Label making and printing might seem like an easy task to do yourself, but without the proper software, it will be very difficult to make sure your labels look professional and will come out of the printer correctly. If you want to do it yourself, you could use a word processor or similar program, attempt to line up each label with the correct printer label paper layout, and hope you get it right the first time. If not, you might end up wasting a lot of expensive paper.
William Harrel The Best Label Makers for 2019 Today's label printers vary from simple handhelds to industrial-grade models designed for wide deployment. Here's everything you need to know to buy one, along with the best we've tested.From Convenient to Mission CriticalWhen most people think of label makers—or label printers, labeling systems, barcode printers, or whatever each manufacturer calls its wares—those little handheld devices with small keyboards and one-line monochrome LCDs come to mind. Well, even though many of those are still available, at this point they are yesterday's technology.
In fact, these days, there are many types and levels of label printers (in terms of price, label quality, and volume) available—from inexpensive and convenient consumer-grade models for labeling containers and other articles around home, to the mission-critical machines for printing shipping labels, warnings (Stop, Caution, Fragile, and so on), barcodes, product labels, and so much more. Color Choices GaloreMost consumer-grade—and lower-end small-business—labelers print only one color, usually black, although some models offer paper that will produce other colors, such as yellow on black, for example. In fact, some label printers offer a wide range of monochrome-color choices, including, say, white on dark green, or yellow on pink.The point is that the color of the paper, which is infused with only one foreground shade that is activated by the printer, is the background color. And then there are commercial label printers—which are well beyond the scope of this round-up—that print labels in all shapes and sizes in full color. There are even commercial label machines that are big enough to take up a good portion of your living room.We primarily review consumer-grade and professional-grade small-business label printers that range in price from less than $100 to just more than $500.
Believe it or not, compared with the number of commercial- and enterprise-grade labelers out there, there just aren't that many lower-end consumer and small-business models available. The good news is that, for the most part, what is available is not only impressive but versatile, capable of printing many different types of labels at widely varying sizes. How Label Makers Work. Perhaps all you need to label are some file folders, or you need to print mailing labels from a database. There are products that specialize in these tasks, but many of the most recent label printers support a diverse set of blank label tapes, or rolls, ranging in width and label types.
Many of today's labelers support rolls of several different widths, as well as continuous-length rolls, or those consisting of fixed-length die-cut labels that allow you to peel each print off the roll one at a time. Many label printers support not only paper labels, but also plastic, and sometimes those made of fabric or foil.In addition, all labelers have cutters of one type or another, ranging from simple serrated-edge blades where you tear your labels from the roll manually, as you would tinfoil, to manual guillotine-like blades that you deploy with a lever, to automatic blades that cut each label as it comes out of the printer.
Many also come with built-in batteries that allow to you use them on the go, cable-less, without having to plug them in, and a few others support optional attachable batteries.Nearly all label printers in the consumer- and small-business-grade class are thermal printers. This means that the blank label material itself contains the color (there is no ink in the printer), which is released (in specific patterns) based on the thermal heat released as the paper (or whatever material) passes through the printer. Also, some label printer makers, like Brother, have recently released two-color paper, such as black and red.Today's labelers support more than just one width or length of rolls, increasing the diversity of label types you can create. If you plan to use your label printer for a wide range of projects—mailing labels, file folders, product barcodes, banners, and more—you should find a machine that supports several widths and other varying configurations of label rolls.
Connecting to Your Label Printer. An important factor in choosing a labeler is deciding how and where you're going to use it. In other words, what type of connection(s) do you need? Many label printers support several connection types, while some support only one or two, with USB being the most common. Not only is it used for connecting to your computer or mobile device, but for the many labelers that come with batteries, it's one of the more common ways to charge them.The problem with USB is that the labeler must always be tethered to another device, making it more difficult to move around. In addition, printing devices that connect solely via USB do not connect to your network or the internet.
Only the computing device connected to the printer over USB can access it.Bluetooth, too, is supported by many label printers, as is Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct. Wi-Fi, of course, makes the printer part of your network, allowing all of the computers and mobile devices on the network—with the proper software installed, that is—access to the printer.
Wi-Fi Direct creates a peer-to-peer network connection between a mobile device and the printer, meaning that neither the printer nor the mobile device requires a standard network connection or router. Creating and Printing LabelsWhile yesteryear's label printers required typing on tiny attached keyboards to print, most recent models take their direction from some type of computing device, either a desktop PC, a laptop, or a smartphone or tablet. Many of today's labelers support all of these devices, which, among other things, provides a much easier and more versatile platform for creating and printing labels.In most instances, the printer tells the software what type of label roll is loaded in the printer. In turn, the software displays predesigned templates for several different label types.
