What’s the best label printer for small business

When you think of label printers, you might instinctively think of a black and white lettering label. Technology has actually come a long way, and you can now create bright and colourful labels from home. 

We’re going to look at some of the best label printers you can buy. 

• Brother VC-500W
• Epson LabelWorks LW-PX300
• Brother QL-1100
• Dymo LabelWriter 5XL

Here are our top picks for the best label printers. We’ve listed what they’re best at to help you choose. 

If you need to print full colour labels, then you can’t go wrong with the Brother VC-500W. 

Full colour printing is definitely necessary if you’re trying to create interesting and enticing product labels. This funky little printer can also print labels in a range of widths, from 9mm up to 50mm. 

This printer also has excellent compatibility, so you can start print jobs with any device. That includes PC, Mac, Android, and Apple devices. Some devices will need to download a specific app, others are able to simply send the file over WiFi. 

Plus, you don’t need to worry about paying for a separate label designing app. This printer comes with its own free one! 

One really impressive benefit is the fact the VC-500W doesn’t actually use any ink. This means you don’t have to worry about running out during a print job, or think about the cost of replacing expensive cartridges. 

Unfortunately, this label printer does only work with Brother’s official adhesive paper, and at up to £35 a roll they are expensive. 

Pros:

• Print in full colour
• Print in multiple widths
• Labels can be designed and printed from PC or mobile devices
• Comes with access to free label editing apps
• ZINK (Zero Ink) technology means no ink cartridges or toners needed

Cons:

• Only prints on official Brother labels

Trying to improve your business’s general organisation? You might want to consider the Epson LabelWorks LW-PX300. 

This cool handheld label printer is perfect for labelling things, such as hard copy files and folders. It can even print on a couple of different types of tape — including magnetic, heat shrink, and adhesive. 

The label printing can be a little slow, which can be frustrating if you’re trying to label multiple things quickly. 

But where other printers can cost up to several hundred pounds, this is a much cheaper alternative. 

Of course, if you’re after a label printer for product design purposes then this won’t be suitable. For improving organisation though, it’s perfect. 

Pros:

• Relatively inexpensive
• Prints on magnetic, heat shrink, and adhesive tapes
• Useful for filing and documentation
• Really easy and intuitive to use

Cons:

• Slow printing
• Not suitable for product labelling

Running an online business that needs to ship out a lot of packages? Take out the hassle and print your own shipping labels with the Brother QL-1100. 

The QL-1100 can easily print labels compliant with common shipping companies, such as Royal Mail and Amazon. This could help your business ship your products more effectively, leading to a better customer experience. 

You’ll also be pleased to know that the label rolls are pretty reasonably priced. Where other printers can reach around £50 a roll, these sit quite comfortably around £15-20. 

And thanks to the in-built label cutter, you don’t have to worry about sitting with a pair of scissors cutting each label yourself. Each label gets automatically sliced for a clean, professional look. 

There is one downside to the QL-1100 though. Labels can only be printed over USB connection. That means you’ll need a computer with a USB port in order to send over print jobs. 

Pros:

• Produces Royal Mail, eBay and Amazon compliant labels
• Label rolls are relatively low cost
• Automatic cutter
• Can print shipping labels up to 103mm wide

Cons:

• Only connects via USB

Maybe you’re after a label printer that can do a little of everything. In that case, the Dymo LabelWriter is perfect for you.

While the Dymo LabelWriter has a wider range of capabilities than any of the other entries, it isn’t as good at specifics. This does make it a great option for users who want to mix and match what they use the LabelPrinter for. 

For example, while the LabelPrinter can’t print Royal Mail labels, it can print Amazon, Etsy, and eBay compliant ones. Essentially, you could use this printer to create a full-colour label for your product, sell it on Etsy, then print and use the shipping label. 

This streamlines your entire process, without having to buy multiple printers. 

The Dymo is also a great choice for fast-paced printing, as it can churn out labels at a rate of 53 per minute. Since it connects over both USB and WiFi, you don’t have to worry about not being able to print either. 

Overall, this printer is a great choice if you need versatility. 

Pros:

• Can print 53 labels a minute
• Connects over USB and WiFi network
• Prints in full colour
• Can print some shipping labels

Cons:

• Only uses DYMO labels
• Can’t print Royal Mail shipping labels

There’s no doubt that buying your own label printer can be an expensive upfront purchase, but in the long run it can save you money. 

Of course, you’ll need the available funds to buy one in the first place. That’s where the Countingup app comes in. Instead of needing to spend hours wading through your accounts, Countingup keeps your finances clean and organised. 

It’ll even sort payments into HMRC-compliant categories, so you can get some tax relief on your label printer purchase. 

Are you interested in checking out the app for yourself?
Download the Countingup app for free.