Brother P-Touch QL-560VP

Advantages: Lots of extra functions, nice carry case
Disadvantages: mains operated, expensive

...With the demise of the office dymo, it was time to purchase a new labelling machine here at work. We knew what we wanted. We knew the advantages and pitfalls of the Dymo and opted for the Brother P-Touch 2100VP. Firstly, the Brother label printer comes in a handy carry case. Great for carting it around the office. Inside the rigid grey plastic case is the printer itself, its power supply and spare labelling reams. Possibly its only shortcoming is the Dymo was quicker and easier to use as it was battery powered and therefore did not require plugging in for a quick one off label. One massive advantage with the Brother device is that the keys (although small) are arranged in a true QWERTY layout. The Dymo took as long a time to find the letters as it did to finally generate, initiate and finally print the label! The build in LCD screen... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to use, create professional looking labels
Disadvantages: Limited design flexibility, poor quality graphics reproduction

...The P-touch 2420 seemed to offer the best combination of functionality and cost in a PC-enabled label printer, although this op does not provide a comparative analysis of other models on the market, as the 2420 is the only one I've tried... THE BASICS It should be clarified that this is a THERMAL MONOCHROME printer - don't be misled by colourful marketing blurb promising 'colourful labels'. The only possibility of introducing colour is by changing the tape that you print onto. To be fair there is a range of tape options (all supplied separately by the manufacturer), which allow the printing of black graphics and text on white, red, yellow, green and transparent coloured backgrounds. The tape, as I refer to it, is a cartridge of self-adhesive PVC (slightly thicker and tougher than sellotape) specially designed to provide the medium... Read review

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Advantages: Weatherproof and long lasting, good adhesive qualities
Disadvantages: A bit pricey

...I recently purchased a Brother P-Touch 1000 label machine from Lidl for a measly £10 a super bargain. It came supplied with a tape instruction manual and batteries. Having browsed the net and local shops for replacement tapes I have discovered than the average price for said is around £9. It was almost cheaper to buy another machine with tape, in fact if you count the batteries that ain't such a bad idea. I have used many such machines over the years including the ever popular Dymo which simply embossed a plastic strip....................such were those simpler far off days. As with all things technological they have come on leaps and bounds and the tapes used these days are far more advanced than you might think. The TZ is a specially laminated tape which aids much in its claims that it will weather pretty much all conditions... Read review

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