Which barcode printer?

Table of contents:

1. Types of barcode printers - which ones can we distinguish?

2. what is the best label printer?

3. What to pay attention to when choosing a barcode label printer?

• 3.1 Individual needs of your enterprise.
• 3.2 Types of printer, and the working time.
• 3.3 Label and printer size.
• 3.4 Label printing technology and DPI resolution.
• 3.5 Barcode printer interface.
• 3.6 Program do projektowania etykiet
• 3.6 Label printer housing, and workplace conditions.
• 3.7 Self-adhesive label printer - equipment.
• 3.8 Barcode printer - price and operating costs.
• 3.9 Warranty and service contracts.

4 Summary.

1 Types of barcode printers - which ones can we distinguish?

We can divide label printers by application and printing technology. With regard to the purpose, we distinguish industrial, semi-industrial, desktop, portable and kiosk printers, and with regard to the method of printing we can point out thermal, thermal transfer, thermosublimation and retransfer printers.

Division of label printers by application:

Industrial and semi-industrial printer - industrial printers are used in the logistics, manufacturing and industrial sectors. They are most often used in warehouses, production halls or transport companies. They are characterized by reinforced metal housing, extraordinary resistance to external and internal factors, and are adapted to work in harsh conditions. They can print a very large number of labels in a short time, while working continuously, and have a wide range of functions. For this, semi-industrial printers usually have limited speed and number of prints and have a shorter operating time.

Desktop printers - are used in offices, retail, or small businesses, and are distinguished by their simple, unreinforced design and small size. They are easy to use, but have longer print times and shorter run times, compared to, for example, semi-industrial printers. They will work well in places with low label demand (about 90-600 prints per day).

Portable (mobile) printers - as the name suggests, they are characterized by the fact that they are wireless and compact, so their advantage is also lightweight and intuitive. They are used to print receipts, tickets, barcodes, small labels and stickers. Most often they have a plastic housing and are not as durable as industrial printers. They are used in retail, rail transportation, small businesses or personal use.

Kiosk printers - are designed for built-in use, such as in ATMs (for printing transaction confirmations), parking meters, public transportation or ticket offices. They are distinguished by the lack of housing and usually metal construction.

Division of label printers by printing technology:

Thermal printer - uses a technology that burns content onto a thermal-coated label. This paper slides under the printer's head, and its heaters burn dark marks to form the content. However, they have a limited shelf life and can fade after some time - so they should not be exposed to daylight. It is most often used for printing receipts, marking courier shipments or products by weight in grocery stores.

Thermal transfer printer - works by heating the thermal transfer ribbon (carbon paper), which contains a coloring substance. The printing process involves moving the color ribbon together with a roll of stickers, and then heating the carbon paper and pressing it to the label, creating a very durable product. It will find use where durable labels are needed, such as on clothing labels, small shipping labels, lab markings in laboratories and the chemical industry.

Thermosublimation printer - is used to print photos or plastic cards, by sublimating (changing from a solid to a gaseous state) layers of color film, using high temperature. The ink in its new state penetrates the card, creating a chemical reaction and printing the content.

Retransfer printer - is also used to print cards. This method involves placing the card design on a transfer film, which, along with a protective layer, is glued onto a blank card. What distinguishes these prints? They have a very high quality and will be used both in large companies and at home.

2 What is the best printer for labels?

There are thousands of devices on the market today, such as a printer designed for printing labels and barcodes, but which one to choose? We know that it is not easy to determine what printing equipment you need, so we have prepared a guide to find out what parameters you should pay attention to in order to match this device to your business.

3 What to look for when choosing a barcode label printer?

3.1 Individual needs of your business - The best courier label printer is one that meets the individual needs of your business and has the parameters to meet them. Why are the parameters so important? Because by choosing an unsuitable printer (for example, an office printer for the production floor) you risk company downtime, inferior print quality or low resistance to operation in harsh conditions.

3.2 Printer types, and working time - As you already know, there are two divisions of barcode printers: the division by application and printing technologies. How does this relate to operating time? The longest operating time is for industrial printers, which must be adapted to the need to print a massive number of labels (more than 60,000 per month) without interruption, associated, for example, with a large number of manufactured parts or goods. Semi-industrial printers work for a slightly shorter time (printing up to a few thousand labels per day and about 50 thousand per month), while desktop printers, on the other hand, are created for reduced use (a few hundred per day on average, or about 15 thousand per month). Mobile printers are for occasional use. So it's worth determining how many stickers per day you intend to print, and for how long, so that it's tailored to the work of your business.

3.3 Label and Printer Size - The key issue you should determine at the outset is the size of the sticker you intend to use. Printing devices have a specific head width, most of which is 110 mm, but there are heads available above this width (up to 150 mm) and you can only find them in industrial printers. For what it's worth, standard labels for desktop and semi-industrial printers have widths from about 40 mm to 110 mm. Looking at the size of barcode printers, you can see that their industrial versions are much larger and are heavier (weighing about 20/30 kg) than desktop ones (having about 1.5 kg). Therefore, depending on its size and weight, pay attention to whether you have enough space for it.

