If you regularly ship products, you know labelling is an important part of the process. To simplify that process we present you the list of best 4×6 thermal label printer. Labelling in itself is an easy job. But when number of items increases it becomes tedious and time consuming. A thermal label printer best suited for your business can fix this problem. Once labelling is done properly, organising and tracking your products becomes a piece of cake.
There are different types of label printers in the market. There is thermal label printer, laser printer and inkjet printer. While each type has it’s own pros and cons, the thermal label printer gives you an edge by freeing you from worries of ink refilling. You can use that refilling time elsewhere to increase your productivity. They are cheaper than other printers and last long due to their robust design. Thermal label printers have different types as well. There is standalone thermal label printer and then there are printers which needs to get connected to computer or smartphone to print.
Top 10 Best 4X6 Thermal Label Printer
Here we have compiled a list of 10 best 4X6 Thermal label printer.
Based on your requirements and their options in market you can make up your mind which one is best for you.
Dymo Labelwriter 450 Turbo Label Printer
There are many thermal label printers in the market. Among them, Dymo 450 Label printer is the most popular one. The printer is easy to setup and use. It works perfectly on both Windows and Mac OS. The beautiful and cool design in an added bonus. When it comes to speed, the printer claims to print 71 labels per minute. The Dymo software automatically verifies US addresses and Pin Codes.
This way the chances of mistakes are very low. It uses label rolls as paper. The process of changing paper is easy. All you have to do is press a button and the case opens. After changing paper you close the case by pressing it. You can print by using Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, Quickbook, Google Contacts, etc. There is also a sleep feature which helps you in saving power. This software also has many useful links like Dymo Online, Dymo stamps and it allows you to buy labels from program itself.
ROLLO Label Printer
ROLLO label printer is another gem in our list of best 4X6 thermal printer. It is also among most used and most satisfactory printers. Only draw back of this printer is not having in-built label holder. That can be substituted by buying an external one. Best part of this printer is it supports thermal labels from all companies. It makes printing labels cheaper and flexible. When it comes to speed, the printer has 150mm/second of printing speed.
It means you can print a 4X6 label in less than a second. The printer is very easy to setup and operate. It supports all major shipping platforms like stamps, Endicia, Shipstation, etc. In addition it also supports all major market places like shopify, Etsy, eBay, Amazon, etc. When it comes to compatibility with operating systems, the printer is compatible with both Microsoft and Mac OS. It also supports apps like PDF, Microsoft Word, etc.
MUNBYN Thermal Label Printer
The MUNBYN thermal label printer may look simple from outside, but it packs a lot of power inside. It is very easy to setup While setup it barely takes minutes and can be operated on any Windows and Mac OS. The printer is multi-purpose and can print Warehouse labels, shipping labels, Amazon FBA labels, etc. Size of the thermal label doesn’t matters with this printer, because it supports a wide range size of thermal papers.
The printer also supports all major shipping and sale platforms like shopify, etsy, eBay, Amazon,etc. When it comes to speed, the printer is a beast and can print at speed of 150 mm/sec. It is also capable of automatically detecting the label sizes. The printed output has a resolution of 230 DPI which is quite good for thermal printers. There is automatic pause function which is very useful when things go wrong by mistake. It also has an anti-overheating system that takes 5 minutes break after printing 700 labels.
Arkscan 2054A Label Printer
If you are looking for something fancy, this printer is not for you. It’s very simple in design. But it’s a powerhouse when it comes to functions. It can print labels for Amazon FBA, Easypost, Etsy, Shopify and many more. The printer is multi-functional. It can print shipping labels, product labels, bar code labels, etc. Basically you can print any kind of label with it. With a minimum width of 0.75” to maximum of 4.25” and minimum length of 0.4” to maximum of 90”, it can print all. When it comes to paper, the printer supports both roll and fan fold paper.
For roll paper it has inbuilt space and you can feed fan fold paper from backside. The most important thing of any label printer is speed, which this printer has. It has a print speed of 5 inches per second with quality resolution. You can use it on both windows and Mac. The printer also supports USB, LAN and WiFi for connectivity. You will have to look at different variants for it. The printer also comes with free label maker software which is an added bonus.