You can then either fill in the blanks as-is, redesign the template, or start fresh and create your own custom labels. In many cases, in addition to using the symbols, borders, and other design options built into the software, you can also import clip art and sometimes even photos (which print in monochrome, of course) into your label layouts. Cost of OwnershipIf you plan to print a large number of labels, another critical factor is the cost per label, which is also often referred to as the. Most label printers support a vast collection of label types, as many as 30 or more, ranging in various widths and lengths and colors and material types.Simple 1.5-by-3.5-inch die-cut labels typically cost about 2 cents to 4 cents per label.
Buying the same labels in bulk (say, 50 to 100 rolls) could knock your running costs down by 25 percent or more. Fancier plastic, cloth, and foil labels will cost you significantly more, as will larger labels.It's also important to remember that the cost per label can be significantly different from machine to machine, depending on what company makes the labeler, the type of labels you buy, how many rolls you buy, and where you buy them.The list below includes the best label printers that we've recently tested. For a look at the top printers overall, check out, as well as the best and printers you can buy right now. Pros: Good print quality. Comprehensive, easy-to-use label design and print mobile app. Strong selection of label types in several color schemes, including fabric iron-on labels.
Runs on AC or battery power. Good value for the price.Cons: Cannot use with Windows or Mac PCs.
Requires replaceable (rather than rechargeable) batteries.Bottom Line: With excellent design and comprehensive print software, the reasonably priced Brother P-touch Cube prints several sizes and colors of good-quality plastic (laminated) labels from your iOS or Android mobile device. Pros: Fast print speeds. Good print quality. Multiple network and mobile connectivity options. Excellent label design.
Great print software and mobile app. Prints in black and red. Operates as standalone label maker and printer with optional battery.Cons: Consumables somewhat costly on a per-label basis. Battery costs extra. Ability to print in red limited to one label type.Bottom Line: The Brother QL-820NWB is a feature-rich label maker capable of churning out professional-looking output quickly and efficiently. Pros: Respectable print quality.
Prints in black and red. Prints labels fast. Terrific label design.
Great print software and robust mobile app. Wide selection of label types.Cons: Per-label cost is high. Battery costs extra. Ability to print in red limited to one label type. QL-820NWB offers much more for not a lot more money.Bottom Line: The Brother QL-810W label maker prints a wide variety of high-quality label types from your PC or mobile device, but its higher-end sibling provides significantly more features and versatility for just a little more money.
Call: 1-800-475-2235Office Hours: M-F 8am-5pm ESTBrowse the.At Consolidated, we don’t view labels as just something we print and sell – we see them as the means for.' The labels are, well frankly. Far better than I even imagined. I will never do business with anyone else.' - Gary M.The Consolidated Label story began over 30 years ago when Joel Carmany purchased a fledgling.
Awards & Success Stories.Interested in working at Consolidated Label Co?. Before You Start DesigningSave yourself some time and headaches by using the appropriate software to design your label. Adobe Illustrator is the preferred method for designing custom labels because it can create high-quality vector artwork that will ensure good print quality on flexographic or digital label presses. Illustrator is better for label design than Microsoft Office and Paint because it can work with layers and vector (i.e. wireframe) elements.
Artwork that is “layered” means that individual design elements can be changed, moved or edited. Our section is a great place to learn more about. Setting Up the Label Template. Measure your container. It’s important that you before you start working on the design so you can have the right label size. Not working with the label size or shape that’s suitable for your container can create challenges later on with the design’s layout because it will need to be resized or reformatted to fit your label specs.
If you’re labeling a container with a or there are important considerations for designing the label artwork and selecting materials. Design in CMYK colors – not RGB. Label printing uses a – also known as CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and ‘key’ black) – with the option of printing Pantone spot colors. RGB (red, green and blue) is used for web/video applications because they’re the colors used for electronic screens. Don’t create your label in the RGB color space as the color will shift when converting it to CMYK. Check out our article on for more information. Line up artwork with a guide/ruler.
Design software has tools you can use to make sure your artwork is lined up properly. Rulers and guides can create a line graph so you don’t have to guess whether the graphics, texts and images are evenly spaced or straight.
Find out so you can rest assured that you’re starting your design on the right path. Put at least a 0.0625″ (1/16 in.) bleed on all sides of the label. A ‘bleed’ is when the artwork extends beyond the edge of where your label will be cut (aka ) so that there are no white spaces around the label’s borders.
