From handheld, portable label makers to industrial-grade machines, there's a wide variety of label makers available to purchase.
Whether you're printing labels for shipping purposes, organizing your home, or tagging cables, the right label maker is essential. Label printers have come along way in recent years and are now more affordable than ever before.
Here are the best label makers to get organized.
The Brady BMP41 Printer is a beast of a label maker. It's a solid choice for large projects involving construction, electrics, and more. It offers the right balance between affordability and functionality, especially for industrial services.
This label maker prints at around 1.3 inches per second and delivers good print quality all around. The Brady BMP41 Printer is recommended for labeling electrical equipment, safety equipment, wiring, and cabling, plus lots more.
As an industrial-strength label maker, consumables such as different labels and cartridges are expensive. Depending on the quantity and complexity of your prints, overall running costs will vary.
You can use Brady's Workstation software via USB to determine the type of labels you want to print. It is also compatible with Microsoft Excel if you're going to print groups of labels at once.
- Multi-line label printing
- QWERTY keyboard with LCD display
- Compatible with Brady M Series Label Tape cartridges
- Brand: Brady
- Type: Label Maker
- Color Printing: No
- Scanner: No
- Document Feeder: No
- Pages Per Minute: N/A
- Plenty of supported label stock and materials
- Works with Microsoft Excel
- Good print quality
- Expensive consumables
The Brother QL-800 allows you to print professional-quality labels fast. You can print from your PC, Mac, or Android device when connected with a USB On-The-Go (OTG) cable. You can print standard labels in high-resolution to offer a crisp and clear text.
No software is required to start printing your labels, making this a great choice for novices. It offers good value for money and allows you to print directly from Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Brother offers roughly 25 different label types, which are sold on a per-label basis. Although you won't need to buy any ink or toner for this printer, you will need to replace the Brother DK rolls, costing around $8 per roll.
- Prints up to 93 standard address labels per minute
- Able to print postage labels from your desk
- No ink or toner required
- Brand: Brother
- Type: Label Maker
- Color Printing: No
- Scanner: No
- Document Feeder: No
- Pages Per Minute: N/A
- Fast output
- Prints in black or red
- Good selection of label types
- Red printing is only available on one label type
The Brother P-Touch Cube is excellent value for money and offers decent label print quality. This label maker is specifically designed for iOS and Android devices, so you can print directly from your phone, but not a PC or laptop.
Suppose you're looking for simplicity; the Brother P-Touch Cube ticks all the boxes. You can go from opening the package to printing a label within minutes. The Design&Print app is also excellent, allowing you to design multiple types of labels.
If you're looking for an entry-level label maker to organize your home or office, the Brother P-Touch Cube is a solid choice. However, it doesn't have a USB port or charging cable. Instead, it requires replaceable AAA batteries, so it's worth having some to hand.
- Design and print labels directly from a smartphone
- Multiple label templates
- Bluetooth connection
- Brand: Brother
- Type: Label Maker
- Color Printing: Yes
- Scanner: No
- Document Feeder: No
- Pages Per Minute: N/A
- Good print quality
- Runs on AC or battery power
- Easy to use mobile app
- Requires replaceable batteries
The Brother P-Touch Cube Plus is very similar to the P-Touch Cube, except it features a built-in rechargeable battery, automatic cutter, and supports multiple devices. This label maker is also twice as fast.
If you need to print labels regularly at home or in the office, the Brother P-Touch Cube Plus is worth the extra cost. Essential labels can be printed in a matter of seconds and offer a print resolution of 180 DPI.
The Brother P-Touch Cube Plus supports Bluetooth and USB 2.0 connections, allowing you to print from Windows, Mac, and directly from your phone.
However, as was the case with its predecessor, consumables for this label maker are expensive. The cost depends on labels' quality and size, starting at just under $20 for black print on premium matte clear laminated tape.
