LABEL PRINTERS FOR THE RETAIL BUSINESS

Are you running a home retail business, selling on-line, or just sending out a lot of mail? It might be time to consider buying a specialized label printer. These devices are small and economically priced, and they can be ideal for large mailings and other label needs.

If you only do occasional label printing, you may not need a separate label printer. There are a variety of label types that you can use with your inkjet or laser printer. Labels come in a wide variety of sizes, colours, and weights. Avery is the leading company that produces labels, although you can find other brands at office supply stores. Most word processing applications come with special templates for labels and will usually specifically indicate which Avery label to use. This also goes for many publishing and database programs. There are a few printers that offer specialized printing abilities. For example, some printers will actually print directly onto printable CD/DVDs.

However, if your needs are more extensive than your current printer can handle, a dedicated label printer can be great solution. Be aware that label printers can range in price from $100 to $300 or more, depending on your needs. There is a number of small consumer grade printers that can print out a roll of labels in a reasonable length of time. If you require labelling for larger mailings, and time is a major factor, look for the faster and more expensive models.

Most label printers are thermal printers, which use heat process to melt the ink into the paper. This process achieves a lower print quality, but it is sufficient for label text and simple graphics. While the majority of label printers take their data directly from your computer, there are a few that offer a keyboard so that you can also enter data directly into the device. Common features on label printers are a USB connection, a variety of available label types, and labels at least two inches wide. Some nice additional features to look for are separate black and color ink cartridges, the ability to automatically peel-off labels, and a printer that prints bar codes.