We review a lot of the software tools for Amazon sellers here at Clear The Shelf, but in today we're going to discuss something a little different! It turns out that a lot of people want to find the best thermal label printer for Amazon FBA sellers, so here we are.
Now I haven't personally bought and used each and every one of these, but I know enough people in the game to provide you with the best information at hand when it comes to choosing the right thermal label printer for your Amazon business.
Let's start with some of the basics and then get into nitty gritty of thermal label printers.
What is a Thermal Label Printer?
A thermal label printer is a type of printer that is specifically designed to print labels and small stickers. It uses thermal printing technology, which involves applying heat to special thermal paper or labels to create the desired images or text.
Of course you could use a laser printer for this but they are slow and cumbersome when it comes to achieving the same result. And besides, thermal printers are all quite affordable so unless you already have a laser printer and you have an extremely low budget, you're going to want to get yourself one ASAP.
Why Are Thermal Label Printers so Great?
Thermal printers serve a very specific purpose so for Amazon FBA sellers, they are an essential bit of kit to help your business run a lot smoother.
Here's why they are great:
They're Compact
The thermal label printers that we use for printing Amazon FBA labels are usually quite compact so they can sit on your desk, even if you don't have a lot of room.
Less Consumables
The only consumable you need for a thermal label printer is the labels themselves. Unlike traditional printers, you don't need to buy ink for thermal printers.
High-Speed Printing
Thermal printers are super fast because they are made specifically to print labels. As you'll see later in the article, most thermal printers can pump out at least 50 labels per minute and some can even do more than 200 per minute.
Durable Labels
Because your labels are at high risk of getting damaged during the shipping process, either by heavy handed delivery folk or weather conditions, you need something that's going to stay strong during the deliver process and thermal printed labels do just that.
What to Look for When you Buy a Thermal Label Printer
There's a lot of great thermal printers on the market and while most of the ones I have reviewed in this article are great, it's important to know what to look for when you're investing in your own thermal printer.
Printing Speed
It's important to ensure that your printer can churn out quality labels at high-speed. But how fast do you need your printer to be?
Well, most of the best thermal label printers on the market will print at least 100 labels per minute. That's pretty darn fast!
Print Quality
In my opinion, print quality isn't super important when it comes to your thermal label printer. Why? Because they all do a pretty decent job. And it only needs to be good enough to print labels.
Now this doesn't mean that a cheap knockoff from Aliexpress is going to cut the mustard. If the quality isn't good enough then there's a risk your barcodes won't scan. But you probably wouldn't stick a poor quality label on your products, you'd just try printing more which is going to be an absolute pain.
The point here is that all of the thermal label printers I'm mentioning in this article are going to be just fine, even if they do have different print quality ratings.
Easy Setup
You don't want to mess around trying to install and set up your thermal printer, which is why it's important to check out the operating system compatibility and the ease of setup for your printer of choice.
Label Sizes
This one is pretty important. Some thermal printers won't print off labels big enough for certain purposes, so it's critical that you look at the technical specs before buying a thermal printer.
Price
Price is always a factor, but if you're thinking long term then it shouldn't be the deciding factor. Depending on your specific requirements, you may need to invest more into your thermal printer.
And while we're on this topic, looking at other reviews around the web, thermal printer prices have gone up quite a bit! It is a sound investment however, and picking up a decent printer will serve you well for years.
7 Best Thermal Label Printers for Amazon FBA
Dymo LabelWriter 450 Turbo
This is probably the original great when it comes to thermal label printers. The majority of people I know in the Amazon space have used this printer at one stage or another.
The main issue with this printer is the fact that it doesn't print larger 4x6 labels so it's going to be a bit restrictive for a lot of sellers in that respect.
Dymo LabelWriter 450 Turbo Specs
- Largest Size Label Width: 2 5/16"
- Speed: 71 labels per minute
- Print Quality (Resolution): 300 dpi
- Price: $269.96
Dymo LabelWriter 4XL
Dymo printers are a bit of a household name and they are known for quality. If you're looking for the big brother of the Dymo 450, the Dymo 4XL is it. This is a robust printer with the ability to print larger 4" wide labels of a high quality.
