Help me pick a thermal printer

[leareamc]

The debate seems to be Dymo vs Zebra from most people. I need one that is good for both USPS and Fedex. I have heard the Zebra LP2844 is the true workhorse and the Dymo 4XL is good and easy to setup but some say it is simply not as reliable over the longhaul. Is there any advantage to the newer model Zebra GC420d compared to the 2844 or is the 2844 just as good to pickup? Is the Zebra really a problem to set up and work with as some people say? Btw, I am running Vista, but also have an XP laptop.  Also, some say the print quality of the Zebra is not as crisp and bold as the Dymo. Any other brands/model that anyone would recommend or is it only either the Dymo or Zebra I should consider. Please give your opinions and just as important, please give me the best/cheapest place to buy either, especially the Zebra since I think I am leaning that way. Are Zebras so reliable that a used one is a safe bet? Any good places that  have good prices for refurbished ones or tips for getting a brand new one as cheap as possible?

[packratville]

I've had the Zebra GK420d that I purchased new on Amazon for just over a year now. Although I had difficulty getting it to print correctly on the label at first (I think it would partially print the information), a call to Zebra support provided the correct setting I needed. It was a little frustrating to set up because of that, but the fix was easy. The quality looks fine to me (but I think not quite as good as my Dymo Twin Turbo), but there's a way to adjust the quality a bit. I only print USPS.

When I was researching thermal printers so I could print larger labels, I had the same concerns as you since I also read that the Dymo 4XL wasn't as reliable. Even though I've had no problems with my Dymo Twin Turbo, I went with the Zebra and have been happy with that decision. Where I bought it was probably cheaper than other places at the time, and I see it's even less expensive now than what I paid for it. I didn't consider refurbished though I usually don't have any hesitation in buying refurbished from a manufacturers if available.

Sorry I can't answer all your questions.

[leareamc]

No thanks, I appreciate it. I think I am definitely going with a Zebra, only question is whether to get the newer GK420D(direct thermal), GK420T(thermal tranfser, supposedly better quality), or the older LP2844. Do you or anyone else have any experience with the 2844... seems like the main difference is the newer models have 8mb memory which I imagine just makes it print faster, but I typically don't do more than 10 labels a day so if that is the main advantage then it doesn't really  matter for me.  

[automotivepartsrecyclrs]

Zebra LP2844 2 of them for over 5 years ZERO trouble.

Try https://www.thermalprinteroutlet.com/  tell them we refered you. Best service and products

[leareamc]

Ok, please someone give input on this one. I was shopping around on Ebay for the LP2844 and ran across a seller who said that the Zebra is NOT supported on Ebay for printing Fedex:

"Please note that FedEx (Domestic And SmartPost) on eBay does not support the Zebra printers yet. Unfortunately they don't have the format needed.

 You can print the FedEx labels on a Zebra printer but it requires certain extra steps (Save FedEx label as a PDF using Google Chrome, Open The Label With Adobe Reader, Crop The Label Using The Snapshot Tool & Print) since it does not work directly."

Is this true? Man that's a little inconvenient and hard to believe since this printer is obviously a workhorse for so many Ebay sellers. I use USPS mostly these days but I still do ship some heavier items that require Fedex.

[anthology-of-treasures]

We used a industrial Zebra printer at a previous employer. It printed large bar coded labels about the size of a half sheet of paper from large rolls weighing several pounds each. These were used on large totes filled with 2,300 pounds of product that were stacked four high in various warehouses. These labels used industrial adhesive - you could not remove the label without destroying it. The printer was housed under a protective plexiglass case as it cost thousands of dollars. Very reliable; however, changing the labels could be a very tricky job as you needed to carefully guide the labels through a large set of rollers and guides. Definitely needed to consult the manual if you never changed the roll of labels before.

Consumer level adhesive label printers typically do not come with labels with industrial strength adhesive. Even the UPS scale and label printing system I used at a wholesaler, UPS's largest regional customer, did not use such industrial strength labels. As a precaution we placed some tape over the labels. Such labels can be bumped into by other boxes and gradually pealed off the box and be stuck to other packages. The tape prevents this as it removes the abrupt edge of the label and protects the label from direct contact.

You may want to actually test the strength of sample labels by applying them to boxes. Keep in mind the cardboard boxes can soak up moisture during transit or simply sitting unused, which will effect how well the labels perform. The general idea behind such printers is to save some time in high volume warehouses. If on the other hand you end up having to tape over the labels anyway why not simply go with the lowest cost solution?

A monotone laser printer with a separate toner and drum will deliver the lowest cost per label. The toner cost on my laser printer, still going strong from 2001, is $.002 per label. I have a back-stock of plain paper I bought for as little as $1.00 a ream. New paper costs about $.005 per label. I often end up with various quantities of suitable paper to use from estate auctions which costs even less. Labels cost less than $.01 each and are cut from paper sheets using large 14" wallpaper scissors. A fraction of a penny of tape is added over the label, which I'd have to do anyway with anything other than a printer using labels with industrial stretch adhesive.

