Top 10 Considerations For Buying A Bar Code Printer
1. Usage: How many labels will be printed per day? Small desktop printers use small rolls of labels and ribbons. If printing 100- 500 labels per day, a small desktop printer may be used. If over 500 labels are printed per day, an entry level industrial, full-sized printer such as a Zebra Stripe printer should be used. Full-sized industrial printers use much larger rolls (that require less frequent refills) and are designed to print larger quantities. If printing over 1000 labels per day, user may want to invest in a mid range or heavy duty industrial printer.
2. Existing Systems vs. New systems:
EXISTING Systems: People buying replacement or additional printers for existing systems must buy machines that are compatible with them. Each brand of printer has a unique print language. Any industrial Zebra printer should work with any established industrial Zebra system (as well as Datamax w/ Datamax, Sato w/Sato, Intermec etc.). Note: the new desktop Zebra LP2844 and TLP2844 printers are compatible with established Eltron systems (not Zebra). This is the only exception to this rule.
NEW Systems/users: Barcode printers need labeling software to produce labels. If there is not an existing Zebra/Datamax/Sato/Intermec system in place, software needs to be considered. All printers include very basic demo label-producing software. This software allows for only single-label prints and offers no connectivity to any type of database. Entry level programs such as Label Matrix, Label View, or Bar One allow more advanced label design, multiple label prints, and will pull information from standard window-based databases. Additionally, most printers include a Windows print driver compatible with most Windows-based programs.
3. Environment: What kind of environment will the printer be located in? This could be a factor in whether a plastic or metal housing is necessary.
PLASTIC: Office, Retail or light industrial settings (most desktops and Zebra Stripe series)
METAL: Industrial settings (full-sized Zebra, Datamax, Sato, and Intermec printers)
4. Thermal transfer vs. direct thermal:
THERMAL TRANSFER- Heat from a printhead melts a ribbon and transfers an image onto a label or tag. This produces images that are CRISP and PERMANENT, on paper or synthetic labels.
DIRECT THERMAL: Heat from a printhead directly makes images on treated direct thermal labels (no ribbon necessary). This is more of a TEMPORARY, LESS-CRISP image designed for shipping labels or labels that will only need to be scanned for 6 months or less. Direct thermal labels will fade or yellow upon exposure to sunlight, heat or age.
5. Label Size: Most barcode printers have a maximum print width of 4.09". If printing on a wider label is needed, wide-web printers that can print labels up to 8.5" wide are available.
6. Interface: What connection do you have available on your PC or system?
| Type | Printers | Computer |
| Parallel or Serial port: | Most printers | PC's |
| USB (Universal Serial Bus): | Zebra LP/TLP 2844 | PC's |
| Ethernet (10base-2 or T): | Full size printers | Networked PC's |
| Twinax or Coax: | Full size printers | AS/400 or IBM mainframe |
7. Resolution: Resolution refers to the sharpness of an image a printer can create. This depends on how many "dots per inch" the printhead can print. Most bar code printers are 203 dpi. They are capable of producing UPC or almost any kind of bar code or shipping label. If very intricate graphics need to be produced or extremely dense bar codes, (lines very close together) there are higher resolution printers available up to 600 dpi (300 dpi is generally considered high-resolution for a thermal printer). An optional 300 dpi printhead can be field-installed on the Zebra Z4M. Most printers, however, have to be ordered with higher resolution up front and typically are high-end machines.
8. Memory: To print a label, a printer must store some or all of the image going to be printed on the label. Basically, the more the memory, the faster the printer. There are two types of memory: RAM or Flash.
RAM-This is the necessary memory that "absorbs" the label image from the PC and quickly downloads the label image from the computer. This enables the PC to move on to other tasks. The larger the label, the more RAM necessary.
Flash-Flash memory permanently stores information on the printer such as commonly used label formats or fonts. Most printers include flash memory. If flash memory is not included, flash memory cards are available and easily installed.
9. Printing Needs: 2 types- "on-demand" vs. "batch" printing
ON-DEMAND-Printing individual labels or groups of labels as needed. Most printers will print "on-demand" style.
BATCH PRINTING- Large numbers of labels printed at one time, typically rewound onto a core inside a printer. Only larger printers can do this.
10. Printer Options: Printers have optional features that do different things:
CUTTER: Printer will cut between each label and drop them into a tray.
LABEL PEEL: (Also referred to as "peel off") Backing paper is automatically peeled away from the back of the label. The printer will print a label, peel the backing and present it, one at a time. Small printers will have the backing paper exit through the bottom of the printer. Large, industrial printers can rewind the backing paper onto a core inside the printer with the rewind option below.
REWIND: INTERNAL- Full sized, industrial printers will rewind labels back onto a core inside the printer. (up to a 5-6" diameter) This option is also designed to be used with the label peel option above to take up the backing paper neatly onto a roll.EXTERNAL- Unit outside printer will rewind labels onto a core. This can be used to rewind entire rolls of labels, up to an 8" outside diameter.
MISC OPTIONS: Network cards/adapters (10-baseT, 10-Base2), printers with additional memory, printers with higher dpi (300,400 or 600), Twinax or coax (for AS/400 or IBM system connectivity), cables (printers do not include cables).
Tom Wisnewski, Product Manager, Uline Inc.