Label Printers is a computer printer that prints on self-adhesive label material and/or card-stock (tags). It has built-in keyboard and display for stand-alone use (not connected to a separate computer) is often called a label maker.

Label printers are different from ordinary printers because they need to have special feed mechanisms to handle rolled stock, or tear sheet stock. Common connectivity include RS-232 serial, USB, parallel, Ethernet and various kinds of wireless. Label printers have a wide variety of applications, including supply chain management, retail price marking, packaging labels, blood and laboratory specimen marking, and fixed assets management.

Label printer capabilities vary between home, corporate and industrial-oriented models.

Desktop label printers are usually designed for light to medium-duty use with a roll of stock up to 100 mm wide. They are quiet and inexpensive. Commercial one can typically hold a larger roll of stock up to 200 mm wide and are geared for medium-volume printing.

Industrial label printers are designed for heavy-duty, continuous operation in warehouses, distribution centers and factories. Additionally, they are designed for heavy-duty operation on location. They are usually handheld and come with an industrial hard case. Examples of applications are labeling for electrical installations, construction sites, and production floors where there are no computers.

RFID readers are specialized printers that print and encode at the same time on RFID transponders (tags) enclosed in paper or printable synthetic materials. RFID tags need to have printed information for backwards compatibility with barcode systems, so human users can identify the tag.

Labelling software runs on a general-purpose personal computer, and is designed to create and/or format labels for printing. The software can use native OS printer drivers, or embed drivers in the software, bypassing the OS print subsystem. It may work with dedicated label printers as described in this article, or use sheet- or continuous-fed labels in a general-purpose computer printer.

Cackle Telecommunications is proud to provide label printers to NZ businesses. Choose from a selection of vendors, explore our products to find the right solution for you.