label printers

[Kieron]

I am in need of a label printer that will print a large number of labels directly from filemaker pro on a mac or PC. The size of label is very small about 20mm x 10mm.

Is such a printer readily available, and is it easy to set up and use for a beginner like myself?

[CaelC]

This probably won't work for most people, but I pre-print the vast majority of my barcodes off of my LaserPrinter.

I just had custom laser labels made from Laser Label Technology. Mine are .5" X 1.25", 120 up per page. They didn't recommend going much smaller since they might pop off in your printer but said they could make them any size but you use them at your own risk.

If you need labels done 1 by 1, I'm not sure.

I hope this helped!

[LiveOak]

If you only need paper label and can print a sheet at a time, the laser printer and a standard label is your best option. Speciality label sheets for a laser printer can have large lot charges for their production. One quote I got was a $7,000 lot charge.

For small direct thermal labels printed one at a time, Dymo make a couple of small labels a 1/2" x 1/2", a jewelry label (no size stated) and a price tag label (again, no size). I don't know if they will do customs. Their label printers work with Mac's and PC's and are easy to configure and use.

Brother also makes a thermal transfer printer that will work with both Mac's and PC's. It prints on continuous plastic media with widths from 1/4" to 1.5". They have a 3/8" tape (9.525mm). The model is PT-9200DX at a cost of US$400.

If you need one at a time and an exact label size you could go with a purpose built direct thermal or thermal transfer printer. They are pretty pricey $700-$3000 and require some tricky programming to use with FM. You have to use FM to create the proprietary text language for the printer and send it to the printer using a serial plug-in over a proprietary serial cable (you will probably need to build). You can either find a stock label or have a die made (about $1500) to create the exact label you want. This whole process is beyond all but a few FM programmers. I'd done it, but have never met anyone else who has.

-bd

[CaelC]

Actually the custom laser labels were cheap. I think I had to get 1,000 sheets and the total was well under $500 if I remember right. Definitely worth a look. I got mine 2 years ago so I'm not positive they still do the custom sizes.

I just looked up their web site: Laser Label Technologies

I have bought tons of their Avery 5160 equivalent labels as well. Their current price on these is $123 for 1,000 sheets (30,000 labels)! I have used lots of these plus my custom labels with better performance than Avery's or others' in my opinion.

Good luck!

[CaelC]

Oops! I forgot to mention, I have 3 of the Dymo printers (Used to be called LabelWriters before Dymo bought them). These work well but are pretty slow (I have the Turbo models).

They are also subject to the vagaries of being thermal (keep away from heat or labels will go black, even just in extended 100+ degree temps!!!) We use them in a storage facility as well as our warehouse so this is of major concern.

[LiveOak]

Direct thermal labels also have a definite lifetime. Don't buy a 10 year supply or you will find that at some point in age they degrade and don't turn black when printed. The best label printer I've used is the Seiko Smart Label Printer Pro. Unfortunately Seiko has gone brain dead and their new label printers (at least for the Mac) only work with their proprietary application and not from FM.

-bd

[willb]

www.peninsula-group.com has a nice plug in for FP which allows you to print to many of the common thermal printers including Eltron. It is fast and not to hard to configure. I did have problems with their bar code software and have given up on making it work.

[LiveOak]

Thanks for the info! I've seen the adverts from these guys, but hadn't tried their drivers. They are the only people I know of selling just drivers, not complete applications, for proprietary barcode printers (eltron, zebra, etc.). Hand cobbling the code for most proprietary printers and using a serial plug-in is a pain. The only proprietary printer I have found with a text language fairly easily to create manually is the Cognitive Solutions Barcode Blaster. I've given up on the Zebra's a couple of times.

-bd

[Garry Claridge]

I've been using a Zebra TLP2844 to print directly from FM.

It is very easy. The database has a layout for the label, we can just print directly from there. We use the Elfring Code39 fonts.

The only problem we have found with this printer is that for small labels, 35mm x 10mm, the 204dpi is not good enough. We are now looking for a better printer.

However, using the Elfring fonts and the Zebra Windows drivers we are printing directly from FM.

All the best.

Garry

[LiveOak]

Thanks for the tip.

Zebra doesn't have any drivers for the Mac. The large biotech we did this solution for was an all Mac shop (used with Perkin-Elmer scanners).

-bd