Larry Magid: Satisfying my obsession with label makers

There is an episode of the Big Bang Theory where Sheldon puts a label on his label maker and then a smaller label to designate where the label is.

I’m not quite that obsessed with labels, but I’m a close second to the main character in that TV series.

I, too, have a label maker. In fact, I have three of them.  One is connected to my PC; one has its own little keyboard and another one that I just bought connects to a smartphone.

The label maker I use most often is the Brother QL-570, which I’ve had for years. The current model, the QL-600 sells for $79 on Amazon. There is also a $109 higher-speed QL-800 that prints black and red labels. These Brother label makers use thermal gummed labels in various widths. The advantage of thermal is that there is no ink or ribbon. They use heat to emboss on the label stock. The disadvantage is that thermal labels will quickly fade in sunlight, and the text or images can wear off if rubbed. But they’re great for labeling things for around the house, including file folders or anything that’s not in sunlight or frequently handed. And because this is a popular item, there are plenty of third-party companies that provide inexpensive label stock, which, based on the ones I’ve used, seem to be just as good as the ones from Brother.

The other thing I like about the QL printers is that the labels are only as long as they need to be and inexpensive. I bought a 100-foot roll of thermal label tape for under $6, which means a two-inch label costs about a penny using third-party label stock. Because they can fade, they are not good for outdoor use or when there might be something rubbing against them.

QL printers are designed to connect to a PC or Mac via the USB port. There are other label makers with their own small keyboards or that connect to phones via Bluetooth. A versatile option is the Brother P-touch PT-D610BT Business Professional Connected Label Maker ($99). It not only has its own keyboard, but connects to a PC or mobile device via Bluetooth.

Glossy labels

Many label printers use laminated or glossy label stock that is much less likely to fade or wear out. The disadvantages are that laminated stock is generally more expensive, and because there is a ribbon attached to the label, they are more likely to jam. In most cases, the ribbon separates from the stock while it’s in the printer, so if all goes well, they’re easy to manage. But I have had to throw away a few partially used label cartridges because the ribbon got separated from the labels or otherwise failed. For the most part, however, they work well.

Labeling credit cards

One thing I use a label for is to label credit cards, passports and other important things with my phone number. I’ve used thermal labels to put information inside my passport but a glossy label on the back of the passport with my name, phone number and passport number in case it’s lost or so I can quickly access my passport number without having to open it up.

Labeling credit cards has come in handy a couple of times when I forgot to grab it after paying a restaurant bill. I use glossy labels on credit cards to avoid them coming off after repeatedly being moved in and out of my wallet or rubbing against other cards.  I also have labels on my smartphone, laptop and anything else I’m likely to misplace. The electronic key to my car, which looks like a credit card, has the phone number of roadside assistance.  I also used a label maker to mark down what each circuit breaker does, so I don’t have to guess which plugs, lights or appliances they control.

Cheap Bluetooth label maker

One of my portable label makers recently jammed and I couldn’t get it to work, so I decided to replace it. I had planned to buy a Brother or Dymo (the two leading brands), but Amazon suggested a much cheaper option that works pretty well. It’s a small rechargeable Vixic Bluetooth label maker that works with Android or iOS phones. You connect it to the phone and use an app to type out the label or select a sticker, border or other enhancement from the device’s Print Master App. The app is not as intuitive as I’d like, but I was able to figure it out with some trial and error. When I bought it last week it was on sale for $8.99, which is basically free since it came with 4 label cartridges. Amazon frequently changes prices and it’s now $15, but that’s still an amazingly low price for what it does. A six-pack of replacement cartridges (a total of 138 feet), costs $15, which comes to less than a penny per inch of label. If you’re more comfortable with a name brand, then I recommend spending about $45 for the DYMO LetraTag 200B Bluetooth Label Maker that comes with three cartridges or the Brother P-touch CUBE Label Maker, Thermal, Inkless Printer that costs around $60.

If you think you might buy a label maker in the future, cut or print out this article and put it in a folder. But make sure you label it.

Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist. Contact him at larry@larrymagid.com.