Don't Choose The Wrong Printer. See the comparison between Brother, Dymo, and Zebra
Written by: Beichen Lu
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Time to read 3 min
You don't want to waste your time and money by choosing the wrong printers, right? But it can be really annoying to sift through hundreds of printers online when you have thousands of specifications to compare.
So, we'll do it for you. Check out the comparison of Brother, Dymo, and Zebra printers, focusing on the most important specifications. We have selected the Brother QL1110NWB, Dymo 4XL, and Zebra ZD410 printers.
Print resolution measures the maximum number of droplets of ink a printer deposits in one square inch of your final printed image, often referred to as dots per inch (DPI).
In short, DPI represents the print quality of the printer. More DPI means better printing quality. All three printers have 300 DPI. However, please note that there is a 203 DPI version of the Zebra ZD421 printer.
Print Speed: Print Faster or Slower
Print speed is easy to understand; it basically indicates how many labels a printer can print within a certain time. On this aspect, the Dymo 4XL seems to be less competitive compared to other printers. However, it is not a big deal if you are a start-up company that doesn't have an overwhelming need to print labels.
Print Software:
This measurement is the most important when evaluating the printer.
Brother P-Touch
The Brother P-Touch software is the most convenient printing software among these three. It features an auto-select function. When you place Brother labels with the cartridge inside the printer, the Brother P-touch software will identify the cartridge mark and automatically select the label size. You don't need to manually choose from dozens of sizes.
However, the disadvantage is flexibility. Brother's printer is not very flexible because you cannot set up a special label size other than the existing sizes in Brother P-touch. For example, you cannot print a 3” x 8” label using a Brother printer because this label size is not included in Brother's existing label sizes.
Dymo Connect:
Compared to Brother P-Touch and Zebra software, Dymo Connect lacks both the convenience of an auto-select function and the flexibility of a customizable setup function. With Dymo Connect, you have to manually select the size and cannot set up special sizes that are not included in the existing options.
However, the advantage of Dymo Connect lies in its ease of use. On one hand, Dymo Connect provides some special printing templates like 30277 to help you print 2-up labels, such as price tags. On the other hand, designing labels with Dymo Connect feels very smooth.
Zebra ZDesigner
The Zebra printer and software are comparatively harder to use compared to Brother and Dymo. You have to manually set up the print size to match the actual label size.
However, the advantage of the Zebra printer and its software lies in flexibility. Essentially, you can print and set up any size labels as long as the label size belongs to your printer's maximum print size.
Auto-cut
Auto-crop is a unique function of Brother QL printers. When you activate the auto-crop function, Brother printers will automatically crop the label. This function is very useful when you have to print hundreds of labels at once. Otherwise, you would have to handle dozens of feet-long labels that twist due to their length or manually separate labels hundreds of times.
Thanks to auto-crop, continuous labels such as DK-2205 and DK2243 are compatible with Brother printers. These very long labels, up to 100 feet, help you set and cut the exact length as you wish.
Conclusion
Many of you may wonder what the best printer is. I have to say there isn't a best printer; there are only printers that fit your needs the most.
If the label sizes you need are included in Brother P-Touch and you prefer convenience, a Brother printer may be the best fit for your needs.
If the label sizes you need are included in Dymo Connect and you prefer easy printing, then try a Dymo printer.
If you have to print lots of different-sized labels, then Zebra, the printer with the most flexibility, is the recommended one.
I use these to print information tags and barcodes/prices for my boutique. The tags allow me to include all information required for customers to understand the item fully, and because the labels are sticker, it allows them to transfer this information into booklets which they keep for referencing. Highly recommend.
I have a Brother QL-800, and these label rolls fit perfectly. The glue sticks well to smooth surfaces, and the printing is clear. I like that each roll has its own mounting plate. I use a lot of labels because I like to stay organized, so these will last me a few months, but I will need more later. If I notice any problems with quality or durability, I will update this review.