[leareamc]

Appreciate your input and suggestion, but I am probably still going to go with a Zebra or Dymo.

So does anyone have experience with the Zebras and printing Fedex through Ebay? 

[leareamc]

Come on y'all, surely some of you have experience with the Zebra and Fedex labels.

[berserkerplanet]

@rfmtm

[packratville]

In the absence of responses, you might try a google search such as:

ebay fedex label zebra

For me that brings up quite a few links to eBay forum posts about Zebra printers and Fedex labels. Without looking at them individually, I'm not sure how recent they are or how helpful, but it might be worth a try to help you with your decision.

Good luck...

[rfmtm]

Currently there are numerous reports of the Zebra not properly printing FedEx labels from ebay, since recent changes to the shipping label output. 

Besides format problems there are also reports of the barcode being fuzzy.  This appears to be because the Zebra down converts to its lower native resolution of 200dpi.  I have had this fuzzy problem with other apps and the Zebra.  Not heard of any report of a problem with the higher resolution Dymo 4XL.

So unless ebay makes a change or you want to modify the file before you send it to the Zebra, you may have problems.

While the Zebra is an industry standard workhorse, it is much more expensive than the Dymo, has lower resolution, and is slower.   I have multi Dymo's (450, Twin, 4XL) connected to my PC and have had no problems over many years.  I use compatible labels, but always USA made approved ones, as some of the cheaper imports will wear the print heads and cause other problems, and not just in the Dymo.

You can usually find a good deal on new Dymo's here on ebay, but often there are factory rebates and great sales online and at your local office supply.

I ship UPS so haven't printed FedEx labels in a while.  Plus if you print through ebay, they are the shipper of record, which can be an issue if their is a problem with your FedEx shipment.  With all the errors between ebay and FedEx over the years, I finally had to switch to UPS.

[leareamc]

Thanks and I have googled and looked on Youtube and found a few threads and maybe one video that talked about Zebras with Ebay Fedex labels. 98% of references deal with examples of Zebras printing out USPS labels through Ebay, and I didn't find one live instructional of someone printing out an Ebay Fedex label and the exact steps you have to go through.  I honestly think I know what would probably have to do, but was just hoping for some people with experience doing this to chime in with exactly what they have had to go through to make printing Fedex label as simple as possible. 

[leareamc]

Is that fuzzy issue only reported when printing out Fedex labels or also with USPS labels? I personally haven't read anything about that issue, just that it might not be as crisp as the Dymo. In videos I have seen printing out USPS labels they look great, though. I really wanted to go with the Zebra for reported reliability and ability so simple replace the head if need be, which I don't believe the Dymo has the option. If I can get some folks to verify that the method of printing Fedex with the LP2844 or GC420D through Ebay is not an issue if you use whatever methods they know of, then I may still go with it. Otherwise, I might just end upgoing with the Dymo 4XL.  Btw, how many of you think the Dymo is very reliable and with generally perform without issue for multiple years?

[rfmtm]

The fuzzy and other problems reportedly appear to be only with ebay FedEx.  USPS labels print perfectly on all printers.  I have had the fuzzy problem with queued UPS labels with the Zebra, but I just output the file at a lower resolution and they work fine.

I have Dymo printers that are over 20 years old with never a problem, but as I mentioned I run compatible USA made labels which have less problems, and like any other printer, you do need to keep them clean.

Similar to the built-like-a-tank Zebra industrial printers, the older small Zebra's like the 2844 were built solid and lasted for along time.  Don't know whether the new lower cost Zebra models are built as well.   Plus a new Zebra can be twice or more the price of a Dymo.  The cost of just a Zebra print head is probably more than a good deal on a Dymo.

I print almost everything on my assortment of Dymo's, from various types of information and product labels, to postage stamps, postage shipping labels, even the packing slip, all from various venues and apps. 

My Zebras are at remote locations to print shipping labels, but I have to be very careful to always down convert the data before sending a PDF file to them, or risk FedEx or UPS not being able to scan the barcode.  Output directly from FedEx or UPS to the Zebra is not a problem, and use not to be an issue on ebay either until they changed to this new PDF file format.  Now some are even having problems printing an ebay FedEx label to a regular laser/inkjet printer.

Supposedly ebay knows there is an issue, but no clear solution has been offered.  You might want to search these boards for others experiencing problems.  Some say the problem is in the actual ebay PDF label file itself, others contend the issue is elsewhere.

[dasarock]

@leareamc 

... if you get a used zebra thermal printer that belonged to usp, the drivers on the zebra site may not work ... however the ones listed in the email that i have included here do (i found myself in this situation not too long ago with a used (old ups) printer ... it works fine now for usps labels. 🙂

...(many of the zebra printers are supported here)...

Thank you for contacting us.

You can download the driver from here:

http://zebra.sg407.com

The seagull scientific driver is located in between the two first two videos.

If you need technical assistance please contact us, we will be happy to help you.

We do offer technical support via phone and remote computer connection.

Let us know if you have any questions.

Have a great day!