Labels & Labelmakers
If you are a business that uses labels, you need the right materials and equipment to keep going. Needless to say, you’ll need labels and labelmakers to get the job done. This guide will go over the features that you need to look for when looking for both items.
We’ll also go over the considerations that you need to mull over prior to making a final purchasing decision. It’s important that you consider your critical needs and how much you’re willing to spend. This can whittle down your options considerably, but it will make the decision process quicker.
Now, let’s go over the features you need to know about labels and labelmakers.
The common features of labels and labelmakers
Paper quality
To begin, we can talk about the labels themselves. The paper quality of your labels can be important. Because they may be transported from your business to places near and far.
You want them to be durable enough to where they don’t get damaged. Especially when they are handled multiple times during the shipping process. It’s always a good idea to consider paper types such as regular, semi-gloss, or high-gloss.
Compatibility
Of course, you’ll want a label maker that works well with your computer and wireless devices. The question is: what operating system are you using? You may want to find a label maker that gets the job done while it’s compatible with the same operating system you use for everything else.
Of course, you have labelmakers that have wireless capabilities. If you are using wireless devices, make sure they are compatible with the operating system you’re using. Regardless if you are using a computer or a smartphone, compatibility will matter most.
Size and shape
Labels and labelmakers come in different shapes and sizes. It’s important you decide how large your labelmaker needs to be. If you need to save space, opt for a smaller size.
Another thing you’ll want to be aware of is that smaller printers may not print large-sized labels. So it may be a good idea to think about this feature over a few times. You may purchase a small labelmaker to save space, but it will only produce labels up to a certain size.
What to consider when choosing labels and labelmakers?
Now that we’ve gone over the common features of labels and labelmakers, you’ll understand what to look for in them. However, it’s important to go over the following considerations that factor into your decision.
Each person has their own critical needs and preferences. These considerations below will depend on yours. With that said, let’s take a look at the following:
Which one is compatible with my operating system?
The first major consideration to go over is compatibility. You already know the operating system you’re using for your devices on a regular basis. This will get rid of some of the options on the market for you because of incompatibility.
Once again, you’ll want to decide on a printer that isn’t just compatible with a computer’s OS. But also consider which ones are compatible with the operating system that is on your mobile devices. You may have whittled down your options at this point.
So now, it’s time to move on to the other considerations.
What materials are you using for printing?
Your labels can be made from plastic, papers, or other materials. It’s important to consider which material will serve you the best. For example, keep quality and durability as your two top attributes in mind.
The better the quality, the better the labels will last. However, some labelmakers will accept one material and may not use the other. Some may be versatile enough to print with either plastic or paper.
What is your intended purpose?
The intended purpose of a labelmaker is obvious. You’re creating labels. What will the labels be used for?
Are you shipping products from your eCommerce store? Are you printing labels for your own products? Or is it both?
The intended purpose will determine the kind of labelmaker you need. Not to mention, not every labelmaker will be able to do it all. Some may print mailing labels and others will do larger labels for products and other items.
Decide what your intended purpose will be going forward. From there, you can get a printer that will work to your advantage.
Size and shape
The size and shape will matter to those who care about space. Keep in mind that the larger the labelmaker, the larger the sizes of labels will be. To that end, it’s important that you decide on what size labels you want to print.
Then, you can decide on a labelmaker that can create labels of that specific size. Also, the size of the label maker can also determine if you can make multiple amounts at the same time. Creating multiple labels can save you time (especially if you’re in a time crunch).
What can I afford?
As we have stated in many of our buyer’s guides, we know that you may be on a budget. That’s why we encourage you to consider your most pressing needs and which labelmaker will address it. It’s also important to consider which one will serve you best in terms of overall quality and performance.
Yes, higher quality and performance will be expensive. And your cheapest option may produce not so good results. So it’s important to invest in labels and labelmakers that are good enough to satisfy your critical needs.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for labels and labelmakers, we hope that this guide will be helpful. As you may have noticed, we didn’t mention any specific brands or products. We’ll leave that up to you.
We care more about helping you find the best performing labelmaker that fits you best. Likewise, we also want to help you find the best quality labels for your business. Best of all - we make sure that you can find one that fits your budget and lasts a long time.
