Which barcode printer is best for your business?
There is a great choice of barcode printers on the market but businesses should do some careful research to ensure they get the best return on investment. If time is put into the initial planning the transition from manual to automatic data collection will go much more smoothly saving time and money.
Industrial barcode label printers are heavy duty, larger and tougher than desktop printers. They are suited to printing labels for from a few hours each day, up to 24 hours each day, depending on the model and can accommodate a higher volume than desktop printers and print labels faster. Because they have a larger case they can hold more labels, tickets and ink eliminating the need for frequent changes of media. Contained in metal cases, industrial printers are ideal for factory or warehouse settings, or where large numbers of labels need to be printed. Uses include address and shipping labels, asset and product labels, compliance labels, outer case and pallet labels.
Larger industrial label printers offer a great deal of flexibility with more connection options as standard – so it’s easier to integrate into existing or future computer networks. They also offer more optional extras such as cutters and rewind add-ons.
Desktop printers are ideal when limited for space and when large volumes are not needed. Most printers now use thermal technology for label printing.
There are two kinds of thermal printers — direct thermal and thermal transfer. Both use heat to transfer ink to paper producing high-quality images and they are extremely durable. Direct thermal labels have a shorter shelf life than thermal transfer labels. Thermal transfer ribbons are longer so reducing the frequency of ribbon changes.
Thermal printers are ideal for heavy daily use: printing labels and tickets quickly; printing labels, receipts or tickets wider than 110mm and situations where labels, ticket and receipt rolls are changed infrequently. They also offer a choice of network connections.
Three of the leading manufacturers of industrial barcode label printers are Honeywell, Zebra and TSC. Their offers include:
The Zebra ZT510 offers good value and strikes that balance between performance and value. That’s why Zebra’s ZT510™ provides all the core features you need without the added cost of those you don’t. Building on the legacy of its industry-leading 105SLPlus predecessor, the ZT510 provides 24/7 reliability.
The Zebra ZT610 combines rugged durability and exceptional performance on a user-friendly, future-ready platform. It features highly precise registration and print line adjustments, the ZT610 offers up to 600 dpi printing for labels as small as 3 mm.
The Honeywell PC43 kiosk is an easy-to-use and fully integrated kiosk solution combining tablet, label printer, scanner and configurable workflow software. It’s all-in-one compact modular design is ideal for parcel shops, retailers, airlines, hospitality and other consumer interactions provides a flexible self-service platform that automates processes and improves the customer experience.
The Honeywell PC42T is easy to install and ready to print quickly. This streamlined PC42t thermal transfer desktop printer is an economical choice for media up to 110 mm (4.3 in) wide. Able to accommodate large ribbon sizes, it can print longer before needing media replenishment, thus improving productivity.
The TSC TTP 286 MT series is an affordable and easy-to-use solution to wide-format label production, benefitting from print speeds of up to 6 inches per second. Ideally suited for compliance labelling, brand marketing, inventory control, drum labelling and warning signs, the printers can blend seamlessly into a wide range of environments.
The TSC MX240P Series industrial thermal printer is ruggedly built for high volume, high quality, label printing. Featuring fast print speeds, the MX240P Series boosts productivity with faster processing power, communications and printing speeds. It is ideal for applications that include manufacturing, logistics, shipping, and product identification.
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