- 20mm per second
- Option of three different Brother software apps
- Includes starter tape and USB cable
- Brand: Brother
- Type: Label Maker
- Color Printing: No
- Scanner: No
- Document Feeder: No
- Pages Per Minute: N/A
- Good print quality
- Automatic cutter
- Large selection of labels
- Expensive consumables
The DYMO LabelManager 500TS includes a rechargeable battery, making it very portable. You can connect the label maker to your Windows PC or Mac via USB or use it as a standalone labeler from your home, office, or anywhere else.
Setting up the DYMO LabelManager 500TS is quick and easy, as is replacing the tape cartridge when needed. DYMO offers label printing software that you can use to create and print your labels which is also straightforward.
If you're using the labeler in standalone mode and have long lists of data to scroll through, it can be irritating, often skipping items with a slight lag. You can also expect slower print speeds with the DYMO LabelManager 500TS than other label makers, averaging around six seconds for a 3.5-inch label.
- Rechargeable battery
- QWERTY keyboard layout
- Full color touchscreen
- Brand: Dymo
- Type: Label Maker
- Color Printing: No
- Scanner: No
- Document Feeder: No
- Pages Per Minute: N/A
- Can print from PC or as a standalone labeler
- Automatic cutter
- Easy to use
- Hard to scroll through long lists
The DYMO LabelWriter 450 is much faster than the DYMO 450. This label maker is ideal for printing multiple labels like those from a mailing list. The printer can be set up via USB and comes with a standard driver so that you can print from a selection of programs.
The DYMO LabelWriter 450 offers add-ins for older versions of Microsoft Office, including Office XP, Office 2003, and Office 2007. You can print labels using data directly from spreadsheets, which is incredibly useful. However, the Microsoft Word add-in doesn't integrate very well and can be temperamental.
While the DYMO LabelWriter 450 doesn't come with an automatic cutter. However, it is easy enough to tear the label off cleanly without any hassle. The print quality is excellent, and the unit can print labels in a matter of seconds. DYMO labels cost anywhere between $12 to $15 for address and shipping labels in rolls of 300.
- Imports data directly from Microsoft Excel, Office, and Google Contacts
- Direct thermal print technology
- Customizable with Dymo's software
- Brand: DYMO
- Type: Label Maker
- Color Printing: No
- Scanner: No
- Document Feeder: No
- Pages Per Minute: N/A
- Prints postage labels
- Includes great label printing software
- Small and compact
- Doesn't integrate well with Microsoft Word
The Arkscan 2054A is ideal for users who want to print regular shipping labels for services like Amazon, PayPal, Shopify, and lots more. While there's nothing particularly fancy about this label maker, it offers basic functionality at an affordable cost.
The Arkscan 2054A doesn't support Bluetooth, but you can easily connect it via USB to your Windows PC or Mac. It doesn't feature a screen, but this labeler is incredibly easy to use and is compatible with the included software BarTender UltraLite Label Making for Windows.
The Arkscan 2054A prints at around five inches per second, delivering good print quality at 203 DPI. Replacements can be purchased at an average of four cents per label, making it relatively affordable and easy to print large volumes.
- Prints shipping labels
- One second per 6x4-inch shipping label
- Includes label design software
- Brand: Arkscan
- Type: Label Maker
- Color Printing: No
- Scanner: No
- Document Feeder: No
- Pages Per Minute: N/A
- Large selection of label stock
- Good print quality
- Works with shipping software
- No support for smartphones
FAQ
Q: Is a Label Maker Worth It?
Label makers are a great way to organize things and make life a little easier. In most cases, label makers are portable and light, allowing users to move them to different locations and tag what they need to.
Q: How Do I Choose a Label Maker?
Label makers come in all different shapes and sizes, offering various features too. Some can be connected via Bluetooth to your smartphone, whereas others need to connect to a computer or laptop.
Choosing a label maker depends on your requirements, and you should consider whether you need a keyboard, LCD screen, or varying label sizes.
Q: Can You Repair a Label Maker?
The most common issue people find with label makers is that the tape jams inside the machine. It's recommended that you open the back cover and remove the tape entirely from the device.
Check that there are no blockages and all parts are in their correct places. You can then reinstall the tape to check that it is working.
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