Direct vs. thermal transfer labels for shipping?

[rodo8]

Hi,
I'm looking for a label printer for very low volume label printing. A roll of labels (4"x6") of say 200 labels will last more than a year...that low. Right now I use my inkjet printer. I print in a letter size sheet of paper, cut around the label, add a few drops of white glue so it doesn't pop up when I tape over it. Three strips of clear tape does it. It is cumbersome to say the least. I'm willing to buy a small label printer (around $250) to avoid doing all the cutting, gluing and taping of the label. I'm wondering if I should go with direct transfer (no ribbon) or thermal transfer (with ribbon) labels and printer. The price for a used Zebra GC420 is within my budget. It seems to have an option for either direct or thermal transfer. The Dymo labelwriter 4xl seems to be only direct transfer and it is cheaper. I'm wondering how the labels hold up during shipping (USPS)? Is there a difference between direct and thermal? I haven't looked at label prices yet. Thanks

[wastingtime101]

I'm a big fan of thermal label printers, however with your low volume it may be worth getting peel and stick labels that are compatible with your inkjet or with an inexpensive laser printer instead of investing in a thermal printer.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.Xshipping+label...

[nobody*s_perfect]

Just skip the gluing and most of the cutting and save yourself $$$.  Cut the sheet of paper in half, there's no need for fancy margins, and tape the half-sheet onto your box or envelope.

I take the first strip of tape, touch it to the middle of the label, and then align the label on the box before pressing down the tape. This gets better results for me compared to aligning the label onto the box and then bringing in the tape.

[chapeau-noir]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

Just skip the gluing and most of the cutting and save yourself $$$.  Cut the sheet of paper in half, there's no need for fancy margins, and tape the half-sheet onto your box or envelope.

I take the first strip of tape, touch it to the middle of the label, and then align the label on the box before pressing down the tape. This gets better results for me compared to aligning the label onto the box and then bringing in the tape.

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^^ this, or use just stick-on labels and run them through your existing printer. For cutting out your own, you don't need glue, and clear tape means the bar codes are perfectly readable.

If you really want a thermal printer, they are wonderful.   Mine was $350 because the used one I purchased before malfunctioned so I went with a new on sale. Dymo or Zebra both work well. 

Direct and thermal compared: https://www.satoamerica.com/resources/learning-center/white-papers/thermal-transfer-vs.-direct-therm...

Direct thermal printers (ribbon) have a bigger footprint (at least those I've seen). My Zebra fits into a small corner.

[rodo8]

I'm trying to stay away from inkjet because if water hits the label it will smear. That's why I tape over it. My thought is that with direct or thermal transfer labels I won't have to tape over them (but I could be wrong). Thanks for the info though.

[wheredidiputthatremote]

Rollo. Love it

[chapeau-noir]

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@rodo8 wrote:
I'm trying to stay away from inkjet because if water hits the label it will smear. That's why I tape over it. My thought is that with direct or thermal transfer labels I won't have to tape over them (but I could be wrong). Thanks for the info though.

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You don't have to tape over the thermal labels - in fact, thermal printers are the most efficient solution to shipping that I can imagine.  Ink jet smears, cheap laser toner flakes, but thermal labels are pretty impervious.  The one thing one DOES have to do is clean the printer head every one or two rolls of media to keep the print dark and maintain the printer (so the printer head doesn't burn out).  But just using paper and tape if you're only shipping out a few packages a week is efficient, too.  I guess it depends on needs.

[equid0x]

Ink Jet printers are extremely expensive to operate. Like $0.10-$0.15 per page. Currently, I use an old junky laser printer and a slide paper cutter to cut labels, then tape them onto the box. I've never had a problem with a label that won't scan or had any issues during transit. The cost including paper is something like $0.02-$0.03/pg.

I've worked at places with a thermal label printer and the cost there is $0.04-$0.05 per label, although they are much more convenient and faster to deal with. The printers are extremely low maintenance and don't break down very often. We had some Zebra printers that were used daily for 15 years with pretty much nothing ever done with them aside from sticking new rolls of labels in.

