Exploring Brother Labels 03: Continuous vs. Die-cut - Betckey Labels

Introduction

In the last blog, we discussed why Brother direct thermal labels are popular. One of the main features of Brother labels is their unique continuous design. Thanks to Brother's direct thermal printer's unique auto-cut feature, Brother offers not only die-cut labels like those of other major brands, but also unique continuous labels, providing versatility to users.

In this blog, we will compare Brother's unique continuous labels with die-cut labels from other major brands.

Continuous Labels

If you look at Betckey's product catalog for labels that replace Brother thermal labels, you may find that Brother designs both continuous labels and die-cut labels at every width they offer. For example, you will find DK-2205 2.4” x 100’ continuous labels and DK-1202 2.4” x 3.9” die-cut labels. There are also DK-2243 4” x 100’ continuous labels and DK-1241 4” x 6” labels. Brother understands your need for special-sized labels.

Customize Length

If you are a heavy user of direct thermal labels, you must have experienced difficulty sourcing special sizes like 4" x 12". On one hand, most direct thermal sellers catering to customers don’t offer these sizes due to low demand. On the other hand, you might not be able to meet the minimum order quantity for size customization.

However, Brother labels come to the rescue with their auto-cut printer and continuous labels. But who will cut the labels when you print content at your designed size? No need to manually cut them because Brother printers with their auto-cut feature will do it for you.

More Labels in A Roll

If you compare rolls of the same width, you'll notice that the diameter of both continuous and die-cut rolls is almost identical. For example, the diameter of DK-1202 2.4” x 3.9” and DK-2205 2.4” x 100” rolls is the same.

However, the die-cut roll contains fewer labels than the continuous roll when printed at the same size. While DK-1202 2.4” x 3.9” has 300 labels per roll, you can print and cut 304 labels of the same size because there's no need to leave a gap between labels for easy tearing.

Die-cut Labels

Brother continuous labels offer several benefits to users, but at what cost? One interesting aspect is that the trade-off of continuous labels is the benefit of die-cut labels. Since continuous labels have more labels per roll due to no gaps, they are not as easy to peel off as die-cut labels with gaps.

Furthermore, when users have tasks that don't require label separation, using continuous labels can be slower because they need to wait for the printer to cut them, otherwise, users cannot use those labels.

Easy to Peel Off

Die-cut labels are easier to peel off from the backing paper compared to continuous labels. When you look at die-cut labels compatible with Brother printers, you will notice that there are gaps between every single label. These gaps are not only designed for easy peel-off but also help users to remove labels from the backing paper easily. In other words, the backing paper of all die-cut labels is larger than the facestock or the part that's easy to peel off.

On the other hand, when Brother printers cut continuous labels, the facestock has an identical size as the backing paper with no gap, making it much harder to peel off the facestock from the backing paper. This can bring more efficiency to tasks that require sticking a large volume of labels without label separation.

Time Saving

When users are faced with tasks involving sticking a large volume of labels without the need for separation, die-cut labels excel. For continuous labels, users have to wait for the Brother printer to cut every single label, making it difficult to peel off the facestock from the backing paper and stick it. Die-cut label users, on the other hand, can print all the labels in a large volume at once and easily stick each single label to the target surface.

Don’t forget there are labor costs for all users dealing with large volumes of packages. When your warehouse staff is sticking a large volume of labels, you definitely want them to stick as many labels as possible considering their hourly wages. On the other hand, you still want your staff to stick labels as quickly as possible even if they are paid per quantity, because of the opportunity cost. If the staff finish the task earlier, you may still catch up with the FedEx pickup for the day.

Conclusion

Unlike other major brands in the market, Brother offers both continuous labels and die-cut labels, each with its own advantages and disadvantages for users. Continuous labels allow users to customize label length to fulfill special needs and offer affordability due to more labels in a roll. However, the trade-offs include being hard to peel off from the facestock and taking a long time when sticking a large volume of labels without the need for separation. Die-cut labels help to address these trade-offs.

There are always pros and cons, so select the one that fits your needs the most.