Thermal Label Printing from Ebay USPS

[pacerhett]

Hi all,

I am one of many who is finally tired of inkjets and shipping labels.  I print 6-25 USPS labels a day through ebay's bulk shipping tool, and the costs, as well as the printer durability with label stock is not working out.  I have read a fair amount about thermal labels, but not specific to USPS and ebay. 

My question is, can I still do the bulk scan form from a label printer? 

This really speeds things up at the Post office and I do not want to lose the ability to print it, or have to do something weird like print the labels on one machine and the scan form  on another.

Also it seems there are two main brands, zebra and dymo.  Any others of note that I should look into before I purchase?

Thanks to all.

[rfmtm]

Thermal printers are great.  Look at the Dymo 450, for USPS only using the small 99019 labels, or the larger Dymo 4XL using 4"x6" labels for USPS, UPS, FedEx, and even printing the packing slip.  Also see no reason the Scan Form can't be shrunk to fit on a 4"x6" label as well, but if this is important, you should try it before you buy another printer.

Next time you are printing a scan form, shrink it down to 4"x6" before sending it to your regular printer.  If the barcode is still crisp and clear, you should be fine with a the larger thermal printer.

Save money by buying compatible labels here on eBay, just make sure they are approved USA made labels, and not cheap imports that can cause printer problems.

[richard1rst]

I have been curious about thermal and/or laser printers. But I notice that you have to buy certain types of labels/paper for them to work. How does the cost of the labels/paper compare to the cost of ink?

Also, what about printing just regular correspondence or packing slips? Priority Mail internation requires 2 regular 8 1/2" x 11" pages not a self stick label. Will the thermal do it or do I still need my reguglar inkjet for those?

Any insight you can offer will be appreciated.

[rfmtm]

Yes, label printers need special direct thermal paper.  Cost in the end is about the same, as the label is just the size needed, and no ink or toner is required.  The label printers are small and simple with little to go wrong, and produce a professional looking label.

The Dymo 4XL printer with 4"x6" labels is generally big enough to print just about anything shipping related, as it is an industry standard size among carriers.  eBay/PayPal directly support it for USPS labels, and with a couple of adjustments, you can also print UPS and FedEx labels.  I also print my eBay/PayPal packing slips to it, by reducing the margins and using shrink-to-fit.

I know others that do international, but have never tried it myself.  Also, most third party software will print any needed label or document for any shipping application on it.

Note that the 4XL will also print all the smaller Dymo compatible labels as well.

[richard1rst]

Thank you for the info.

[pacerhett]

thanks to all for the answers.  I ended up purchasing a dymo 4xl.  I learned a little on the way.  The scan form will print to it, but the barcode is a stretch for the USPS scanners to read without a lot of effort.  I simply send the scan form to my inkjet printer, and print the labels on the dymo.  After using the paper from Dymo(sample roll that came with it) I had purchased some decent domestic 4x6 labels and noticed that the dymo was making a pretty good noise as it printed the barcode and that other scannable image.  I adjusted the settings to print on the lightest setting for the dymo and the problem stopped.  I thought for a minute I was going to have to buy their high-priced labels, as the noise sounded like damage was occurring, but now I am cooking with gas.  This is the best investment I have made.  I was purchasing 2 per sheet labels and printing on my inkjet at about $.02 per label plus ink.  In addition, HP was tired of sending me free printers as the label stock was messing up the rollers after a couple of months of use. The aftermarket labels for the dymo are the same $.02 each and are much easier to remove from the backing and fit some of my smaller packages much better.  They also seem to stick better than the label stock for the inkjet.  Neglecting time, this thing will pay for itself in 6 months in ink that I was buying.  I ship about 250 packages a month so it gets a pretty good workout.

[rfmtm]

To squeeze the most on the label, like a packing list, or even maybe the scan form, go to the page setup in your browser and set all the margins to zero.  Then reduce only as needed.  Also go to the 4XL printer preferences and set the resolution to the highest for graphics, which will keep the barcode crisper.

As far as compatible labels, the best are approved USA made labels, especially the T6 coated ones.  They cost more, but your printer and print head will last many times longer.  Also some of the cheap imports will unpeel and jam up the printer.

If you have labels that make a noise like stuttering while printing heavy black areas on the normal setting, then you have some bad labels with no or poor coating.  This is the surface sticking to the hot print head, which is something you have to especially watch out for with colored labels.  This problem can also affect the barcode spacing.

Don't forget the 4XL will also print all the smaller label sizes as well.

[youshouldseewhatikeep]

u print international labels? can you do bulk printing?

[kh-stanley1]

Hi everyone,

Due to the length of time that has passed since this thread began, we have locked it from future replies. If this is still an issue that warrants discussion, don't hesitate to begin a new thread here.

Thanks.