How to Choose the Right Label Printer for Your Business

As a business, choosing the systems and methods that you use to manufacture and package and transport your products is critical – they should be selected for the quality that they produce and that they can be implemented quickly and effectively; after all, time is money!

One area that you must be incredibly vigilant about is in label printing – a mistake here and your customers may purchase the wrong products (leading to complaints), your packages may be transported to the wrong destinations (leading to delays and even lost items), or you may fall short on compliance issues (resulting in hefty fines or product recalls). All of these issues can have a negative impact on your reputation and directly impact your sales and profits, which is why it’s critical that you choose the right label printer for your business.

Label Printer Applicator

Also known as LPAs, these printers are used to print product information onto pressure-sensitive label materials, before automatically applying them to the item in question. They are the ideal choice for applying inconstant human-readable information and barcodes onto cartons, pallets, and potentially products. They are used for high-volume printing, and can label a range of substrates, including plastics, metal and timber. LPAs are a cost effective, innovative and automatic solution that can streamline your entire process.

Label Applicator

For those who have pre-printed their labels and need an automatic solution for applying them to their cartons, a Label Applicator is the ideal choice. Backed by 40 years of industry use, they are designed for applying stickers to flat, tapered or round surfaces, such as nutritional panels, ingredients lists and general product information. They are an excellent alternative to manual application.

Inline Labelling Systems

If you’re looking for a label printer that can be integrated into the production line, we recommend inline labelling systems. They can be used to apply product information in a range of positions, including front, back and wrapped. These versatile systems can be used on a variety of substrates, such as glass, plastic and metals. Businesses can benefit from either automatic or semi-automatic options, depending on their needs. However, semi-automatic models are best suited to slower production lines, low volumes or slow runs – though they have the added bonus of being portable!

Weigh Labelling

For human-readable information (such as weight and prices), a weigh label printer is the ideal choice. This machine can either be integrated into your existing production line or used as a stand-alone model. It can be used on a wide range of products, including fruit, vegetables meet and bakery products. It is flexible and highly accurate, and offers a quick set-up and easy use.

Lastly, if you’re still having trouble choosing the right label printer for your business, these are the added features you must look for:

• Ease of integration within production or packaging lines
• Fast and efficient implementation
• Simple to operate following minimal training
• Easy to service and maintain
• In-built scalability to meet your future needs

As you can see, choosing the right label printer is about more than simply purchasing the most highly reviewed option or the cheapest model available. You need to select a printer based on the individual needs of your business, the products you’re working with, and the materials you will be printing onto. You should also be mindful of the regulations and compliance requirements of your industry – as we mentioned earlier, it’s critical that these are met.

Matthews Aus is the author of this article on label printer.