Our quick guide can show you in your design software. Designing the Label Artwork. Use high-resolution images. Images on the Internet tend to have low resolutions so it’s essential that you use find high-res images of at least 300 DPI (dots per inch) so the labels don’t look blurry when printed.
Please note that PNG and GIF files can’t be used for high-quality printing. Click to see an example of what we mean by high and low-res images. Choose vector graphics over raster. Vector and raster are two types of graphics and are used for different purposes. Vector graphics are preferred for printing text on labels because they can be enlarged or reduced without losing image quality or becoming pixelated (like raster). See what other differences exist between so the design process won’t be unnecessarily delayed because of poor quality graphics. Place logo where it’s most prominent. Having a logo that is too small or obscured by other artwork can hinder the label design and make your brand unnoticeable. Good places to put your logo are at the top or center of the label design where customers are most likely to see it.
Convert text into outlines. Converting your text to outlines is important because it will make design software recognize the text as an object instead of a font. By doing this, it ensures that no “missing” font errors or font substitutions occur when our art department opens your files in Adobe Illustrator. Learn in our step-by-step guide.
Following Label Regulations. Follow applicable labeling regulations. Certain products are regulated more than others so it’s important to see what labeling regulations are applicable to your product. For instance, are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and often require a nutrition fact table to be on the principal display panel for consumers to easily see it.
Incorporate a barcode for retail or internal communications. A UPC barcode is a great way to instantly communicate a product’s information in a store’s point-of-sale system or internally between departments.
There are, however, certain design restrictions to such as the size (minimum 1” width from left to right bar) and colors. Whereas red and white colored barcodes won’t be read by the scanner. If you know your label won’t need a barcode, you can skip this step. Now that you have a more basic understanding of custom label design, you should be better able to create one that will print well and look of high quality. Our Pre-Press Artist and art team will make sure your label design is good to go before it’s sent to print, but it’ll save you time (and potential fees for multiple revisions) to review your artwork carefully before submitting it through our.
A valuable resource we have is our tips for which you can review before submitting artwork on our website or to the customer service rep. If you’re still unclear about proper label design, check out our and for artwork support.Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2013 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Label Design SoftwareAre you needing a better way to design and print your labels? Let's face it, although MicroSoft Word® is readily available and somewhat easy to use, it is still a program for creating and printing documents, not graphics. Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are great at design but are both very expensive solutions.
So what's a small business owner of home do-it-yourself er supposed to do? LaserInkjetLabels.com is proud to announce and promote an alternative program called Inkscape. Inkscape is a powerful, easy to use and free label software. Yes, you just read that correctly. Free Label Software!Inkscape label design software is an easy to use yet powerful graphics program that has many of the same features offered by the expensive programs while maintaining a simple, easy to follow framework. All for free.
A Point of sale (POS) system lets you take payment at whatever time and place a retail transaction is completed. There are two general types of systems available, on-premise and cloud-based. Because each type of business has different needs, each POS system offers varying features depending on whether it’s designed for use in retail, hospitality, or other industries.In this guide, we recommend the best POS systems available that are most suitable for e-commerce, small business, restaurants and more.Editor's note: Looking for pricing information on POS Systems? Answer the questions below, and our vendor partners will contact you with a free quote. Based in Ottawa, Canada, Shopify has offered a retail POS system with excellent e-commerce integrations since 2013. Its hardware and software products are marketed as “easy to use and ready to go straight out of the box.” Hardware options include components such as a barcode printer, scanner, iPad stand, physical gift cards and a credit card reader.With Shopify, you can set up your own branded online store, marketplace and social media accounts. Shopify also offers inventory management, and your customers can buy online and pick up their purchases in the store.
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You can also offer store credit in lieu of refunds.The dashboard is simply laid out and displays all sales, orders and website traffic. The system also includes sales and product reports.Shopify POS pricing starts at $29 per month for a basic plan. This includes an online store, unlimited products, two staff accounts, 24/7 support, Shopify POS app and hardware peripheral support. For credit cards, online rates are 2.9%, in-person rates are 2.7%, and there’s a rate of 2% for payment providers other than Shopify.More expensive plans offer more staff accounts, gift cards and professional reports. The most expensive tier has lower online and in-person credit card rates. There is a 14-day trial available that very simple to set up.