MFLABEL Label Printer
When you want to save some money, and still not compromise on output quality, MFLABEL Label Printer is the best choice. The printer has no paper jam or stuck problem. It has a premium print head which provides high resolution output of 203 DPI. The print head also has a long lifespan, so you don’t have to worry about expenses on a regular interval. You only have to buy thermal paper regularly.
When it comes to functions, the printer can print all kind of labels up to 108mm width. Only drawback is it is not compatible with Mac OS. It does supports Windows flawlessly, but has issues with Mac OS. You can use both roll labels and fan fold labels in it. It has a compact design, this can be stored anywhere easily. You can connect it with USB to your computer. The printer is fast and can print at speed of 5 inches per second without compromising with resolution.
Brother QL-1100 Label Printer
Generally you have to cut the paper in other label printers to save paper. Brother QL-1100 fixes this problem with it’s auto-cutter feature. This feature ensures there is minimum paper wastage and all labels are of same size. It has an amazing printing speed of 110mm/Sec. Means it can print about 69 standard 4X6 shipping address labels per minute. The printer is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux OS. So you don’t have to worry about your existing system before buying it.
No matter what OS you use, this will fit with all. The printer doesn’t compromises with quality due to speed. It delivers a resolution of 300 DPI with fast speed. Best part is it comes with 3 years of warranty. When it comes to operation, the printer is very easy to operate. It comes with 4 buttons on front to make the functions smooth. There is also P-Touch Editor software which allows you to design your won labels.
Brother QL-1110 NWB
Brother QL-1110 NWB is an advanced version of its predecessors. It can print on different formats of labels up to 4” width. The best part of this printer is connectivity. Bluetooth, USB, Ethernet and WiFi all are supported by the printer. You can even print with your mobile. It has automatic crop print function which allows you to print bar code labels from A4 size label sheet templates. You can store up to 255 label templets in printer’s memory.
It’s software supports both Windows and Mac. With windows you don’t even need the software to operate. The P-Touch editor allows you to print data directly from word, excel and outlook. It has a maximum printing speed of 4 inches per second. With that speed it delivers you a crisp output in 300 DPI resolution which is pretty good. Company also provides you 2 year warranty on the product.
NefLaca Label Printer
Thermal label printer from NefLaca is one of the most underrated printer in the market. The package comes with 1 label printer, 1 flash disk with driver for installation, 1 Type C to USB converter for Mac and 1 Fan fold labels pack of 100 pieces. When it comes to connectivity the printer has USB port. It has fast speed. The printer can print up to 127mm/sec with a resolution of 203 DPI. It also has auto label identification. The feature supports labels from 2.0” to 4.3” width and 1” to 11.8” of length. These features make this printer best for warehouse labels, ID labels, bar code, bulk mailing labels, etc.
The printer is compatible with all Windows and Mac OS. It also supports all major shipping and sales platforms like Poshmark, Fedex, Shipstaation, Shopify, Shippo, etc. The list is really long and its hard to write them all here. In short it supports all of major platforms. It also comes with an installation disk as backup of driver.
Zebra GK420d
Zebra GK420d is a multipurpose thermal label printer. It has a rugged long-lasting durable design. The mode of connectivity is USB, Serial and parallel. All the ports are designed in backside of the printer. It has a maximum printing speed of 5 inches per second, and with that speed it provides an output of 203 DPI. The printer has energy star approval which means you can save a lot in electricity bills.
Loading paper is very easy. There is a bright coloured button on left side of the printer which pops the top when pressed. All you need to do after that is insert the roll and close the top back again. The printer can be used in many industries that includes retail, pharmacy, healthcare, visitor id, shipping labels etc. Auto calibration feature makes sure it can use different sizes of rolls with human interference.
AOBIO Shipping Label Printer
AOBIO 4X6 shipping label printer is another gem in our list. The printer is compatible with multiple sales and shipping platforms which includes Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, Fedex, DHL, etc. It has an innovative design and is compatible with Mac and Windows OS. It does not supports Chromebook, Tablets and smartphones including iPad, iPhone and Microsoft Surface laptop. The printer supports USB for windows and only Type C ports for Mac book users.
