Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Advice on a label maker please

  1. #1
    Administrator Krupski's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    ┌П┐(◣_◢)┌П┐
    Posts
    15,653

    Advice on a label maker please

    Gentlemen, if any of you have experience with label makers, please suggest a brand / model based on the criteria listed below:

    I need a label printer that uses a roll of "tape". That is, it spits out a label as long as it needs to be for the text printed. My primary use will be clear label tape, maybe around 1/2 inch wide or so (wider is OK though). It needs to be able to print either black or white text (based on the particular tape I load it with). It will be used to create "legends" on a plastic or metal surface. For example, I might build a power supply in a black plastic project box, and I would label things in white characters like "Output 13.8 Volts, 5 Amps Max" or label the fuse "5A, Fast Blow" or a switch "ON" and "OFF".

    I would like to be able to either make a label ("sticker") stand-alone using the label printer keyboard or else plug it into a USB port and make the label on the computer. I want USB, not Bluetooth or something that only works with a smartphone (since I don't HAVE a smartphone!) LOL!

    I would probably prefer thermal print tape so that I don't have to futz around with ink.

    I would like to be able to choose the font it prints with, as well as the size of the characters. The ability to print 2 lines using smaller text would be really nice, like this:

    -----------------------
    This label has
    two lines of text
    -----------------------

    Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
    Last edited by Krupski; 01-31-2023 at 03:58 PM.
    Gentlemen may prefer Blondes, but Real Men prefer Redheads!

  2. #2
    308
    Guest
    Tagged: I need one like it as well.

  3. #3
    Senior Member JTHunter's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    5,021
    Many years ago, we had a Dymo label maker but it was a single line on plastic strips and you had to do it letter by letter on a handheld "puncher".
    A place I worked at in the late 90s had (IIRC) "Zebra" printers tied to their mainframe. You could change font size and do multiple lines. The labels that came out were self-adhesive on siliconized release paper.
    “I have little patience with people who take the Bill of Rights for granted. The Bill of Rights, contained in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, is every American’s guarantee of freedom.” - - President Harry S. Truman, “Years of Trial and Hope”

  4. #4
    Senior Member Oswald Bastable's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Somewhere In The Troposhpere
    Posts
    7,419
    I bought a slightly smaller version of this label printer:

    https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

    ...to use for making labels for pressure canned foods.

    It can use white, colored or transparent tape labels...transparent labels as thus:

    https://smile.amazon.com/Rolls-NIIMB...40&sr=8-1&th=1

    However, I don't believe it can print in white, only black, but I haven't looked that deeply into it...so it might not meet that criteria. I can say I'm very pleased with the one I bought. It works awesome...no ink required as it uses thermal tape.
    If we refuse to rule ourselves with reason, then we shall be ruled by our passions.

    He, Who Will Not Reason, Is a Bigot; He, Who Cannot, Is a Fool; and He, Who Dares Not, Is a Slave. -Sir William Drummond

    There are some things I will not abide within my sight!

  5. #5
    308
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Oswald Bastable View Post
    I bought a slightly smaller version of this label printer:

    https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

    ...to use for making labels for pressure canned foods.

    It can use white, colored or transparent tape labels...transparent labels as thus:

    https://smile.amazon.com/Rolls-NIIMB...40&sr=8-1&th=1

    However, I don't believe it can print in white, only black, but I haven't looked that deeply into it...so it might not meet that criteria. I can say I'm very pleased with the one I bought. It works awesome...no ink required as it uses thermal tape.
    Thanks for those links!

  6. #6
    Senior Member Oswald Bastable's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Somewhere In The Troposhpere
    Posts
    7,419
    Quote Originally Posted by 308 View Post
    Thanks for those links!
    You are most welcome sir!

    I hope they meet enough of Krup's criteria that he also finds them useful.
    If we refuse to rule ourselves with reason, then we shall be ruled by our passions.

    He, Who Will Not Reason, Is a Bigot; He, Who Cannot, Is a Fool; and He, Who Dares Not, Is a Slave. -Sir William Drummond

    There are some things I will not abide within my sight!

  7. #7
    Administrator Krupski's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    ┌П┐(◣_◢)┌П┐
    Posts
    15,653
    Quote Originally Posted by JTHunter View Post
    Many years ago, we had a Dymo label maker but it was a single line on plastic strips and you had to do it letter by letter on a handheld "puncher".

