Label Maker shopping, please help me!

[caseydoll]

There are a few people on here that have a Brother P-touch label maker. I have been looking at them online and would like to get one for doing orchid tags. There are so many different ones that I'm getting confused! Can I get away with getting one for $30-40 or do I have to spend more to get a good one? I just don't know what the difference is and I really don't want one that is a piece of junk. But I'm not spending a lot on one either. Can someone please help enlighten me! TIA!

p.s. I will only be using it for orchid
id tags so I don't think I would need
one with a lot of features.

[Oscarman]

What do you want to print on the label Sarah? That where you need to start to determine features.

This link will help with narrowing down your search for the right model
cPanel®

My suggestion for features:
-2 or 3 line printing
-can handle lots of characters per label. Mine does 59 and is good for most tags.
-uses tape width that matches your plant tags
-has power adapter (too many batteries polluting our world)

Be sure to check if you can adjust the Tape Margin Function. This allows you to adjust the amount of blank tape on the left and right sides of you text. With the smallest setting, my model 1750 wastes almost 1" at the beginning of every label. I try to print several labels at one time, so I only waste it once - but it still hurts!

Good luck shopping!

[Grandma M]

I think Dave said it all.

Check out Office Max. The one near me carries several PT Touch models and several width, and several color tapes. It helps if you can actually see them instead of ordering from a picture on line.

I love the quality of labels I can make with mine. I just wish I had bought it when I first started buying orchids so I didn't need to replace my old hand printed, ink or pencil labels

Marilyn

[cirillonb]

I got an inexpensive Brothers model on Buy.com for about $15. This seems to do what I want.
These devises are like razors. They give you the razor but charge a lot for the blades.(in this instance, the tape)
Nick

[caseydoll]

Thank you Dave, Marilyn and Nick! You guys have really helped me out a lot. Now I know what to look for! I really don't need anything too fancy. I basically just want to put the orchids name on the tag and that's about it. But that may all change once I actually get a label maker. Right now I have a lot of orchids that need new tags because theirs are all faded. I figure now is a good time to get one. Now I will have to do some shopping! Thanks again!!!

[cirillonb]

I purchased the label maker for a different purpose. Check that you use the correct tape for waterproof/sun resistant. I know they have them since several growers are using the computer generated labels by the same maker.
Nick

[orchids3]

Hi,
I use a Brother P-Touch Printer to make labels. It hooks to my computer and works well but is "pricey" if you want to make many labels. The TZ tapes are what you want to use. Some of the cheaper label material tend to fade and are not water proof. TZ tape works just fine.

[Oscarman]

TZ tapes are the ones I use also. I like the black on clear tape, but I am told the black on white is the most UV resistant and durable. The labels I have made with black on clear have been in use 3 years without problems.

[Jkelee]

Hi there! A truly silly question about all these Brother printers.

I didn't know that they "Stuck" on to something?

So do you All stick these Labels onto a true plant Label? A really 'clean' plant label?

As I thought these would be firm enough to stick into a pot by themselves. Now I see not.
A friend of mine bought me the PT-1280 today.

I truly want a label maker that prints on the hard/firm plant tags that can go right into pots.
Anyone know of that name of a Label maker??

[cirillonb]

Jkelee
I have seen such things in growers' offices but they require special software, special labels and probably a special printer. For a hobbiest, probably not worth the expense. I don't know suppliers, etc.
Nick