fairly fast.
Other than, this is among the rare thermal printers that comes with Wireless connectivity. Therefore, you can practically print from anywhere and from anything, including mobile devices, so long as you are connected to a WiFi network.
This printer also includes P-Touch software for creating labels.
Unfortunately, this printer does have one small caveat. You have to use genuine brother supplies otherwise the warranty will not cover any damages.
Also Read: Best Scanners with WiFi
5. Arkscan 2054A – Supports Stamps.com and Zebra LP2844
Arkscan 2054A is a multi-functional printer that can be used to create labels for shipping, products, or any other purpose. It covers creating shipping labels almost all of the famous services including Paypal, Shopify, ShipGator etc. It also supports stamps.com.
It’s a thermal printer that does not need to refill ink or toner. You can create your labels with customized texts, graphics, or images.
You can link it to any application in your PC or Mac. You can make the printer compatible with Zebra LP2844 that support much software that requires zebra printers only.
It takes 1.2 seconds to create a 4×6 shipping label. A 4 x 6 shipping label is pretty large and to be able to print that at 1.2 second is fairly fast. Of course smaller labels will be printed even faster. In other words, it can print at about 5 inches per second.
One of the greatest aspect about this product that it has won the most favorable customer reviews out of all the label printers listed here. This customers have vouched for its quality, ease of use and hassle free operation.
The scanner also comes with a free label making software that you can use to create and customize the designs.
Another specialized feature it offers is that allows Zebra LP2844 software to interface with the device. Some specialized software only work with Zebra LP2844 compatible printers.
If you came here looking for a printer supports stamps.com, has Zebra LP2488 support and has won the most favorable customer reviews, then this is certainly among the best labels printers out there.
Also Read: Best Business Card Scanners
FAQ
How to choose from the Best Label Printers?
Choosing the right label printer depends on your individual needs.
Number of Labels you need to Print Daily
You can check the duty cycle of the printer and see whether it matches your required daily needs. Overusing a device daily reduce its lifespan and create complications in machinery.
Not all of the best label printers are super fast. Some are fast, others are affordable. Therefore, you have to weigh in on your printing demand.
Size of your label
You might need printing labels of varying sizes. Always check whether the printer offers to support the sizes you will be needing. It should cater you all needs as sure you don’t want to buy a separate printer for your every product.
Quality of printed labels
Quality of labels is very important. After all, a label is sometimes an advertisement for your products.
So if you are not buying a simple monochrome printer for labeling files, you better check whether it prints high-quality labels for promoting your brand and name.
What is Thermal Printing Technology?
Thermal printing is when your printing uses different healing applications for creating a permanent image on the label. Thermal Printing can be done in two ways.
- Direct thermal printing: In this process, a chemically treated material becomes darker when the heat is applied to it via a thermal heat head. It can create black and white labels that can fade over time.
- Thermal Transfer Printing: In this process, heat is melting the resin or wax ribbons that are melted and then applied to the label for creating your desired design. You can create color labels by making use of colored wax ribbons.
Types of Label Printers
Different types of label printers are commonly used in several industries.
Handheld or Desktop Label printers
these are used to create filing and administration, ticket printing, warehouse or logistic labeling and for other simple labels.
Commercial color label printers
These can be used for creating colorful labels for products, logos, and graphics. Industrial or pharmaceutical companies can use them to create labels for chemical or medications.
Industrial Scale Label Printers
These are for business or industries that require larger and versatile label printing. They can use standard size labels or for large format printing for billboards or posters.
Conclusion
Here we looked at the best label printers in the market. While there are plenty more, the highlighted printers above have received great reviews and also offer robust features that can enhance your label printing productivity.
These are all thermal label printers and therefore you do not require any ink.
The right printer for you depends upon your budget as well as on the volume of prints that you need. Sure you can go for the fastest option available, however, if you are not going to ever use it to its full potential then you would have wasted your money.