Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Considerations When Buying A Label Printer

By Michael Toop

Label printers are extremely helpful devices and can be used both at home and at the office. At home, they may be employed in the kitchen for labelling food products, cans, and bottles. In the garage they may be employed for labelling tools, drawers, boxes and more. For professional use, or in an office environment, they can be used for labelling wires, office supplies, files and even office doors or desk name plates.

When thinking about purchasing a label printer, there are a number of aspects one wishes to keep in mind. There are many brands and types of label printers on the market, each offering their own benefits, or made for certain types of labelling applications, but in virtually all cases there will be some common aspects to think about when choosing a label printer suitable for your needs.

1. Initial cost and continuing consumable costs.

When comparing label printer costs, it's not sufficient to have a look at the outright once-off value of the label printer itself. Clearly, everybody wants to get the best value for their money, so the first cost is important for short-listing label printer's that you may be considering, but should not be the only cost you take into account.

There are label printer kits that will provide excellent value for money, since they regularly include a carrying case and some consumables too. However, you should generally study the cost of additional consumables, since you will need to buy replacement label printer tapes, batteries or perhaps replacement AC adapters at some stage.

These things can add to the total cost of possession and can sometimes be costlier than the label printer itself. Consider this when picking your label printer, to get the most value from your label printer investment.

2. Specific applications for the labels you need.

Not all label printers and labels are made the same, or made for a similar applications. When having a look at various label printers, you should make sure that the label printers you are considering will perform well for your labelling wants. In some cases, high speed labelling is crucial. In others, top of the range labels may be more critical than the speed at which they are generated.

If you have specific requirements, make a list of these and use your list to judge the assorted label printers that you are considering. It may be better to pay a touch more for a specific kind of label printer, especially if it was designed for your own printing requirements.

3. Guaranties and after-sales service.

One regularly overlooked aspect when purchasing a label printer is the product guaranty and after sales service. It's correct that some label printers are inexpensive enough that they can simply get replaced without much fuss, if they happen to break, except for pro label printers that cost much more, the guaranty and after-sales service will be quite crucial. If your business depends on label printing, any down-time due to broken label printers might be difficult.

If, for example, you are in the business of network wiring and reticulation, labels will be very important. If your label printers don't function properly, it could cause delays with jobs. Always enquire what the process is for guaranty claims and repairs. Also ensure you ask what time frames are involved with repairs, and if spares are always readily available. The last thing you want is to wait months for your costly label printer to get repaired.

If you are in the marketplace for a label printer, be certain to ask these questions and consider these aspects before committing yourself, to make certain you get the best value for your cash and that you get the right label printer for your label printing needs. - 22787

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