Best for Small Business. Square POS is free to start off and has a huge number of features that are easy to use. It is an ideal point-of-sale solution for small business.It tracks a customer’s purchase history automatically and sends a digital receipt through its customer directory. This keeps all your contacts in one location, syncs with other Square products and sorts customers by their spending habits.The dashboard can be accessed from any device through its mobile app.
It displays insights and advanced reports, and it lets you view transactions and deposits easily.Square Inventory allows you to adjust an item’s size, description and SKU (Stock Keeping Unit).Every account comes with a free magstripe reader, and chargeback protection is also included. A Square terminal can be purchased for $399 (or $37 over 12 months).
App management, marketplace, sales and analytics reporting are included for all users.If you’re looking for a more in-depth system, Square can build an integrated bundle to suit your needs. Custom pricing plans can be created for businesses which process more than $250,000 in card sales with an average ticket size of over $15. Best for Inventory Management. Lightspeed offers two distinct POS systems: one for restaurants and one for retail.
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The retail POS system really shines when it comes to inventory management, which is divided into four subsections. These include Items & Inventory, Order Transfer & Shipping, Inventory Maintenance and Settings.Purchases can be centralized and efficiently ordered through integrated catalogs. You can also sell bundled, serialized or unique items, all of which are managed through the Lightspeed dashboard. And you can directly import products from over 3,000 integrated catalogs.
Note, however, that the dashboard can be a bit overwhelming initially due to the sheer volume of options.Users can also track costs and receive inventory data and low stock alerts from any device.Pricing starts at $99 per month, which includes one register, up to five employee accesses, personalized onboarding, 24/7 support, free updates, secure cloud back and basic reporting. Lightspeed offers a 14-day free trial along with a demo. You can request a quote for more pricing plans which can be tailored to suit your needs. Best Integrated Accounting. QuickBooks is an accounting software package with its own POS system.
It is developed by Intuit. As QuickBooks POS works with its own accounting software, it is the ideal choice if you’re looking for an integrated accounting package.This POS system can accept payments from Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and debit cards, along with cash and credit cards. And any payments, sales or inventory updates can be automatically synced with your QuickBooks accounting software.You can view a customer’s history, such as overdue payments, current balances, credit available, loyalty program status and special offers, across the top of your screen each time you process a transaction.Users can make sales with an optional barcode scanner or manually, and the system is now optimized for the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, which can also be used as a barcode scanner.There are three pricing plans available with QuickBooks POS. All hardware is sold separately, and all plans offer a 30-day free trial.The Basic plan starts at $1,200 as a one-time fee. This includes sales, payments, basic reporting, integration with QuickBooks financial software, and inventory and customer data tracking.The Pro plan weighs in at $1,700, also a one-time fee, and it includes all the Basic plan has to offer plus payroll, layaway, gift cards, advanced reporting, rewards and loyalty program.The Multi-Store package starts at $1,900 as a one-time fee, which includes everything the other two plans do, along with multiple store management, advanced inventory management, and advanced sales and inventory reporting between stores.
ShopKeep is a cloud-based iPad point of sale system. The user interface is very easy to navigate, and your inventory can be tracked by dividing it into categories that can be accessed through tabs along the screen.The navigation pane on the left-hand side of the screen displays transactions, checks and general selections. Users can access customer history from here also. Users can also create custom discounts, tip amounts, perform refunds, accept multiple payments and partial payments.There is a specific section for managers which allows senior employees to monitor shifts, access reports and authorize certain transactions.ShopKeep does not publish prices online.
However, we contacted the sales team and they confirmed prices start at $69 per month for the first register. This can be reduced to $59 per month with a one-year commitment. This includes unlimited inventory items, transactions and number of employees. There are add-ons available for an extra charge, and there is no free trial period.You can also get a free quote at ShopKeep’s website for a system that can be tailored to your needs.
Best for Restaurants. TouchBistro is an iPad-based point-of-sale (POS) system designed for use in the restaurant business. Employees can bring the POS terminal to the table of customers and take care of the bill right there.The system can split checks for parties of all sizes, and you can also text receipts or have them emailed to your customers.TouchBistro also helps you keep track of recipes against menu products and determine costs; You can determine profit margins to help you decide which items to keep on the menu. The system alerts you when stocks are low so both employers and employees are aware of inventory levels.The Solo pricing plan starts at $69 per month which is billed annually.
