Written by Lisa - SellersTable.com

Do I need to invest my hard earned money into a label printer if I already have a printer at my home? There are several pros and cons to making this purchase. In this article I’ll spell it out for you to see if this expense is right for you. This Dymo Label Writer LX Thermal Printer can help you print shipping labels very fast and can save you time and money with no ink printing. There are pros and cons to buying one of these thermal printers. After spending 9 months with the printer I’ve learned a lot about how it works. Read on to find out more…... What is Thermal Printing Let's get a little technical. Wikipedia tells us that thermal printing is a digital printing process which produces a printed image by selectively heating coated thermochromic paper, or thermal paper as it is commonly known, when the paper passes over the thermal print head. What I love about the process is the fact that the thermal printing process relies on heat applied to thermal paper to produce its end product. This means no ink or toner cartridges are needed to print. Imagine that! We have a printer here in which you don't need to waste time and money purchasing ink cartridges. What I use I currently use A Dymo Label Printer LX 450. CLICK HERE to find in on Amazon. When I started out printing labels on my Cannon Printer it would use up a lot of ink and was slow to output. With my Dymo ink printer, it's not an issue as it does not use standard ink and the printing is lighting fast. There are some pros and cons. Read below. Pros and Cons PROS The Size I love the size of this small little gem. True to most label printers the Dymo Labelwriter 4xL is small enough to fit right on your desk and will not take up a lot of space. This model is small enough to not get in the way and take up massive desk space. Take a peek at this beauty's size ratio. Would it be a good fit for you? This thermal label printer is small enough to fit nicely on my desk. The printer measures 5.5" x 6" x 7.3" ( HWL) The Speed This printer is fast! After contacting the manufacturer it was confirmed. This Dymo printer prints up to 52 standard 4 line address labels or 129 high capacity labels per minute. The thought of a printer spitting out over 50 labels in one minute is impressive to me. My olderCannon printer would be 4x slower. I also found the price per label cheeper with this printer than using my inkjet. When you're in business for yourself it’s all about saving money. PRO TIP: Save on the labels Most label printers are proprietary when it comes to their suggested labels. Of course Dymo has made their own printer labels which they want you to purchase. On Amazon, I had read a few reviews that said some had luck with a less expensive comparable 3 party labels. I purchased the labels they suggested for this Dymo printer. I have been using them for 2 years now without issue. I will leave a link below of the 3rd party labels, however, you can use them at your own risk. Easy Setup The company had done a great job in regards to the setup instructions. Inside your box you will find an easy to read, photo filled Setup Guide. I'm not a paid sponsor for this product. I know as this point it seems that I am an affiliate of this product. However, I am not affiliated with this product at this time. I'm just an end user that simply appreciates an easy setup. The company points you to their website to download the printer drivers. Honestly, it took me a moment to find the right drivers on the site but one I got there the drives loaded right up for me. Quality Printing I am very happy with the quality of the printing on this label printer. Because this thermal technology using a print sensor and heat for output these labels historically can not withstand long exposure to sunlight or high heat over a long period of time. That being said my labels come out flawlessly. I have not experienced any blurry, smudged or fading in my labels. I have printed hundreds of labels on my printer and I find the quality to be excellent. CONS Not Wireless This model does not support wireless Wi-Fi Printing. This is not a huge inconvenience but worth noting to give you options. After I purchased this printer the company had since introduced a wireless model. During the time writing this article Amazon has introduced The Dymo Label writer Wireless. The wireless printer does cost more than the non-wireless model. Is it worth the extra upcharge? For me being a small business owner I try to keep my expenses low. Simply plugging in my USB cord that comes with the printer to my laptop is super simple. This reviewer does not see a need for a wireless printer. As a consumer yourself it’s up to you to decide if this is important to your workflow. Label Printer Can Not Print In Color Dymo does manufacture colored labels however this printer only prints in black and white. The only small disappointment for me was that when adding my company logo onto a label I could not add it with color. I do primarily use this printer to print my shipping labels on my shop orders so for me this is not a deal breaker. Color would be nice to have with this printer. For me color printing would be a luxury but it is just that, a luxury. The labels This printer does come with a small roll of labels to get you started. You will need to purchase additional labels in a short time. Know the user's guide states the following: ______________________________________________________________________________ Caution DYMO’s warranty does not cover malfunction or damage that may because by the use of labels other than DYMO-branded labels. Because DYMO LabelWriter printers use thermal printing technology, you must use specially designed and manufactured labels. The thermal coatings used on labels other than DYMO-branded labels may not be compatible and may provide unsatisfactory printing or cause the printer to malfunction. ______________________________________________________________________________ It appears that Dymo is telling us that it does not support the use of 3rd party labels. In looking through the reviews on Amazon I had found that a user suggested Buhbo brand shipping labels which worked well for her. CLICK HERE for a link to Amazon for Buhbo Labels I use with my printer if you wish to purchase the same labels. I ordered the labels she recommended and have been pleased with them for 2 years. Buhbo DYMO 4XL Compatible 4" x 6" Shipping Label 1744907, White (220 Per Roll). I do want to note: Please purchase 3rd party labels at your own risk. It is important to know the manufactures recommendations. I have yet to use my label printer for anything other than shipping labels. I’m thrilled to see that as my company grows so will my use of this cool little label printer. Here is a list of all the other labels you can print with this cute little printer. What else can I do with this printer? Although I primarily use this label printer in my shipping department for shipping labels there are other uses for this printer. You can purchase specific labels for other jobs within your company. Here is a list the manufacture has given on the different labels you can print. Recommended Applications • Files and Folders . International Shipping Labels • Shipping Labels • Address Labels • Postage • Binders • Cabinets • Closets • Shelves • Drawers • Storage Containers • File Boxes • Barcodes • Name Tags and Badges • IT Equipment The Hardware and Software Experience Software For those non-techies you have no worries here. Your new printer comes with an easy to follow QUICK START GUIDE. This company asks that you setup the printer drivers to your computer before you even plug in your unit. Follow along in the Quick Start Guide to get your printer drivers. As I noted above, setup for this printer was relatively painless. Before you dive into the hardware, the company first asks that you install the printer drivers right off their website. Honestly, it took me a few extra moments on the website to find the driver but one I did the install went smoothly. The Dymo 4XL is compatible with Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8 and Mac OS 10.3.9 and later. The latest drivers for installing your Dymo 4XL can be found on Dymo’s official product page for the 4XL under the Support tab on Dymo's website. Hardware As far as installing the hardware frankly that was a snap! Take a look at this diagram below. It shows you exactly what to do in order to set up the hardware and connect it to your computer/laptop. Final Thoughts Honestly, I took a chance with investing in this label printer and I feel it payed off in a big way. I have an inkjet printer in my office that can easily print out my shipping labels. However, I found this Dymo printer saves me time with my shipments as it prints so much quicker than my ink printer. I also found it more convent not to have to waste time cutting out the label to size from the printer and taping it to the box. This Dymo printer simply makes my job easier as a small business owner. I get in 3 orders in the morning and I can quickly ship them out no problem with this printer. I'm excited to see that this printer will grow with me as I scale my business with other label functions. I found it's a small investment that has payed for itself in time and money. Lastly, It looks cute on my desk does it not?