A label printer for printing on a paper tape wound onto a roll, said label printer comprising a printer housing (23, 23') in which a reception space (27, 27') for the roll with the paper tape or for a cartridge comprising the roll with the paper tape is provided, wherein the paper tape can be placed into a paper path and transported along the paper path; a housing element (25, 25') which is attached to the printer housing (23, 23'), which is foldable between an open position and a closed position, and which enables access to the reception space (27, 27') for the insertion and removal of the roll or the cartridge in the open position and prevents access in the closed position; and a control unit which is configured to detect the state of the label printer (19, 19'), namely whether the housing element (25, 25') is closed or the cartridge is inserted and whether the paper tape is placed into the paper path, wherein a reflection light barrier (35, 35'), comprising a light transmitter for transmitting a transmission light beam and a light receiver for receiving a reflected portion of the transmission light beam, and a further light receiver (37, 37') for receiving a transmitted portion of the transmission light beam are provided, wherein the reflection light barrier (35, 35') is provided at the printer housing (23, 23') and the further light receiver (37, 37') is provided at the housing element (25, 25') or the cartridge, or vice versa, and wherein, in a closed state of the housing element (25, 25'), the reflection light barrier (35, 35') and the further light receiver (37, 37') are arranged at two mutually oppositely disposed sides of the paper path, characterized in that the control unit is configured to detect the state of the label printer (19, 19') based on a joint evaluation of the reception intensity of the light receiver of the reflection light barrier (35, 35') and the reception intensity of the further light receiver (37, 37'). a printer housing (23, 23') in which a reception space (27, 27') for the roll with the paper tape or for a cartridge comprising the roll with the paper tape is provided, wherein the paper tape can be placed into a paper path and transported along the paper path; a housing element (25, 25') which is attached to the printer housing (23, 23'), which is foldable between an open position and a closed position, and which enables access to the reception space (27, 27') for the insertion and removal of the roll or the cartridge in the open position and prevents access in the closed position; and a control unit which is configured to detect the state of the label printer (19, 19'), namely whether the housing element (25, 25') is closed or the cartridge is inserted and whether the paper tape is placed into the paper path, wherein a reflection light barrier (35, 35'), comprising a light transmitter for transmitting a transmission light beam and a light receiver for receiving a reflected portion of the transmission light beam, and a further light receiver (37, 37') for receiving a transmitted portion of the transmission light beam are provided, wherein the reflection light barrier (35, 35') is provided at the printer housing (23, 23') and the further light receiver (37, 37') is provided at the housing element (25, 25') or the cartridge, or vice versa, and wherein, in a closed state of the housing element (25, 25'), the reflection light barrier (35, 35') and the further light receiver (37, 37') are arranged at two mutually oppositely disposed sides of the paper path, characterized in that the control unit is configured to detect the state of the label printer (19, 19') based on a joint evaluation of the reception intensity of the light receiver of the reflection light barrier (35, 35') and the reception intensity of the further light receiver (37, 37').