You can get Avery peel-off labels that you sheet feed through a laser printer, but I don't think they're really worth it as the stock is quite expensive. They can also be a nightmare if they get stuck inside the printer.

If I were buying a thermal printer today, I would choose the Zebra over the Dymo any day of the week. Dymo printers are fairly cheaply made, but might be okay in a low volume setting.

[remote_controls_and_more]

I use a dymo 4xl, print about 300 labels per month.

I buy the labels in bulk and it works out to about 1.5 cents each

[chapeau-noir]

I used the laser printer/sheet cutter method, too - when I went full time I got a Zebra thermal printer, but the laser printer/sheet cutter, to me, was plenty efficient when I was only selling about 20 items a month. If I had three packages to ship, I'd print all the labels, stack, and cut them all at once zip zip and tape them on.

One thing about the thermal printer is they have a small footprint and are relatively maintenance free save for some cleaning every so often, and if you're in a cramped space, that does make a difference.  So even a low volume user may find it works better in their work space. Also it appeals to machine heads like myself to have, you know, devices.  They also have a good resale value.

[andrew547]

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@rodo8 wrote:

The price for a used Zebra GC420 is within my budget. It seems to have an option for either direct or thermal transfer. 

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I have a Zebra 420d and it's great. Drop a roll in every so often and that's it. I've had no problems with thermal labels. Occasionally a package comes back undeliverable and the label is in good shape so I know they hold up fine.

The only issue I have with them is they likely have BPA just like cash register thermal receipts, but I don't know for sure. I use them anyway, but I wish I didn't have to concern myself with potential exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. 

[equid0x]

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@remote_controls_and_more wrote:

I use a dymo 4xl, print about 300 labels per month.

I buy the labels in bulk and it works out to about 1.5 cents each

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It just occurred to me...  years back I worked IT in a company with a FedEx Shipmanager account... I'm not sure if FedEx still does this, but at the time, for any account with sufficient volume, FedEx would provide you with a free label printer and free labels(all you had to do was call in and order more). Of course, we did all of our shipping with FedEx. I think the only caveat was that we had to send it back if we ever stopped shipping with them. 

We also had a Pitney-Bowes machine for USPS that we did have to pay for monthly, but it was the same deal with the supplies... call in and get more sent out. It was part of the deal. 

[rfmtm]

Direct Thermal is what is used for shipping labels.  It is reliable, affordable, and many to choose from.

If you are mostly only printing USPS, the small Dymo 450 ($60 or so) prints on the smaller 99019 (2.3" x 7.5") labels.  For USPS plus UPS and FedEx the Dymo 4XL ($140 or so) prints the larger 4"x6" labels required.  You can even print you packing slip on the larger label.

Even for only a few labels a day, the thermal printer is great, printing a professional looking label and freeing up your regular printer of others things.  Plus printers like the Dymo have many other label sizes, useful for any number of other things.

[scstool]

Direct printers are a 2 roll system. They have an ink roll and a adhesive paper peel off label roll. Thermal printers use just a single roll. Thermal printers tend to wear out print heads quicker than direct because the paper is more abrasive than the wax ink roll. The quality of the direct label is higher because they do not fade much compared to the thermal labels. Thats why your cash register receipts fade after a few months, they are thermal labels.

Some printers can use either system. As many have said the thermal labels work fine for even high volume shipping.

I find that the best solution for my needs is to use a used $25 HP laser printer and 2 up adhesive labels. Cost with toner is about 3 cents per label and you can use the back sheet for packing paper. I like to print pic/packing slips so I need the laser  printer for that as well. The hp 4000/4100/4200 series printers are bulletproof and can be found very cheap or even free.  For your low volume I would not spend the money on a Dymo

[tulipsandteacups]

Today, looking for a printer, copier, scan, and fax, My printer went down during the power surge we had, anyone in New Jersey or New York, it's been steaming hot, and too many people running air conditioning.  I went to print out three bulk orders, when we got power back, and it's not working, and I love my Canon. Looking to get a good deal with fast shipping.  All our stores, are either closed, or have nothing on the shelves.  If anyone has any source for an all in 1 machine, kindly please let me know. Thank you in advance.