The questions to ask before choosing his label printer

Buying a label printer is the ideal way to customize your own labels and barcodes. This is a real advantage when you want to print several small quantities of labels. It is also a time advantage as it is usually much quicker than professional label printing. It goes without saying that for large volumes of labels, it makes sense to contact label makers in order to benefit from better prices. 

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The use of barcode labels can be wide: it can be use as pricing labels; tracking labels; identification labels; product labels&#; In order to print all your labels in-house, it is essential to have

• A printer
• Ink ribbons 
• Suitable labels 
• A label design software such as Nicelabel

In this article, we will answer the 3 main questions you should ask yourself before buying a label printer:

- What type of printing for your self-adhesive labels?
- How will you use the printer?
- What size of label to print?

You will also find all the best printers we have selected available on our SBE Direct website.

What type of printing for your self-adhesive labels?

Label printers can be equipped with a variety of printing functions and technologies. There are four techniques for printing barcode labels:

• Thermal transfer: thermal transfer printing technology uses heat to transfer the ink from the ribbon to the substrate.
• Direct thermal: in this case, there is no need for ink ribbons, thanks to a thermal print head equipped with a heating resistor. Thus, the chemically treated paper will blacken on contact with the heat.
• Inkjet printing: Inkjet printing uses ink cartridges and is mainly used for colour printing.
• Laser printing: Laser printing is similar to inkjet printing, except that it uses coloured powders and the laser to fuse the ink and the substrate.

At SBE we only work with manufacturers of thermal transfer and direct thermal transfer printers, as the print quality is superior with better adhesion. In addition, this type of printing is more suitable for synthetic labels, which we also offer.

Now that you know the printing techniques, you need to decide which one best suits your needs.

• For short term labels, direct thermal printers.
• For long term labels, we recommend thermal transfer printers.

Depending on the print choice, you can compare our self-adhesive label printers. And if you don't know which print is right for you, there are always printers with thermal transfer and direct thermal printing.

Available resolutionThermal transferDirect transfer Sato WS4 203 ou 300 dpi x Sato CG2 203 ou 305 dpi x x Sato PV3 203 dpi x Sato CL4NX Plus 203/305/609 dpi x x Sato CT4-LX 203 ou 305 dpi x Cab MACH 4S 203/305/600 dpi x Cab EOS2 ou EOS5 203 ou 300 dpi x x Cab SQUIX4 203/305/600 dpi x Cab SQUIX 2 300 ou 600 dpi x

The resolution of printers is the number of dots that the printer is able to align over a given length. This can be in inches and therefore expressed in dots per inch (dpi) or in dots per inch (dpi). If we convert dpi to dots per millimetre, 203dpi is 8 dots/mm, 305dpi is 12 dots/mm and 600dpi is 24 dots/mm. 

You may not want to print barcodes, so there are specific printers for smart labels. For RFID labels, RFID printing technology writes data onto RFID chips embedded in smart labels. This type of printer is able to transmit data to the chip and encode it. For this type of label, the Sato CT4-LX printer is ideal.

What is the use of the printer?

Printer models are diverse and varied but they can be classified into three main categories. Depending on the use and environment, it is preferable to choose a certain model:

• Industrial printers: robust, imposing and durable printers that are suitable for harsh environments. They combine high quality printing with fast printing to ensure traceability of items, parts and materials in your industry.
• Desktop printers: more compact and multifunctional printers. Because of their small size, they are easy to transport and install in an office. They are suitable for printing shipping labels and identification labels.
• Portable printers: Lightweight, self-contained and mobile, these printers do not require a connection to a PC and can store a lot of information. They are ideal for price marking or sample labelling.

This classification obviously applies to the printers offered by SBE Direct:

• The following printers are available as industrial printers: CL4NX Plus, SQUIX 2 and SQUIX 4,
• SATO CT4-LX, WS4 and CG2 are the office printers from SATO. From CAB, the EOS2, EOS5, MACH 4S printers are compatible with such an environment.
• We offer the PV3 printer as a portable label printer.

To better understand the difference between each of our printers, I recommend that you consult the following article: How to best choose your label printer?

Also, discover our  article on ink rolls, compatible with our printers.

What is the size of the label?

The choice of a label printer is not only a question of printing technology, but also of the size of the self-adhesive label you want. Not all printers accept all label sizes.

Here is a table showing the maximum width of a label to be printed:

Maximum width Sato WS4 104mm SATO CG2 56mm Sato PV3 104mm Sato CT4-LX 128mm Sato CL4NX Plus 104mm CAB MACH 4S (203dpi) : 104 mm - (300dpi) 108,4 mm &#; (600dpi) 105,7 mm Cab EOS2 ou EOS5 108 mm pour 203 dpi et 105,7 pour 300dpi Cab SQUIX4 (203dpi) : 104 mm - (300dpi) 108,4 mm &#; (600dpi) 105,7 mm Cab SQUIX 2 (300 dpi) : 56,9 mm - (600dpi) : 54,1

To complete your in-house label printing system, please check out our wide range of ink ribbons as well as our variety of labels: polypropylene labels, polyester labels, destructible labels and VOID labels.

Recommended article:
Ultimate Guide to UV Laser Tag Engraving

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit roll label printer.

We also advise you to protect your self-printing with the transparent inventory label protectors, which will ensure a longer life for your labels at a low cost!  

It takes a lot of hard work to put out a great product, so you shouldn&#;t damage your brand&#;s image with a subpar label. Great packaging plays a critical role in promoting your products, so it can be very advantageous for small businesses to invest in digital label printing.