When it comes to speed it can print up to 152mm/sec. Which means it can print 70 labels continuously every minute. The printer also has a smart paper recognition system which adjusts paper within to provide you better quality printing. This feature supports labels from 1.57” to 4.3” width. When it comes to operations, it is very easy to use. The printer has special buttons on both sides to open the cover of the printer.
What is a thermal label printer?
A thermal label printer is a printer which uses heat to print labels on thermochromic paper. These papers have substances which changes colour when they are exposed to temperature. When the paper passes through the print head, the area which comes in contact of it turns black. A thermal label printer has three main components. The thermal head or print head which generates heat, the planten which is a rubber roller which controls the paper and spring which applies pressure on print head. Due to it’s noiseless operation and fast speed thermal label printers emerge as the primary choice for labelling.
Pros and Cons of Thermal label printer
Pros of thermal label printer
- Low running costs – Thermal label printers have low running costs in comparison of other printers. Main reason behind it is they neither require ribbons no ink cartridges or any similar supply to print. Thermochromic paper is only supply you will need to keep it running.
- Portability – Thermal label printers are mostly compact and lightweight. This makes the portability easy. You can take them anywhere you want.
- Durable – Thermal label printers are rugged in design by it’s nature. They don’t have any part which needs extra care while handling. Due to this reason most label printers are highly durable.
- Fast Printing – The speed of thermal printing is faster than any other printers with crisp and clear output quality. Printed materials also tend to last longer than others in proper environment.
- Noiseless – The best part about thermal label printers is they are noiseless. You can stay free from noises caused by printing labels in your workplace.
Cons of thermal label printer
- Sensitive to high heat – Printed labels are sensitive to high heat. If exposed to it, they may turn fully black.
- Lack of colour – Printing in multiple colours is not so common in thermal printing. Most people use black, but other colours like red are also available.
Buyers Guide For best 4×6 thermal label printer
There are different types of thermal label makers in the market. Every type is built keeping a particular section of people in mind. Each type has a speciality. On the other hand every person and organisation needs are different. A label printer may get used differently as well. We will first discuss and try to understand factors that will impact our choices.
Top 9 essential factors to know before buying best 4×6 thermal label printer
1. Ease of Installation and setup
Most of the printers come with installation disk. On theoretical ground it only takes couple of minutes to install the drivers and start using the printer. But that’s not the case many times. Sometimes it’s the driver’s disk or sometimes its the operating system creating the trouble. So if your selected printer is pug and play, it’s always a positive point.
2. Connectivity
Connectivity is an important part when it comes to a label printer. Usually a thermal label printer comes with options like USB connectivity, wifi and Bluetooth. USB connectivity halts the mobility of the printer. While Bluetooth only has an effective range of 33 feet. After looking at these issues wifi connectivity looks like the best options. More options to connect you can get, better.
3. Label type and size
Thermal labels come in different types and sizes. There are rolled and fan fold labels. They come in multiple sizes as well based on their usage like tracking items, patients, products and so on. You must decide the type and size based on your printing requirements.
4. Durability
Durability is one of the most important reason behind acceptance of thermal printing. If given proper environment the printed materials last long. Based on your available environment you should choose the best suited thermal printing technology.
5. Printing Speed
If your printing volume is less printing speed doesn’t have much impact on your operations. But when your printing numbers are high every second counts. A slow printer in end will impact your operations.
6. Compatibility
While selecting your thermal label printer you must make sure it’s compatible with your existing hardware. It should support platforms you are using. Then there is your network, operating system which should be checked for compatibility as well.
7. Support and Customer Service
Any product you buy is an investment. Supports like warrants and customer service is there to ensure that your investment doesn’t go bad.
8. Printing Resolution
Resolution of printed label is directly connected with clarity. The resolution is generally measured in DPI (Dots per inch). Higher the DPI sharper the picture. Most labels printed are not so big in size, So clarity matters.
9. Volume of usage
Volume is another important factor which not be overlooked. You can’t expect an entry level printer to print 10,000 labels daily and not wear out fast.
Conclusion
There are multiple thermal Label printers in market. First you need to figure out in which all places you are going to use labels. Based on your requirement you can choose from the list of top 10 best thermal labels printers. You also need to keep your existing infrastructure in mind while making the decision.