Our Buying Advice for the Brother QL-8 Series - With Comparison of the QL 8 Series

Auto-pick

Just like all other Brother QL printers, the Brother QL-800 maintains a unique feature: auto-pick. Essentially, your Brother printer automatically identifies the size and model name of labels and selects the appropriate size on your printer software, unlike Zebra, which requires manual setup.

How does it work?

You may have noticed that all Brother-branded labels come with a cartridge. These cartridges, with different combinations of holes, enable Brother QL printers to identify label sizes. This eliminates the need for manual guesswork and label size setup, saving a lot of time.

However, the trade-off is the cost of the labels. Because every Brother-branded label comes with an unreusable cartridge, the label cost for Brother QL-800 printers is higher than that of almost all other brands. This is not only due to the cartridge cost but also because there are fewer labels per roll, as the cartridge takes up space. For example, for 4” x 6” labels, there are 200 labels per roll for Brother DK-1241 , but 220 labels per roll for Dymo 1744907 and 250 labels per roll for most 1” core 4” x 6” labels on the market.

However, there are label vendors like Betckey that provide labels that are  70% more affordable , and they come with a reusable cartridge that is compatible with Brother QL printers.

Auto-cut

Auto-crop stands out as a distinctive feature of Brother QL printers. Once you enable the auto-crop function, Brother printers will automatically trim the labels. This feature proves highly beneficial when you need to print a large quantity of labels simultaneously. Otherwise, you'd find yourself managing lengthy labels that tend to twist or having to manually separate labels numerous times.

The inclusion of auto-crop ensures compatibility with continuous labels like DK- 2205 and DK-2243 for Brother printers. These exceptionally long labels, extending up to 100 feet, enable you to set and cut them to your desired length effortlessly.

Brother P-Touch

The Brother P-Touch software stands out as the most user-friendly printing software available in the market. It incorporates an auto-select feature that proves highly convenient. When you insert Brother labels with the cartridge into the printer, the Brother P-touch software can recognize the cartridge mark and automatically choose the label size. This eliminates the need for manual selection from a multitude of sizes.

However, this convenience comes with a drawback in terms of flexibility. Brother's printer lacks flexibility, as it doesn't allow the setup of a custom label size beyond the existing options in Brother P-touch. For instance, attempting to print a 3” x 8” label with a Brother printer is not feasible because this particular label size is not part of Brother's available label sizes.

This chart clearly displays the upgrade points among different models.

The QL-810W and QL-810WC offer one additional feature compared to the QL-800: they can print labels from iOS devices. However, they are priced about $40 higher.

The QL-820NWB and QL-820NWBC offer further upgrades over the QL-810 and QL-800, including the following features:

• l LCD menu: This function makes it possible to use only the printer to print preset labels without a computer or a phone. The function relies on P-touch transfer manager, which allows you to transfer preset templates or data to the printer. A coin cell battery is required to ensure the time on the LCD screen is displayed correctly. The official advice is to replace the coin cell battery every two years and we can adjust by the real situations. If you need to replace the battery, please buy the CR2032 Coin Cell battery. 

The QL-820NWB costs $10 more than the QL-820NWBC, coming with additional features：

• l A Host USB interface: This interface allows you to connect a barcode scanner to the computer, which makes the barcode scanning and printing easier than printers without the interface. 
• l Mass storage mode function: Mass storage mode function allows you to send a file to the printer using the USB without installing driver. This is particularly useful when you want to use a new computer to print labels temporarily and don’t want to install driver on that computer.

From the points above, we can clearly tell which functions are needed and whether we need to improve our budgets. 

QL-800: If you print with a computer (Windows or Mac) or an android phone through USB, then QL 800 is enough, you don’t have to pay more for functions that you don’t need. 

QL-810: The QL-810 doesn't seem that cost-effective—it only offers one function upgrade compared to the QL-800, yet costs about $50 more. Also, based on search volume on Amazon, the QL-810 isn’t as popular as the QL-800 or QL-820.

QL-820: As for the QL-820NWB and QL-820NWBC, I would definitely recommend the QL-820NWB. Not only does it cost just $10 more, but it’s also the more widely adopted model. There are more reviews and videos about the QL-820NWB, which makes it easier to troubleshoot if you run into any issues. 

The brother QL-800 series, along with other QL series models, is very easy to use. This is because from the very beginning, Brother designed QL series with user experience as a key consideration. They create smart featuresto make things simple and reduce the number of steps needed. These features include Editor lite mode, plug & label function,and don’t forget the full set label roll cartridges, which some users have complained about because they are single-use.

In the upgraded version, we can see improvements that continue to focus on user experience-- especially in the newest model QL-820NWB, which includes a host use interface and mass storage mode, which we have introduced earlier. 

Editor-Lite Mode: No need to download a driver — just download Editor-Lite LAN on your computer and you can start using it right away.

Plug and label: 

Preset templates can be printed only by the label printer using the LCD menu without connecting to a computer or mobile. Step by step instructions are displayed in the manual .

Brother uses a unique design where each label roll size comes with its own specific cartridge. Typically, OEM DK rolls are stored with their cartridges attached, making it easy to avoid mix-ups and allowing for quick replacement—just insert the roll with the cartridge directly into the printer.

Brother OEM labels come one roll per cartridge, and the cartridges are non-detachable and single-use. This design makes installation and operation very simple: open the cover, insert the DK roll, and once it’s used up, you simply throw away the entire cartridge. There’s no need to worry about installing a new roll correctly. It also avoids confusion during storage, as the cartridge is always matched with the roll size.

However, the non-reusable design does raise concerns about waste and environmental impact. That’s why many users have switched to compatible labels, such as those from Betckey.

The DK-compatible labels from Betckey are not only more affordable and high quality, but their cartridges are reusable. Additionally, you have the flexibility to choose whether to buy the full set (each roll with a cartridge) or many rolls with one cartridge.

Brother OEM DK1241: $ 149.9 for 4 rolls, $ 37.4 for 1 roll

Betckey compatible DK1241: $ 51.9 for 10 rolls, $ 5.2 for 1 roll.

Common printer features like print speed, connectivity, and usage methods are already widely covered in other reviews, so we’ve chosen to skip those here. Instead, we clearly listed the difference among different models. We also talked about what makes Brother QL series models simple to use. We hope this article provides helpful insights for choosing the right model. If you want to get more information about labels and printers, please check out our website .

About Betckey

Betckey Premium Labels is a leading supplier of compatible direct thermal labels, committed to high-quality and eco-friendly products as well as competitive pricing. We offer better products than manufactured original at 70% less price. Now, our Amazon store ranks first in the US, Canada, and Western Europe with thousands of positive ratings. Visit betckey.com and get 10% off purchases over $150 with code Betckey10 and 15% off over $400 with code Betckey15! Sign up now and we'll send you a $5 discount code towards your first purchase. By the way, welcome to follow our official @ Tik Tok and @ Youtube accounts to get Betckey’s latest news!