Mini label printer - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: keef46
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2022, 12:20:51 pm
content: Can anyone recommend a printer for doing very small plastic labels? for Firmware stickers, MAC address's, batch codes etc... Labels as small as say 10 x 6 mmWe have a Zebra ZM400 - but wont go that small!Thanks!

author: Messtechniker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2022, 01:23:44 pm
content: Have look at Brother label printers P-Touch

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2022, 04:01:51 pm
content: Quote from: Messtechniker on September 23, 2022, 01:23:44 pmI have a Brother PT-1750. It will do 6mm wide tape, but you can't get a lot of characters on 10mm length of tape. Looks like maybe 4 chars in 10mm, when set to the smallest. I do use it for serial numbers and firmware rev #'s.Jon

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2022, 04:48:46 pm
content: Quote from: jmelson on September 23, 2022, 04:01:51 pmOf course you also have to cut the short labels by hand.In the US, most companies seem to use Brady labelers, which can produce short labels, but they are expensive and so are (some of) the labels.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2022, 10:15:10 pm
content: Quote from: jmelson on September 23, 2022, 04:01:51 pmWith the PC based ones you'll have more control. Something like this:https://www.ptouchdirect.com/ptouch/new_ptp700.htmlQuote from: edavid on September 23, 2022, 04:48:46 pmI assume you mean the smaller consumer printers.The large industrial Brady printers the labels are fairly cheap. Here is a roll of 10k 19mm x 6mm labels for $90:https://www.amazon.com/Brady-THT-1-423-10-Permanent-Polyester-Printable/dp/B0057JXQLO/Which works out to 1c per.The printer itself is not cheap though:https://www.bradycanada.ca/label-printers/industrial

author: jduncan
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2022, 04:43:46 pm
content: Get a laser engraver. One of the $3-5k galvo fiber lasers would be perfect, but a basic $400 CO2 will do a fine job engraving solder mask.

author: exmadscientist
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2022, 08:13:24 pm
content: We have a Brady M611. If you can get past the abominable cost of labels, the execrable software, the audacious demands topayfor that software given how much we already pay for equipment and consumables, and the kleptomanical waste of that expensive consumable ribbon (seriously, it advances the ribbon for seeminglyno reason at alleven when nothing is being printed... and they've got nice big mandatory gaps between labels....), it does actually make very nice circuit board labels. We use 19 x 6.35 mm (3/4 x 1/4 inch) as our standard but I have no doubt it could do well with smaller.I still hate it though. I use our Brother P-Touchevery single timeunless I absolutely must use the Brady.

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2022, 10:37:30 pm
content: OK, for really TINY labels, I print them on a laser printer, cut them out and glue them in place. I do this for labels that have the firmware date on them, and they fit over an 8-pin DIP. not really ideal, but it does work.Jon

author: Gribo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2022, 12:56:27 am
content: For such small labels you want to go with higher resolution (300 or 600dpi) printers, otherwise the text and barcode won't be readable.We use Zebra, TSC, Saito & Brady printers for such small labels. Make sure the printer can actually print a single label, some older Zebra models can't print reliably on such small labels.