Printing labels for business and industrial needs is a continuously evolving process. While industrial label printing has certainly changed over many years, it continues to evolve with each new product introduction. For a business in search of the right industrial label printer, the possibilities can be daunting. Nevertheless, there are several important criteria for buyers to consider during their selection.
Industrial label printing spans a wide variety of specific applications. When choosing a printer, questions arise, such as whether a mobile printer or desktop printer is better, what print technology is best, what print speed or print resolution is needed, what label types or connectivity options are included, and many more.
One particular question that is often debated about industrial thermal transfer labeling covers when is it best to use a medium-volume desktop printer or a high-volume desktop printer. It is important to select a printer based on the specific requirements of the labeling application, so let’s talk about the advantages of each type of printer.
Medium Volume Printer Advantages
One advantage of a medium volume printer is its smaller size. Medium volume desktop label printers are small enough to use less floor space or desktop space in a facility. A benefit of this is the ability to have more than one printer in a specific work area, as space allows, adding to labeling flexibility. A second advantage of a medium volume printer is its lighter weight. This enables medium volume desktop printers to be carried in a case or a kit by mobile employees, as they print at the point of label installation or in the field.
High Volume Printer Advantages
Likewise, high volume printers have their own advantages, such as a rugged and durable design, particularly for harsh workplace environments. Another advantage of a high-volume printer is the use of larger thermal transfer ribbon rolls, which allow printing of more labels from a single ribbon.
Label Volume
When deciding between a medium or high-volume printer, it’s important to consider the usage volume of the labeling process. In this regard, industrial labeling processes and projects can often be described as either medium volume or high volume.
A medium volume labeling application is typically one that generates from about 500 to 2,000 labels per day, on average. In a medium volume labeling process, users print a few rolls of labels per week. For example, at 2,000 labels per day on average, a user will print about 2 rolls per week of 5,000 labels each, or about 100 rolls of 5,000 labels per year.
By comparison, the label usage of a high-volume application starts at roughly 2,000 labels per day and increases from there. For instance, high volume processes might consume 5,000 labels per day, totaling hundreds of label rolls during a year.
Print Speed
When choosing between a medium volume printer and a high-volume printer, the most important factor is the print speed. It is common for medium volume printers to allow print speeds from 2 inches per second up to 6 inches per second.
By comparison, for a high-volume printer, the print speed is often doubled, ranging from 4 inches per second up to roughly 12 inches per second. When picking a printer, the print speed should be chosen to best fit the process and labeling application.
Summary
Selecting a desktop thermal transfer label printer often seems challenging at first. However, knowing the most important selection criteria, as well as the advantages of different types of printers, is a great first step. With this understanding, users can choose the ideal medium volume or high-volume printer to match the needs of their business. To view the options available from Panduit, visit www.panduit.com/desktop-printers.