However, you shouldn&#;t settle for just any digital label printing company. Some research and pointed questions can help you find the right label printing company for your business. To help your search, here are six key questions to ask a potential printing partner to gauge if they have the right blend of capabilities and customer service for your company.

What are Your Digital Printing Capabilities?

A digital label printing company isn&#;t going to be a good fit if they can&#;t do what you need them to do. Some companies specialize in specific industries which can mean that they only work with certain types of materials or don&#;t offer special printing techniques that can elevate your label like hot foil stamping or embossing. If you have an idea about what type of labels you&#;d like, or want to see what label printing techniques a printer offers, ask them to give you a rundown of their capabilities to see if they can handle your project.

You may also want to inquire about what printing technology a printer uses. A good print engine plays a big part in what capabilities a printer can offer. Digital printing encompasses a wide range of services and technical specifications, but most importantly it can also improve production time for jobs of all sizes. Blue Label uses HP Indigo digital printing presses, which offer state-of-the art technology that allows us to print on any substrate or material to create eye-catching labels. This technology also allows us to offer special services such as variable data label printing to businesses of all sizes.

What Colors Can You Print and Can You Color Match?

Colors are a key aspect of your branding. You shouldn&#;t have to sacrifice your design to accommodate your printer, so make sure that your printing company can recreate it before setting your heart on them. An important part of this includes making sure that both parties use the same color model.

In terms of color models, the three most common abbreviations you&#;ll see are CMYK, RBG, and PMS. Digital printers use CMYK, &#;Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black.&#; The RGB color model is designed for use on light-emitting surfaces like screens, whereas CMYK is meant for use with ink. Because of this, RGB colors won&#;t look quite the same when printed on a digital machine. Typically, CMYK can reach roughly 85 percent of the PANTONE (or PMS) color gamut (another word for the full spectrum of colors possible), but some printing companies can add additional colors to capture even more potential PANTONE colors. For example, Blue Label can add orange and violet, which allows us to create up to 95 percent of PANTONE colors. Those extra color options can make a huge difference when your design is on the line.

If you have a PANTONE color in mind, see if it&#;s something that&#;s within a printer&#;s capabilities. You don&#;t want to be halfway through the printing process and find out that one shade just isn&#;t going to happen.

If you don&#;t have a PANTONE or CMYK color, a printer may be able to use a physical sample or a color swatch to match it. Ask if you can send a physical sample for them to match and make sure that you see a hard copy proof to ensure they did a good job. One person&#;s pistachio green is another&#;s green ash, so it&#;s a good idea to see a physical proof to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Can I See a Proof of My Project?

Speaking of hard copy proofs, you should ask a potential printer if they can send you a sample label even if you aren&#;t trying to color match something. If you&#;re going to spend your hard-earned money on new labels, you deserve to see a proof before you commit to a full run.

Any digital printing company should provide you with a PDF proof or some other example that you can see from your computer, keep in mind what we said about colors looking different on your screen versus printed in CMYK. Moreover, you should also see if they can provide you a physical sample of your label. The reason that hard copy proofs are critical is that you can&#;t completely trust your monitor or TV screen. Every light-emitting surface displays images differently. Some screens are lighter than average, while others are darker. This means that there&#;s always a chance that the labels you see on your screen won&#;t look the same in real life. A physical copy removes that doubt so that your printer can get it right on the first run.

Color isn&#;t the only thing you should review. Physical proofs also give you an opportunity to check your labels for sizing issues and other errors that don&#;t quite translate on a screen. A good digital printing company should be able to provide a sample label proof for a small fee, which can remove any doubts and allows you to request changes. If a printing company doesn&#;t want to give you a hard copy proof on request, then you should probably consider trusting someone else with your labels.

What are Your Turnaround Times?

When you have deadlines to hit, you&#;ll want to know exactly how long your printer will take to make and ship your new labels. A printing company should give you a clear answer when it comes to an expected turnaround time. For example, Blue Label customers know that they can expect their labels to ship three to five days after a proof is approved and a purchase order is signed. Turnaround times at other printing companies may vary, but when your business is on the line, we believe a set turn-time is a standard not an expectation.

Don&#;t be afraid to ask if there are any situations where these turnaround times may change. There are special circumstances that can lengthen the process, such as the need to purchase a custom die or a special substrate. If this is the case, a printer should let you know about these potential delays as soon as possible. If your contact at a printer is dodgy about delivery times and expectations, you shouldn&#;t expect much from them.

What are Your Minimums?

Can&#;t invest in a huge printing job? Digital label printing is well-suited for both large and small orders, which gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to ordering labels. However, every printing company can have a minimum requirement when it comes to small orders.

These requirements can differ from company to company. Some printers go by quantity of labels. Others use monetary value. Either way, a label printing company should make these minimums readily available if you ask about them. At Blue Label, our minimum order amount is as low as $200, which is perfect for quick runs that fall within your comfort level. As usual, if a company is tight-lipped about it&#;s minimum, you should be wary of if they&#;ll leave you hanging on a small order.

How Accessible is Your Company?

Finding a good printing partner is about more than just technology and capabilities. You should be able to trust the people you work with as well. A quick turnaround time isn&#;t all that effective if your contact takes a while to get back to you or if nobody is available to answer your questions.

When you&#;re trying to identify a good printing partner, ask them how available they are during the printing process and who your point of contact is for your project. The custom product label process requires a lot of attention to detail and quick responses to job requests, order acknowledgment, and any necessary changes depending on your product needs or design. During this process, your printer may assign you an account manager who will discuss the ins and outs of your project and make sure everything is good to go when it comes time to print. If your printer has trouble even responding to your questions about accessibility, then they&#;re probably not all that accessible.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of playing cards slitting machine. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Find a Digital Label Printing Company with the Right Answers