3.4 DPI technology and resolution - To figure out which printing technology to choose, consider what you care about most: if you're looking for a cost-effective solution and don't need a large number of labels, choose an efficient thermal printer with a low print quality rating (such as 200 dpi). On the other hand, if you need small print sizes with high quality, consider buying a printer with a 600 dpi rating, which, however, is associated with longer print times and higher consumption of consumables. Thermal printers use paper and thermal labels, which makes them a cost-effective solution in the long run. However, it is worth mentioning that they are not as durable as materials for thermal transfer technology, which have a slightly higher price. Both thermal, industrial and desktop printers can have 600 dpi, but also 200 dpi.

3.5 Interface - To realize the full potential of the label printer, you should pay attention to the interfaces it has. The most popular interfaces are USB, RS232, LPP, and network versions, namely Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Enthernet. Therefore, it's a good idea to think about what kind of device you would like to connect your printer to and choose the correct type of interface, since not all of them use a network connection or RS232 connection, which you may need to connect a device like a barcode printer to a reader.

3.6 Label design program - Another important item you should look at is the barcode logistics label design program you will use. It's worth checking that it's compatible with the barcode printer you choose and that you can easily and quickly create your design and print it. Choose a program that has many types of barcodes, a clear interface, is easy to use and will allow you to design without limitations, while remaining an economical solution. All these conditions are met by HDF Labels, a professional program for creating and printing self-adhesive labels. It supports 1D, 2D and hybrid barcodes and allows batch printing and efficient printing, including for Zebra printers (and other printing devices with ZPL II emulation). It supports Polish and German diacritical characters, which makes creating personalized logistics labels even more enjoyable.

3.7 Label printer housing and workplace conditions - You should also consider the conditions in which the device will work. After all, we want it to be operational for as long as possible, so it is worth adjusting it for individual factors of the enterprise. So the housing is important, which in the case of a production hall or warehouse is exposed to dust, dirt or other external factors. In this case, an industrial printer, with a reinforced metal casing, resistant to damage and dirt, will work best. Another consideration is the operating temperature - take it into account if you intend to use it in low (below about 5°C) or excessively high temperatures (above 40°C), as it may not work in such conditions. For what it's worth, the desktop versions of these devices will not be suitable for harsh conditions, so the best place for them is offices, reception areas, libraries, or laboratories.

3.8 Self-adhesive label printer - equipment - It's a well-known fact that it's what's on the inside that counts most, not the outside, so when choosing a barcode printer you should consider its equipment. If you care about RFID labels, it's worth finding out whether a particular sticker printer is equipped with an RFID tag reader/programmer, and if you want full convenience, find out whether the device is equipped with a cutter, peeler or rewinder. The cutter (Cutter) is used to automatically cut off the finished material with a special blade, so that you don't have to tear it off by hand. A peeler (Peel-off) works by physically separating the finished sticker from the tape, allowing the worker to stick it straight onto the goods. A rewinder, an accessory that allows finished labels to be quickly wound onto a new coil, can also be helpful, so that we don't have to worry about a long strip of stickers sticking out of the machine.

3.9 Barcode printer - price and operating costs - before buying it, you should determine how much you are able to spend on it. The price of the equipment depends on factors such as build quality, size of the device, technology, print quality, operating time and conditions, and additional features. Industrial printers are the most expensive, with the highest build quality, due to their extreme durability, uninterrupted operation and use in harsh environments. Smaller, usually plastic, desktop thermal printers will be much more economical, but will only be able to work in certain places for a short time. Also, don't forget to determine how many prints you will need, not only because of your choice of printer type, but also considering the cost of consumables - thermal labels are the basic and cheapest option, but they are prone to fading quickly. The price is also influenced by the manufacturer of the printer: Zebra, or Honeywell provide the highest quality and ensure that your device will not cause costly downtime for your company. Therefore, when choosing it, however, you should put functionality, quality and durability first.

3.10 Warranty and Service Contracts - To protect yourself against equipment failure, it's a good idea to check in advance the duration of the warranty and the service contracts the vendor offers. For example, when you buy a Zebra printer from our store, you can equip it with a 3-year Zebra One Care service contract, providing phone support, express 3-day hardware repair, continuous software updates and security. This is a worthy investment, despite the fact that most people give it up. Unfortunately, the warranty doesn't cover mechanical damage, to which the equipment is most vulnerable, and a one-time service several times a year can cost much more than buying an additional service package when you buy the device.

4 Summary

The most important issue in choosing a barcode printer is to match its parameters to the nature of your business and its individual needs. When making a choice, first of all pay attention to its durability and quality of printing, and only then to the price - remember that an economical desktop printer will not work on the production floor with a high degree of dust. So if what matters to you is performance and adequate price for the equipment, we invite you to take a look at our offer of barcode label printers.