Which inkjet printer would you pick for full color labels?

[demiurgic]

Small businesses like ourselves who want to print their own color labels have very few solid choices so I come to this forum to see what you guys think.

We want to print labels for all kinds of products from one inch to 4 inches in squares and circles. Color vibrancy, system stability, along with some kind of production economy are all that matter. And of course, the color has to be fine without running.

As far as output quality is concerned, we don't want the thing to bang out a giclee print, just an honorable color label which can stand on it's own in terms of beauty and somewhat fine quality from various paper stocks at onlinelabels.com or some other company like that.

Although we started with $500 for our printer, I have found nothing in that price range which stands out as something that will not give us trouble for three four years. So we doubled the budget and found the Primera LX400 and Epson TM C3400 that roughly that range (a bit more actually)

Would you pick any of these or another one altogether?

thanks for your help!
Demi

 

[ghwellsjr]

For $1000 I would think that a color laser printer would be the way to go. You're not going to get colors that don't run with dye inks. You would have to go with pigment inks and those printers are more subject to nozzle clogging.

Are you concerned about a laser printer having problems printing on labels?

 

[mackie76]

Whether you choose a color laser printer or a specialist label printer I would be concerned about print quality over time, and although I haven't tried the particular Epson model you quote, their printers seem to me to be value for money - if treated correctly!
Also, check out the cost of the unit over time on the ink cartridges (SJIC15P pigment ink for the Epson model you are looking at)

 

[websnail]

You might want to think outside the box and see if there's a printing service that will do vinyl or similar labels for a price that is comparable with doing it yourself, if not cheaper.

 

[ROX]

Demi,


I'm actually sorta in the same line of business. We print labels on A4 and cut them to size for water bottles. Ive seen the Primera LX400 in action at some conventions and the quality was decent - probably comparable to the printers we are using - canon IP4500. The only thing I didn't like about it was being restricted to certain label sizes.

I didn't take a look at the ink system but I dont think they are refillable.

Depending on size of label...a full color label can be any where from 5-15 cents per label.

I'm considering this printer in the future

http://systems.labeltronix.com/Color-Label-Printers/VP485

I believe the ink are HP which can be refilled.

 

[websnail]

I'm considering this printer in the future

http://systems.labeltronix.com/Color-Label-Printers/VP485

I believe the ink are HP which can be refilled.

That's a K5400 chassis and the inks in that are pigment black with dyebase for the other three so if you're looking for a water fast label forget this unit.

Just a quick note FYI so worth checking that out if it's important.