If you are keen on the idea of printing your own unique labels in-house, you will want to consider buying color label printers first. Before you make a final purchase decision, it will be great if you can slow down your pace and take some time to learn how to evaluate a color label printer with the following tips.
Find Out How Long It Takes For the Printer to Print
It’s pretty vague if you just say you’re evaluating print speed. The fact is that you’re actually evaluating how fast the printer takes to complete a print job. There are more factors you will need to keep in mind as well and they include the time needed to load a printer with inks and blank labels; processing time delays; and maintenance procedures. These factors have a significant impact on throughput and they are what your production department needs to measure to facilitate the evaluation process. Simply put, you should time the print job while you’re watching.
Print Out Your OWN Sample
Rather than just look at a sample label, it is better to see how your own labels turn out in real life. This will also be a great chance to see the best the printer can do. Before you meet up with your printer salesperson, provide a high resolution version of your label artwork in digital format to him or her and allow them to prepare for the demonstration. It is important to do this in advance because your salesperson will need to adjust certain colors to meet your expectations, especially if your artwork was designed for a different output device.
Observe How Well the Printer Prints a Full Roll of Labels
For this step, you will need to arrange for an in-person demonstration and stay and watch while your labels are printed. A lot of people do this and it is for good reasons. It’s not wise to just rely on ready-made samples or product promotional videos to make a decision. When you watch the labels being printed in person, you will be more aware of any potential and technical shortcomings in the printer.
Remember, you are the expert of your own labels and you know how exactly they should look like. If things like color-matching and print quality hold great importance to you, now is a good time to observe the printer at work.
Find Out How Much It Costs To Print the Labels You Just Saw Printed
This is a critical step you should not forget. Ask the salesperson to calculate the actual cost of your printed label roll after the job is done. Ask them to include costs of the blank material and ink. This information will give you a rough idea of your own final cost per label as well as how much you need to pay each time you print your own labels.
At Cut Sheet Labels, we carry a well-stocked line of color label printers. Take a look at them today and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any enquiries along the way!
