Daily Guide to Inkjet Label Printers

Adding color to labels is a step many small and medium businesses want to take. This unique customization can be achieved by using an inkjet label printer.

These printers produce high-quality images and text that increase the value of labels used in dozens of industries and markets.

However, depending on the brand, model, and features, the price of these printers can climb from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.

Let's take a look at the information on inkjet label printers to see if it's in your best interest to buy one.

Inkjet printers are printers that use liquid ink. The process works by jetting tiny ink droplets onto paper or other substrates such as cardboard, plastic, and non-woven fabrics during the printing process. 

These droplets are designed to dry quickly to form the image. This drying process is aided by a special coating that has been applied to the substrate in use. Depending on the combination of ink and coating used, the image can even be waterproof or resistant to harsh chemicals.

For inkjet printers, there are two types: home and office printers that require sheet labels and inkjet printers that require volume labels.

Home and office inkjet printers are smaller, less expensive options for users. Priced around a few hundred dollars, they work well for small batches, a few hundred pages per month, in limited space areas. These printers are capable of printing photo-quality images, pages, and documents in full color. 

Materials for home and office inkjet printers can include paper and synthetic substrates in a variety of colors and finishes. While they are capable of printing labels, they must be in sheet form, such as 8.5 x 11. Due to lower processing power, media must be replenished more frequently. 

A pricier option, label-specific inkjet printers are often located in businesses, warehouses, and factories. These larger-size printers are used to increase productivity, speed, quality, and versatility.

Label-specific inkjet printers use roll or fanfold labels. These printers print in the hundreds to thousands per month, making them ideal for medium to large-scale printing.

Depending on the application, paper and synthetic materials such as polypropylene can be used. Customization of design, text, colors, and finishes is easy to adapt, giving users more options for versatility. The labels are higher resolution and print sharper and more detailed.

Inkjet printers usually come in 4 colors: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. This is usually represented by the acronym CMYK. When these colors are mixed, a technique called 4-color processing, allows users to get about 55% of the pantone spot color. 

Some premium home and professional printers for graphics and photo applications may contain 7 or more colors. Future 7-color inkjet label printers are relatively capable of a wider color gamut and possibly 90% pantone spot colors. 

Some newer label-only laser printers are 5 colors: CMYK + white. While some may argue that white ink doesn't make a difference in printing, it's very beneficial for printing text and images on clear and dark backgrounds.

A major difference between inkjet roll printers is the contrasting types of inks they use to print: dye-based or pigment-based. While some models can use both ink types, most inkjet printers are built to print one or the other.

Inkjet label printers offer a higher level of printing quality. They are capable of printing very fine details, color variations, and multiple text sizes. This high-quality image is ideal for images such as barcodes and can be easily scanned regardless of size. 

Because of the small size of the ink used when printing, inkjet printers typically have much higher image resolution than other printers. This is one of the main features that make an inkjet printer a valuable printer.

Product customization and variation allow customers to personalize their business designs, which helps their products stand out from other market offerings. Users can also print on demand as pre-printed custom labels are not required. Because inkjet label printers can customize SKUs specifically for individual customers, businesses can display products and promotions on labels as a means of expanding their marketing.

Labels can be printed individually to accommodate stock changes and changes in images, codes, branding, and logos. Color simplifies product identification and can be produced for each individual item, improving picking accuracy and reducing error costs. 

Labels created on synthetic materials withstand environmental conditions and harsh chemicals without smudging or fading. This includes UV resistance, water, and oil resistance.

Inkjet printers are able to print labels on demand for companies that need the right amount of labels. They also eliminate the need for pre-printed labels in industries such as retail, food, and beverage, which frequently offer new products. 

Inkjet printers add colorful elements to labels for easy product identification, promote company branding and highlight important information.

While they can be a financial investment, buying an inkjet label printer is the way to go for businesses looking to expand the way they label their products. If you want to buy or customize a label printer, please contact us.

FCOLOR is a professional production and sales of inkjet printer consumables. We have rich manufacturing experience and have received the love and support of overseas customers. We are committed to providing you with efficient and high-quality products and solutions. In order to control the quality of our products, we are equipped with a professional quality inspection system. We also have a complete sales mechanism, which can provide you with one-stop shopping services in place. If you want to buy our dye sublimation printer, please contact us now!