As consumers, we likely don’t give a second thought to the labels that appear on boxes we purchase or receive. By the time they get to the store or arrive on our doorstep, the labels are there. But they certainly didn’t magically appear! Each day, the job of tens of thousands of workers around the world is to see that the right labels go on the right boxes.
If you’re a business owner, you understand that labelling your boxes – and doing it correctly – is of the utmost importance. Labels correctly identify the contents of a box or other container. They allow the boxes to arrive at the right place. They are used for barcoding and provide ingredients information for food products. Truly, the uses of a label are unlimited, which means that accurately labelling your boxes is ultra-important.
But the job of labelling your boxes can be a tedious one if you don’t own the right equipment; equipment that allows you to label quickly and efficiently.
So, what should you look for when purchasing the equipment that will be labelling your boxes?
- Ease of us – It’s important that a piece of machinery not be so complicated that it takes a rocket scientist to operate it and an engineer to fix it if it gets jammed or broken. So, your label printer should allow for quick set-up of different tasks and should be easy for an employee to operate after a minimal amount of training.
- High quality printing – No doubt you want your labels to look clean and precise and to be easy to read. That’s why you need to select a label printer that offers a high quality end product. Whether you’re printing mailing labels, barcodes, product descriptions, nutritional information, or anything else that appears on your boxes, you need all characters – from the tiniest to the largest – to be decipherable. You may also want to select a machine that allows you to change the print resolution, where necessary.
- Productivity – Any labelling machine you use should increase the productivity of your workers, not slow them down. So, look for a printer that’s reliable (so you’re not spending time fixing problems), easy to operate, and fast. As you’re shopping for label printers of any kind, inquire as to how many labels it prints in a specific amount of time (per minute, per hour) and compare printers to determine their overall productivity.
- Flexibility – Choose a printer that you can use for numerous applications, not just one. Check with the manufacturer as to how many different tasks a specfic printer can accomplish and determine which models will save you the most money simply because it is the most flexible.
- Price AND value – Look for labelling equipment that is not only priced well but will also provide you with value; that is, allow you to work efficiently and provide you with options for different kinds of printing. You also want to purchase printers from a company that has a good record of customer support and service. All of that adds up to the best value for you and your business.