    LOL! I had something a tad better than a Dymo plastic embosser in mind! Those are a neat idea, though... taking advantage of stresses stored in the embossed ABS plastic. Interestingly, you can "erase" a DYMO label by gently heating it to stress relieve the plastic. The letters stay embossed, but the white color from the stress goes away!
    Gentlemen may prefer Blondes, but Real Men prefer Redheads!

  8. #8
    Administrator Krupski's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    ┌П┐(◣_◢)┌П┐
    Posts
    15,653
    Quote Originally Posted by Oswald Bastable View Post
    I bought a slightly smaller version of this label printer:

    https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

    ...to use for making labels for pressure canned foods.

    It can use white, colored or transparent tape labels...transparent labels as thus:

    https://smile.amazon.com/Rolls-NIIMB...40&sr=8-1&th=1

    However, I don't believe it can print in white, only black, but I haven't looked that deeply into it...so it might not meet that criteria. I can say I'm very pleased with the one I bought. It works awesome...no ink required as it uses thermal tape.
    That looks like it could be what I'm looking for. I do, however, need white on clear in order to label black colored ABS project boxes. Black on clear would be difficult to see!
    Gentlemen may prefer Blondes, but Real Men prefer Redheads!

  9. #9
    Senior Member Oswald Bastable's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Somewhere In The Troposhpere
    Posts
    7,419
    Quote Originally Posted by Krupski View Post
    That looks like it could be what I'm looking for. I do, however, need white on clear in order to label black colored ABS project boxes. Black on clear would be difficult to see!
    So...you'd prefer it appear as though there was no sticker identifying your inputs/outputs...because?

    I thought that was what general manufacturing was for.

    Be that as it may...there may be a label printer out there that can do all you wish...mayhaps your googlefu is better than mine.
    If we refuse to rule ourselves with reason, then we shall be ruled by our passions.

    He, Who Will Not Reason, Is a Bigot; He, Who Cannot, Is a Fool; and He, Who Dares Not, Is a Slave. -Sir William Drummond

    There are some things I will not abide within my sight!

  10. #10
    Administrator Krupski's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    ┌П┐(◣_◢)┌П┐
    Posts
    15,653
    Quote Originally Posted by Oswald Bastable View Post
    So...you'd prefer it appear as though there was no sticker identifying your inputs/outputs...because?

    I thought that was what general manufacturing was for.

    Be that as it may...there may be a label printer out there that can do all you wish...mayhaps your googlefu is better than mine.

    I used to take letter stamps, heat them, then melt the letters into the plastic. Very difficult to line up the letters, and even my best efforts looked like crap.

    By the way, I ended up getting a Brother P-Touch PT- D610BT printer. It works stand-alone, as well as with USB and Bluetooth. There are also all different kinds of label tape available for it, including what I wanted (white on clear). So far, I like it. Works fine.



    Gentlemen may prefer Blondes, but Real Men prefer Redheads!

  11. #11
    Senior Member Oswald Bastable's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Somewhere In The Troposhpere
    Posts
    7,419
    Cool beans...glad you found exactly what you were looking for.
    If we refuse to rule ourselves with reason, then we shall be ruled by our passions.

    He, Who Will Not Reason, Is a Bigot; He, Who Cannot, Is a Fool; and He, Who Dares Not, Is a Slave. -Sir William Drummond

    There are some things I will not abide within my sight!

  12. #12
    Administrator Krupski's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    ┌П┐(◣_◢)┌П┐
    Posts
    15,653
    Quote Originally Posted by Oswald Bastable View Post
    Cool beans...glad you found exactly what you were looking for.

    It's a bit large (about 6 x 8 x 2 - L, W, H), but I guess it has to be in order to have the QWERTY keyboard. Only weird thing about it is the power adapter jack. Most things that use those round barrel connectors have the center post positive and the outer shell negative. This printer has (had) the center pin negative, meaning that plugging in any other power pack would blow it.

    So, I opened it and was going to reverse the connections, then I thought "what if I then accidentally use the original pack? I'll blow it out". So, I installed a little bridge rectifier between the jack and board. Now, polarity doesn't matter. It works both ways. Fubar'd the warranty though... not that I care.
    Gentlemen may prefer Blondes, but Real Men prefer Redheads!

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •