Is Your Dymo Printer The North American Version or The International Version? - Betckey Labels

Introduction

 

Since the release of the Dymo 5 series direct thermal printers like the 550 and 5XL in 2020, the previously owned last-generation printers, the Dymo 450 and Dymo 4XL series, were much more popular. This is because the 5 series is not compatible with all third-party labels due to the unique RFID chips they use. Users of the 5 series printers are forced to use significantly more expensive branded labels instead of affordable third-party options. Moreover, even older branded Dymo labels are not compatible with the new 5 series printers.

 

Despite the criticism leveled against Dymo, a large number of users have had to purchase used Dymo 4 series printers in order to continue using affordable third-party labels. However, things haven't been smooth sailing in the pre-owned market.

Some North American users have received international version printers that require both index holes and back sensor marks to be able to feed labels properly. Conversely, some international users have received North American version printers with slightly different index holes that disrupt label printing.

In this blog, let's discuss the differences between North American and international versions of printers and a one-stop solution to fix all issues related to label compatibility.

Why Do Different Versions of Printers Matter? Labels Matter

 

Some of you may still wonder, why should I care about what version of Dymo printer I own? The answer is: label compatibility.

The North American version labels only have index holes between labels.

But international version labels have both index holes and small black sensor marks on the right.

Considering the difference between labels, users may encounter trouble when they buy different version printers on the flooded online used-product market.

Imagine you live in the US or Canada, and you just received another Dymo 450 printer bought from the pre-owned product market after countless research and investigation into the seller. However, most labels in the US are not compatible. That's insane.

Not to mention, you may miss the return window because of a busy month. So, how do you distinguish them and why are the labels different?

How to Distinguish Between the North American Version and International Version?

 

To distinguish between them, it's simple. Just check the colors of the warning inside the printer. Printers with red font warnings are North American versions, while printers with blue font warnings are international versions.

But how does that relate to the difference in labels? It doesn’t. Check out the picture below showing the interior of the two versions of the printer. The North American version is the one on the left, where you can see that there are two sensors, but the sensor on the right is blocked. In other words, the second sensor on the right is useless. That’s why North American version printers only check the index holes on the left between the labels.

And apparently, both sensors on the right printer work. The left sensor checks the index holes, and the right sensor checks the continuous small sensor marks on the right of the back paper.

Because of the difference in sensor distribution, there are two frequently asked questions when printing with Dymo printers and labels.

Frequent Questions: Labels Not Recognized and Skipping

 

There are two main issues when printing with Dymo labels.

1. Labels Not Recognize

Considering that the international version printer requires two sensors, your North American version labels with only index holes are not compatible with it. As a third-party supplier, Betckey has received many complaints about this issue.

So, Betckey prints black sensor marks on the North American label stock as well, in case some North American users who use the international version printer can also print with Betckey labels.

2. Labels Skipping

This usually happens to international version printer users, but may happen to North American version printer users sometimes as well.

When you print with Dymo labels, you may find that the printer skips printing among labels or prints blank labels, in other words. When this error occurs, either the index holes or the black sensor marks may have issues.

In a very rare situation, the index holes may not have been cut out by the factory, so the laser sensor cannot break through the holes to identify the labels. Another factory defect might be that the black sensor marks are misprinted, so the second sensor on the printer cannot identify them.

One last possible issue is that the sensor is blocked by dirt or dust. This issue can be identified by printing different brands of labels or switching printers.

What About The Dymo 550 And 5XL Series Printers?

 

I know some of you may have already purchased Dymo 550 and 5XL series printers and are still trying to find a way to use your older batch Dymo labels or third-party labels like Betckey labels to replace Dymo.

All you need to do is:

1. Purchase one roll of Dymo's new branded labels with RFID chips.
2. When the roll runs out, remove the chips and stick them to other rolls.

Check out this video on YouTube about how to do it.

Conclusion

Due to Dymo's new 5 series requiring RFID chips, neither older batch Dymo branded labels nor third-party replacement labels work. Users have to shop for pre-owned Dymo 4-series printers on the second-hand market, which is flooded with scams. When shopping for a pre-owned printer, make sure to identify which version of the printer you have and which version of labels you need. If you want to avoid this hassle, just shop with Betckey because all our labels to replace Dymo are compatible with both North American and International versions of printers.