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Anyone who runs an arts and crafts business from home or in a workshop or studio can benefit from buying one of the best thermal printers. Most of the time, good thermal printers are smaller, lighter, and more reliable than regular home printers. They also usually need less maintenance. When it comes to business, you’ll get the best results if you do things yourself.
With the best thermal printers of 2023, it will be easy to print high-quality labels and logos. If you want a small printer that fits on your desk and makes good labels, we’ve put together a list of the best choices. Whether it’s portable or sits on your desk. Also, we’ve made a detailed buyer’s guide to answer all your questions about thermal printers. Let’s take a look!
Best Thermal Printers Comparison Table
| Product Name | Compatible Devices | Connectivity Technology | Printer Technology | Dimensions | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DYMO LabelWriter 4XL | PC, Mac | USB | Thermal Transfer | 7.3 x 7.3 x 5.4″ | 2.2 lbs | $279.99 |
| MUNBYN Thermal Label Printer ITPP941 | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | USB, Bluetooth | Direct Thermal | 8.3 x 5.7 x 5.9″ | 2.65 lbs | $219.99 |
| DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo | PC, Mac | USB | Thermal Transfer | 8.5 x 5.5 x 7.2″ | 2.8 lbs | $262.92 |
| Epson TM-T20II Direct Thermal Printer | Windows | USB, Ethernet | Direct Thermal | 5.51 x 5.19 x 8.03″ | 3.75 lbs | $183.00 |
| Polono Thermal Shipping Label Printer | Windows, Mac | USB, Ethernet | Direct Thermal | 8.0 x 5.7 x 5.9″ | 2.5 lbs | $169.99 |
| Arkscan Thermal Shipping Label Printer | Windows, Mac | USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi | Direct Thermal | 8.4 x 6.9 x 6.0″ | 3.5 lbs | $249.00 |
| Rollo Shipping Label Printer | Windows, Mac | USB, Ethernet | Direct Thermal | 7.7 x 3.3 x 3.5″ | 2.2 lbs | $189.99 |
| iDPRT Thermal Label Printer | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | USB, Bluetooth | Direct Thermal | 7.8 x 5.6 x 5.7″ | 2.6 lbs | $249.99 |
DYMO LabelWriter 4XL
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Print Technology | Direct Thermal |
| Maximum Print Width | 4.16 inches |
| Print Speed | Up to 53 labels per minute |
| Connectivity | USB |
| Label Types | Over 60 label styles and layouts |
The Dymo LabelWriter 4XL is the best thermal label printer for e-commerce sellers, whether they sell on Etsy or have small shops or websites. It is easy to set up and small. With a high resolution of 300dpi, it always makes labels that are clear and sharp. This printer is small enough to fit on your desk, and it looks good with its black cover and silver edges.
The Dymo 4XL printer can print labels of different sizes, but it works best for printing shipping labels that are up to 4 inches wide. This goes along with the fact that it works with many of the biggest online marketplaces and shipping platforms.
The Good
- Large label printing capability
- How quickly you can print
- Simple to use and set up
- Compatible with well-known online shopping sites like eBay and Amazon
The Bad
- can only make black-and-white prints
- Compared to other label printers on the market, it’s pretty pricey.
MUNBYN Thermal Label Printer ITPP941
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Print Technology | Direct Thermal |
| Maximum Print Width | 4.25 inches |
| Print Speed | Up to 150mm per second |
| Connectivity | USB, Ethernet, and Serial ports |
| Label Types | Compatible with various label types |
YN Thermal Shipping Label Printer is a label printer that is small enough to fit on a desk. But even though it’s bigger than some other options and doesn’t work wirelessly, we think it’s perfect for small businesses because it works well and doesn’t cost too much.
It is smaller than many regular desktop printers at 7.6 by 4.1 by 3.9 inches, and it works with popular software and platforms like Adobe, Microsoft, Etsy, eBay, and many more. The MUNBYN label printer is fast and can print up to 72 labels per minute, but the quality of the labels is still very good.
The Good
- High speed of printing
- Different ways to connect.
- can handle different kinds and sizes of labels
- Affordable price point
The Bad
- The printer makes a fair amount of noise.
DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Print Technology | Direct Thermal |
| Maximum Print Width | 2.2 inches |
| Print Speed | Up to 71 labels per minute |
| Connectivity | USB |
| Label Types | Over 60 label styles and layouts |
If the first printer on our list is too expensive for you, you can save money by going with the Dymo LabelWriter 450, which is less expensive. It won’t print the 4 x 6-inch shipping labels you need for Amazon, but if you’re happy with the smaller 2.3 x 7.5-inch shipping address labels that are good for USPS, you’ll be fine.
And you’ll still get 300 dots per inch, which is a high print quality. At 71 labels per minute, the 450 Twin Turbo is also faster than the 4XL. It is also slightly less wide, so it won’t take up as much space. Also, this printer has two separate rolls, so you can send different jobs to each one. This can save you a lot of time if you’d otherwise have to switch rolls all the time.
The Good
- Dual rolls for efficient label printing
- How quickly you can print
- Simple to use and set up
- Compatible with well-known online shopping sites like eBay and Amazon
The Bad
- can only make black-and-white prints
- Compared to other label printers on the market, it has a narrow maximum label width.
Epson TM-T20II Direct Thermal Printer
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Print Technology | Direct Thermal |
| Maximum Print Width | 2.83 inches |
| Print Speed | Up to 200mm per second |
| Connectivity | USB, Ethernet, and Serial ports |
| Label Types | Compatible with various label types |
If you need a thermal printer for receipts, the Epson TM-T20II is our top pick. It is one of the most popular receipt printers on the market, and for good reason. It’s easy to use, strong, and trustworthy. It moves at a pretty good rate of 200mm per second.
