Norman J. Woodland created the first barcode in the world in 1948. The barcode has evolved with computer advances and has come to occupy a prime position in our lives today. Woodland’s original barcodes have spanned a whole bunch of barcodes used for all kinds of things.
There is an interesting stat. Global Standards assessment 5 billion barcodes are scanned every day around the world. This is quite interesting, right? The barcode has moved from a cost-cutting technology to providing needed data about a product.
Printing Technology:
Different printers have capabilities and printing technology that can suit your needs. But before choosing a barcode printer, you need to be aware of the printing technology it uses.
The most common technology is direct thermal and thermal transfer printers. The direct thermal printer uses a print head to generate heat. This then blackens the barcode into the label. The thermal transfer printer uses ink ribbons to apply the barcode into the label. This barcode has excellent print quality and offers easy scanner readability.
(Top 3) Best Barcode Label Printer for You
It’s pertinent to note that the kind of label longevity and price spectrum goes a long way when choosing a printing technology. Inkjet printers can print barcodes, especially in color. They are used on paper to avoid ink splatter.
A laser is also used to print barcodes. It is associated with a high rate of ink wastage and its tendency to heat the adhesive on the label.
Barcode Label Printer –
A barcode label printer is a computer peripheral used for producing barcodes. This can be attached to or printed directly on items.
We have some brand names in the production of the barcode label printer. They include Epson, Brother Industries, Computype, Zebra, and Dymo.
We looked at the top brands, durability, price, speed, and printing options. Thus, we came out with the top three printers that can meet your satisfaction.
Dymo Label Writer 450 –
This is an efficient label printer and comes first on our list. The printer is compatible with Windows 7 or later and Mac OSXv10.11. Labels are created from a text in Microsoft Word, Excel, Quickbooks, and other programs.
It uses a thermal printing technology that saves cost on ink, toner, or printer ribbon. It delivers an array of printing features. It can meet all types of retail, warehousing, and even manufacturing barcode needs.
Some other criteria used in making our recommendation include:
- Price- $70 on Amazon
- Durability- moderate
- Label longevity – over a year
- Speed fast- 71 labels per minute
- Print- options none but thermal color labels available
- Warranty- 2-year warranty
Zebra ZD410 –
This ultra-compact printer is fast, dependable, and powerful. It creates quality labels, barcodes, and receipts. The ZD410 is easy to operate with sound troubleshooting options.
Like the Dynamo 450, you don’t need ink, toner, or printer ribbon to operate this machine. It can print on different materials such as polypropylene and event tickets. It is often referred to as the workhorse of the Zebra barcode label printer lineup.
Here is how the Zebra ZD410 meets our other review criteria:
- Price- $365 on Amazon
- Durability- moderate on paper but for best on wristbands
- Label longevity- over a year
- Speed fast- 90-120 labels per minute
- Print- options none but thermal color labels available
- Warranty- 2-year limited warranty
Zebra ZD500R Printer –
This is small in size but powerful in features. With automatic calibration, you are bound to get lower media cost, less wastage, and fewer roll changes. It has a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for tracking inventory in real-time.
The ZD500R offers up to 300 dpi resolution. Used for printing high-quality barcodes on a full range of products such as alphanumeric SKU and QR-type barcodes
The printer supports both direct thermal and thermal transfer printing, and it’s compatible with inlays from all suppliers. It can handle the most challenging applications with quality features that include parallel, serial, USB, and Ethernet affinity.
Some other criteria used in making our review decision include:
- Price- $1,759 on Amazon
- Durability –best using thermal transfer ink
- Longevity- long, using the thermal transfer print option
- Speed fast- 60-100 labels per minute
- Print- options yes, using thermal transfer print option
- Warranty- 2-year limited warranty
Conclusion:
In conclusion, choosing a barcode label printer is not as difficult as you think. The price varies greatly, so it is essential to know your budget first.
Most printers provide some way to create label barcodes and print them. Creating the barcode seems to be the main challenge because any of the above-discussed printers can handle the challenge. So the right unit for you depends on your specific needs.
