Why a Label Printer is a Great Business Investment
Are you looking for a good label printer? Read this article to learn how to choose your next label printer.
The world of business has changed thanks in part to technology. People are demanding more of small businesses today than in the past. They want small businesses to be able to create customized products and supply them quickly. Each of these products needs to have a unique label that represents the brand of the company behind them.
One way for business owners to keep pace with what customers are demanding of them is to outsource their label printing. This brings with it a whole host of problems, including increased costs and the need to do reorders if the labels are not printed properly. This delays shipping and can easily frustrate customers who are accustomed to getting immediate results.
A smart small business owner may want to look into in-house label printing for small run custom label printing. A business owner will need to look at the needs of their business and the materials that they are printing on when determining which label printer they are going to purchase. For example, printing on Tyvek using a laser printer has its own difficulties, and that's why standard laser printers won't work well with the Tyvek material.Understanding Labeling Requirements
Labelling regulations vary, depending on the product that's being labelled. Some labelling regulations demand that manufacturers include GHS labels on their products. This may require that the labels be printed in colour. The cost of having these labels pre-printed by a printing house can be expensive. Investing in a digital label printer will allow a business owner to print as many labels as they need for a moderate price. They can customize the number of labels that they print to meet their needs without needing to overprint to meet the requirements of a printing house.Owning a Label Printer Allows for Design Flexibility
Most small businesses need to play around with label designs before they find one that is right for them. It can be expensive to constantly go to a printer to get a proof of new labels only to throw it away if it is not effective. Having an in-house label printer allows a small business to test a number of label ideas, print small batches for seasonal offerings, and print a number of variations without needing to waste large batches of labels.How to Choose the Right Label Printer for Your Business
Most printing solutions for small businesses vary depending on what it is going to be used for. The same principle applies when selecting the best label printer for your business. The first question you need to ask is, what are your business needs? This will allow you to find the best technology for the task you have at hand. If you overestimate or underestimate your labelling needs, you may find yourself spending money on a printer that doesn't meet your needs, or you may find that you have spent too much money on a printer that does more than what you really need it to do.
One of the first things to consider is how frequently you are going to be using the label printer. Is your label printer something that you are going to be using temporarily? Or is it something that you are going to be using on an ongoing basis? Ask yourself how frequently your business will actually print labels. And it's good to determine the number of labels you will need at one time.
Once you factor this in, think about quality. How high-quality do you need the labels to be? What size do you need them to be? Are you looking for a printing device that is stationary, or is it more effective for your business to purchase a label printer that is portable? Once you understand the requirements of your business along with the limitations of your budget, you are able to focus on different label printing models to find the one that's right for you.Inkjet Versus Thermal
Inkjet and thermal are the two classes of label printing machines that you can choose from. Thermal printing technology uses heat to create a permanent image. Thermal printing technology can be broken down into two sub-categories, which are direct thermal printing and thermal transfer printing.
With direct thermal printing, a chemically treated material gets darker when the heat is applied via the thermal print head. It doesn't need ink or ribbons, but it's limited to creating black-and-white images that may fade over time. This is used primarily for bar code printing.
Thermal transfer printing, on the other hand, is where heat is applied to a printer ribbon that's made from wax or resin. This heat is applied through the thermal print head. This leads to the ribbon surface melting and then the wax or resin is applied to the label, creating the desired design. Colour ribbons are used if you want to print in colour. Most people see thermal printing as a cost-effective method.
Inkjet printing technology can be thermal or piezoelectric. Of the two, the piezoelectric option is considered to be faster and more accurate. During this process, droplets of ink are shot at the label surface at a very fast rate. Around 40,000 drops of ink per second. This creates a photo quality image. Piezoelectric printers are fast, efficient, and inexpensive to operate. These are often used to create quality coloured labels. Since heat is not used, a wider range of inks can be used, including inks that are heat sensitive.
Once you determine the technology that you are going to use for the printing, you want to look at whether you need a handheld, desktop, or commercial label printer. The number of labels you need to be printed and the speed with which you need them printed are going to be factors to consider.
Handheld label printers are often used by ticketing agencies, the healthcare field, and warehouses that create labels for logistics.
Commercial colour label printers are used for more heavy-duty printing requirements, such as factory floors and manufacturing plants. These heavy-duty printers can produce high-quality labels while simultaneously allowing companies to meet their labelling needs without sacrificing speed or quality.
Are you currently printing labels in-house? What type of label printers are you using? We would love to hear from you. Let us know in the comments section below.
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