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This includes one license and is recommended for quick-service venues who only need one terminal.The Dual package starts at $129 per month billed annually. This is recommended for quick-service venues and small restaurants that want the flexibility of two terminals.The Team plan is $249 per month billed annually and consists of five licenses. This is suitable for midsize restaurants and bars.The Unlimited package is $399 per month billed annually. There is no limit on the number of licenses, and it’s suitable for high-volume businesses that want to scale their POS system as their business grows.All include 24/7 chat and email support. Best for Salesforce. SuitePOS, from SuiteRetail, is designed to fully integrate with Salesforce. SuiteRetail is managed completely in the cloud as part of one integrated CRM (Customer Relationship Management) suite.SuitePOS is one of the only Apple-based POS systems built natively on the Oracle and Salesforce networks.
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As a result, any business using Salesforce can view all sales, marketing, ecommerce, finance, inventory and CRM in one place.Customer and product information move easily between Salesforce and SuitePOS. Any transactions and payments made in Salesforce can be seen in SuitePOS. And nearly any payment type you can think of is supported: card swipe, contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay, cash, gift cards, etc.The system works offline, so you can continue selling safe in the knowledge that all transactions will be processed once you are back online.SuiteRetail doesn't put pricing plans on their website. Instead, you’ll need to contact the sales team for an in-depth quote for the features that fit your business needs. Best Customer Support. Toast is a highly customizable POS system built for Android, and like TouchBistro, it is aimed entirely at restaurants. The user interface is intuitive and has little to no learning curve.
Users can manage operations, deploy customer loyalty cards and track inventory. The system also offers online ordering, real-time sales reports, end-to-end encryption, CRM, mobile POS and guest database management.The easy-to-use Android systems can be scaled as your company grows. Mobile terminals allow users to take orders at tables, as well as accept payments and dispense receipts.The company thrives on customer feedback and does its best to incorporate customer suggestions into the system.
This can be seen through its constant updates and bug fixes. Updates are released every 30 days, and these include additions suggested by customers.Users can contact the Sales team for a customized quote.Software prices begin at $79 per terminal.
You can also pay for expert installation, remote or on-site, with costs beginning at $499.What Does a POS System Do?You may think a point-of-sale (POS) system is just a cash register, but the best ones do much more than facilitate sales with your customers. The best POS systems can function as a hub for your entire business.Typical POS systems have hardware that lets you ring up orders, including a barcode scanner, credit card reader, cash register and receipt printer. Modern POS systems include much more, though. For example, they include tools for inventory tracking, sales tracking, employee management and customer management. You can purchase each of these tools individually, but you save money by bundling them into a POS system.What Kind of POS System Should I Get?Choosing a POS system for your business is a serious decision. The best kind for you depends on what type of business you have, how busy you are, and whether you need it to track inventory, sales and other data. For example, restaurants need systems to assign tables and track orders, while businesses that work trade shows or farmers markets need portable systems.Cloud POS systems are becoming the norm.
To use cloud POS software, you pay a monthly fee, which tends to be cheaper in the long run than buying a costly software license and paying to have a server onsite. There are also no annual upgrade costs associated with cloud systems.What to Look for in a POS System?A POS system can be as complex or as simple as you choose – you can ring up customers on a tablet or have an elaborate checkout kiosk with lots of advanced features. A lot depends on the type of business you have and what you need to keep it running smoothly. As such, before you even start shopping around, take stock of your business. Ask yourself if there are any tools you could use to improve your business, and consult with your employees to see if there’s anything that could help them. This will give you some direction as you navigate all the complexities of buying a POS system.You should also take stock of what equipment you have.
If you’re upgrading to new POS software, check to see if your existing equipment is compatible with what you’re looking for. Itemize all the equipment you already own and see if you have enough.Another part of choosing a POS system is finding a payment processor. Some POS systems come bundled with their own processing, which can save you the headache of finding your own processor. However, if you run a larger business with a lot of sales, you may be better off finding a separate processor. Read our reviews of to find out which is best for your business.What Are the Costs?As a business owner, your biggest concerns are likely the upfront and ongoing costs.
You can get all the equipment you need for anywhere between $500 and $2,000. The software may cost extra, depending on whether it's bundled with the equipment or not. You can pay another $1,000 or so for a software license or $50 a month to use cloud software. The advantage of a cloud program is you don’t have to pay annual upgrade fees.The price also goes up as you add features. Often, POS systems are sold at different service levels, and the features you want may bump you up to a higher pricing tier.One of the biggest ongoing costs is payment processing. Many POS companies offer payment processing, but not all do. And even if you find one that does, you may get a better price on the service elsewhere.
Often, it's better to look at payment processing as a completely separate cost, especially if you run a large business.