It works with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. And it’s both nice and cheap. This model can only print in black and white on paper up to 230 inches long and 3.125 inches wide. Overall, this is a great choice if you want a low-cost receipt printer that doesn’t need much care.
The Good
- High speed of printing
- Different ways to connect.
- can handle different kinds and sizes of labels
- The design is small and light.
The Bad
- Compared to other label printers on the market, it has a narrow maximum label width.
- The printer makes a fair amount of noise.
Polono Thermal Shipping Label Printer
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Print Technology | Direct Thermal |
| Maximum Print Width | 4.25 inches |
| Print Speed | Up to 150mm per second |
| Connectivity | USB and Ethernet ports |
| Label Types | Compatible with various label types |
First on our list is the Polono thermal shipping label printer, which has gotten great reviews. The thermal printer can print 72 labels per minute at a speed of 52 mm/s. This means you can spend less time printing labels and more time on your business. The thermal printer works with both Mac and Windows, so you can plug it into any computer or laptop you have lying around.
The thermal printer is also easy to connect and doesn’t require you to install a lot of complicated software on your computer. The printer comes with an AC cord, a USB cable, and a U disk, so you won’t have to buy any other accessories. Even better, this thermal label printer comes in three stylish colors, so you can choose the one you like best.
The Good
- High speed of printing
- Different ways to connect.
- can handle different kinds and sizes of labels
- Affordable price point
The Bad
- Some users have said that the Ethernet port sometimes doesn’t work.
- The printer makes a fair amount of noise.
Arkscan Thermal Shipping Label Printer
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Print Technology | Direct Thermal |
| Maximum Print Width | 4.25 inches |
| Print Speed | Up to 5 inches per second |
| Connectivity | USB and Ethernet ports |
| Label Types | Compatible with various label types |
This thermal shipping label printer from Arkasan can print shipping labels, product labels, and even barcode labels. The printer is different from its peers because its width and length can be changed. It can print between 0.75 and 4.25 inches wide and between 0.4 and 90 inches long. Also, this printer works with not only Mac and Windows, but also ChromeOS and Linux.
This makes it easy to make sure everything works together. The thermal shipping label printer comes with free software that can be used to make labels for products and warehouses. The software has the most popular print features for label design, such as full design options for text, graphics, barcodes, and most serializing options.
The Good
- High speed of printing
- Different ways to connect.
- can handle different kinds and sizes of labels
- Setup and use are simple.
The Bad
- Some users have said that certain label types sometimes get stuck.
- The printer makes a fair amount of noise.
Rollo Shipping Label Printer
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Print Technology | Direct Thermal |
| Maximum Print Width | 4.1 inches |
| Print Speed | Up to 150mm per second |
| Connectivity | USB |
| Label Types | Compatible with various label types |
No matter how many labels you want to print, whether it’s five or 5,000, the Rollo Shipping Label Printer will always do a good job. Also, this handy printer comes with free UPS labels, so you don’t have to buy expensive proprietary labels. It prints at a fast speed and always makes clear images that are easy to read.
Also, with the right attachments, this printer can work with both stack-type and roller-type label paper. This is the best thermal printer overall because it works with both Windows and Mac computers and is great for printing high-quality labels.
The Good
- High speed of printing
- can handle different kinds and sizes of labels
- Setup and use are simple.
- Compatible with a number of online shopping platforms
The Bad
- Compared to other label printers on the market, it has a narrow maximum label width.
- Some users have said they sometimes have trouble connecting.
iDPRT Thermal Label Printer
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Print Technology | Direct Thermal |
| Maximum Print Width | 4.3 inches |
| Print Speed | Up to 6 inches per second |
| Connectivity | USB and Ethernet ports |
| Label Types | Compatible with various label types |
If you run a small business and need to print from more than one system, iDPRT has you covered with this small thermal label printer. The high resolution of this printer makes it perfect for printing barcodes and receipts.
It also makes it easy to print labels. Also, an intelligent sensor reads the paper position and makes sure the label is exactly where you want it. You don’t have to worry about your label being printed on a half sheet instead of a whole sheet.
The Good
- High speed of printing
- Different ways to connect.
- can handle different kinds and sizes of labels
- Large label capacity
The Bad
- Some users have said that the software doesn’t always work well.
FAQs
Which brand thermal printer is best?
- Dymo LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo Label Maker. …
- Brother PT-P710BT Label Maker. …
- Brother VC-500W Label Maker. …
- Munbyn Desktop Thermal Label Printer. …
- Epson TM-T20II Direct Thermal Printer. …
- Brother QL-1100 Wide Format. …
- Zebra GK420d Direct Thermal Desktop Printer. …
- Rollo Wireless Printer X1040.
Are thermal printers worth it?
In general, the answer is yes. Or close enough to save enough time to be worth it. In my business, it took about a year for a thermal printer to pay for itself. The savings on paper, ink/toner, tape, and labels added up to $20–$30 per month.
What is the best thermal transfer label printer?
The Dymo LabelWriter 4XL is the best thermal label printer for e-commerce sellers, whether they sell on Etsy or have small shops or websites. It is easy to set up and small. With a high resolution of 300dpi, it always makes labels that are clear and sharp.
Which is better Rollo or Munbyn?
Rollo doesn’t have as many ways to connect as MUNBYN does. Rollo only has a USB port, while MUNBYN has USB, Serial, and Ethernet. Rollo doesn’t have as good of a warranty as MUNBYN. The warranty from MUNBYN is for 2 years, while the warranty from Rollo is only for 1 year.