Dymo LabelWriter 4XL Specs
- Largest Size Label Width: 4.16"
- Speed: 129 labels per minute
- Print Quality (Resolution): 300dpi
- Price: $298.45
Rollo X1038 Thermal Label Printer
This one is the fastest of all thermal label printers in this article. But it depends on how much speed you really need. Does it make a difference to you if your printer shoots out 100 labels per minute, or over 200 per minute?
Well this badboy can print over 200 labels per minute but there is a slight sacrifice in the quality (resolution), which I think is probably negligible and difficult to actually spot.
The one downside is that you need to buy a separate label roll holder for this printer, whereas all the others in this article allow for the label roll to be installed into the actual machine.
Rollo X1038 Specs
- Largest Size Label Width: 4.16"
- Speed: 225 labels per minute
- Print Quality (Resolution): 203 dpi
- Price: $199.99
Rollo X1040 Wireless Thermal Label Printer
I personally own this one and I love the fact that it's wireless. Most of the others connect via USB which is great, but the wireless connection is an added bonus which makes it easy to print from your computer, tablet or your cell phone.
The same goes with all Rollo label printers though, you need to grab an additional label holder which will set you back around $20.
Rollo X1040 Specs
- Largest Size Label Width: 4.16"
- Speed: 225 labels per minute
- Print Quality (Resolution): 203 dpi
- Price: $299.99
Brother QL-820NWB Wireless Thermal Label Printer
This wireless printer with bluetooth connectivity is quite handy, but it does fall short on the label sizes it can print. You'll be capped out at 2.4" width max, but it does print over 100 labels a minute so it's fast and the quality is very good.
Brother QL-820NWB Specs
- Largest Size Label Width: 2.4"
- Speed: 110 labels per minute
- Print Quality (Resolution): 300 dpi
- Price: $247.09
Brother QL-1110NWB Thermal Label Printer
Like the other Brother thermal printer on this list, the 1110 has crisp 300dpi resolution meaning it spits out great quality labels, every time. The speed on this one isn't mind-blowing at 69 labels per minute, but it's still impressive nonetheless.
Brother QL-1110NWB Specs
- Largest Size Label Width: 4.0"
- Speed: 69 labels per minute
- Print Quality (Resolution): 300 dpi
- Price: $199.99
Arkscan 2054A Thermal Printer
If you read reviews about this printer online, you'll see that while it's not the Bentley of thermal printers when it comes to quality, it's an absolute workhorse and appears to be reliable and long-lasting.
With the ability to print 4" wide labels at a rate of 129 per minute, this one is a great addition to any FBA business.
Arkscan 2054A Specs
- Largest Size Label Width: 4"
- Speed: 129 labels per minute
- Print Quality (Resolution): 203 dpi
- Price: $189
How to Get a Free Thermal Label Printer for Amazon FBA
You might already know about UPS and their free shipping labels, which I will explain in a moment anyway, but there's also a sneaky way to get a free thermal printer from them too.
Now just to be clear, normally they rent out thermal printers for just a couple bucks per week, but if you play your cards right you can get it for free. So technically its a rented printer, but it's still great for those on a budget.
How to Get a Free Zebra Thermal Label Printer From UPS
The printer that UPS sends you is the Zebra LP2844 which is a perfectly fine thermal label printer. I can't guarantee that this will work by the time you've read this article, but it certainly has worked in the past.
Follow these steps to score your free thermal printer:
- Create an account at UPS.com if you don't already have one
- Call UPS on 1800-742-5877 (yes you gotta get on the phone unfortunately!)
- Say "Order Supplies" when prompted
- Next you want to press 0 or say "Agent" so you can talk to a human
- Request to speak to an account manager about setting up your UPS account.
- When you've got an account manager on the phone, let them know that you want to set up your business and that you would like to rent a thermal printer.
- The normal cost for renting a thermal printer is $2 per week however, they might have the authority to waive this fee. You'll have to work your charm here.
The Final Word on Thermal Label Printers for Amazon FBA
Well I never thought I could write so much about thermal printers, but here we are!
It really is quite an important topic because they are one of the most used pieces of equipment in an Amazon FBA business. When it comes time to ship to Amazon, a decent thermal printer makes your life so much easier.
I'd love to know what printer you use for your Amazon FBA labels - drop a comment below and let me know!
