Here at Computype, we offer more than just barcodes and labels, we also offer a variety of label printers to ensure that your in-house label printing processes are optimised and meet the demands of your application, budget, and throughput.

After the decision has been made to print label on-demand, we often get asked “What are the best barcode label printers and how do I know which is right for me?” The answer to this question certainly depends on your specific work environment, and the needs of your organisation. 

Different printers have different capabilities and printing technologies that could better suit your needs. There are four different types of print technologies available for the printing of barcode labels:

• Thermal Transfer
  • Thermal transfer print technology uses heat to transfer the ribbon to the label material.
• Inkjet
  • Inkjet uses ink and is more prominently used for printing in colour.
• Laser
  • Laser is similar to inkjet, but uses coloured powder and a laser to fuse ink onto the label material.
• RFID
  • RFID print technology writes data to RFID chips embedded in smart labels. The printer is typically able to transmit the data to the chip and encode it.

Each technology has its own strengths and weaknesses, which you can read about in this blog. Regardless of technology, below we gave examples (in no specific order) of printers that we believe to be top of the line for on-demand barcode label printing.

1. Cab SQUIX

The Cab SQUIX barcode label printer combines innovation, ease of use, accuracy, reliability, quality and speed into one label printer. This is an industrial printer and prints in black and white through thermal transfer technology. A great feature on this printer is it has an interactive screen, similar to an iPhone that provides video instructions for how to stock your printer, clean your print head, and print labels. Another benefit of the Cab printer is that there is an adapter where you can add a cutter piece, or a peel and present, both in which include time savings for your company.

2. Zebra ZT Series

The Zebra ZT Label Printers are great printers if your operations require labels to be printed day and night. The printers are designed to accommodate your needs, and promotes flexibility, integration, ease of use, and simple management. With the compact design, you are able to obtain high resolution labels up to 6” wide, printed at up to 6” per second. The printers accommodate printing of both linear and 2D barcodes, and illuminated media and ribbon paths enable easy internal inspection.

3. Cab XC Series

This series of printers consists of the Cab XC4 and XC6. These are special thermal transfer printers that allow you to add a colour to your label scheme with additional ribbon. Because of the colour capability, these printers allow for printing of any graphic elements to fit the specifications to satisfy your company needs. The printers also house a high-resolution print head that adds unrivaled quality to your labels. Additionally, it is especially beneficial for GHS compliance practices, as the unit ensures crucial information is communicated clearly, effectively, and placed with precision.

4. Epson C7500

Epson printers, different from Zebra and Cab, are inkjet printers rather than thermal transfer. This allows for colour to be printed on your labels. The Epson C7500, specifically, is extremely fast, and provides very clean, clear colour. This is a good printer for you if you need to print colour labels often; if you do not run frequently, maintenance uses up a lot of ink. Hundreds of label formats are able to be uploaded to the printer, and changeover is easy and infrequent, as ink cartridges are large.

5. Cab EOS

The Cab EOS label printer allows for versatile label printing and has the unique feature of a touch screen interface that includes training videos. This feature also makes it easy to queue label formats, add variable or fixed data, and print-on-demand with no need to connect to a PC. This printer can recall various label formats, or even save data to a USB stick. The compact design of this printer also increases ease of integration into your current processes.

6. Cab Hermes

The Cab Hermes is a printer with an option to upgrade to also include a label applicator feature, offers precision placement, and increased efficiencies. This printer greatly increases productivity and efficiency in the plant as it is very fast and volatile. This printer is best for industrial applications.

7. Cab Mach 4

The Cab Mach 4 offers the highest-class print quality and up to 8 inches per second in print speed. Additionally, this printer has RFID printing capabilities. With this thermal transfer print technology, you gain quality with up to 600 dpi print resolution, gain versatility, and achieve dependable performance.

8. Zebra GX Series

The Zebra GX Series Label printers are a thermal transfer technology-driven, easy to integrate with existing production software and business systems, and just as easy to incorporate with production processes. The printer is compact, and allows for easy ribbon reload, making this series of printers the top choice for a variety of global organisations. This printer is very efficient, and includes options to add an adjustable media sensor, cutter, and peeler.

9. Epson C3500

The Epson C3500 is another inkjet label printer that offers many high efficiency features and full colour printing. This printer is well fit to boost productivity while speeding up your processes, printing up to 4 inches per second. There is no pre-printed label inventory required, you are welcome to print what you need, when you need it. Easy paper loading and LCD display with printer status readouts also allow for clarity and efficiency in your plant.

10. Sato CL4NX

The Sato CL4NX is different from the other 9 label printers as it is a 2D barcode printer, but it is also an RFID label printer.  It comes in 3 different DPI options to determine how small and clear it can print. This printer is very durable, and has great print quality. Additionally, the printer will confirm that it is able to write to the tag or barcode before printing; should there be an issue, it will show an error on the printer screen.

We hope that you now have the basic knowledge to help determine the right printer for you and your business. Computype has over 40 years of industry experience and has extensive knowledge of barcode label printers and their capabilities. Additionally, we have experts that focus exclusively on printers and would be more than happy to offer you their input and support.