Printer for labels

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

SpiralTouch

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2013
Messages
117
Reaction score
89
Can anyone give me a recommendation for a good printer for soap labels? I'm using matte inkjet paper from onlinelabels.com

I just got home from Staples where I let myself get talked into a printer that was twice the cost of the one I went there for. I went for an Epson XP 400 all in one printer and came home with an HP Officejet Pro 8600. I just checked Amazon to see if I paid way too much for it, and am staring at 50 one star reviews including that the printer will not print on anything but plain paper - no photo paper, card stock, etc.

He talked me into the HP with talk of how the ink cartridges have way more ink for the price.

Looks like I'm going back to Staples and not even opening this box.
 
I have a Canon printer. The ink is expensive, about $20.00 a box and you need both black and colored ink. I have no problems with alignment and the software has lots of room for how much ink/ quality/ depth of color you want.
 
Hmm I'll go check out Canon on amazon. It's just so confusing trying to figure out what printer will print the most pages per ink cartridge since they're all so different
 
If you don't want that printer, take it back for a refund. Fast talking sales people give me a pain. When I buy a new printer it will probably be a color laser printer.
 
If you don't want that printer, take it back for a refund. Fast talking sales people give me a pain. When I buy a new printer it will probably be a color laser printer.

I did take it back. It wasn't his fault, I just shouldn't have let myself be talked into it. Sometimes I get sick of researching on the internet and just want to go buy something - but then it doesn't work out.

I didn't buy another one tonight, I'm going to do a bit more research.

I've already found a few comparable ones that are $50 cheaper
 
How to buy a printer

OK, here it goes. If you've never heard of them before, then you've got your reading cut out for you. Look for a "continuous ink supply system". They are the best invention since the color printer. They basically let you pay next to nothing for an endless supply of ink.

You cannot get these systems for laser printers, but you CAN still get cheap third party refill toner kits. I don't have much experience with those though.

Don't do research on the printer you want. Do research on the continuous ink supply system (CIS) FIRST, then buy whatever printer is compatible with the system. It's much much much harder to make a CIS work on a printer you love, then to buy a proven CIS system and find a really good printer it works with. Believe me, I tried both ways, and I still have a high end printer I never use because I had to cut it to pieces in an attempt to get the CIS to work... it was ugly and wasteful.

When I did my research on this about a year ago, I ended up with the Artisan 830 from Epson. There were several CIS options available with lots of feedback on Amazon for the 830. It's been working perfectly for over a year, hundreds of worry free prints. Great colors, easy install, etc. We print all photographs as much as we want with (almost) complete disregard for printing costs.

The only big downside that I didn't see coming was the paper cost. Despite all my months and months of research, THERE IS NO AFFORDABLE INKJET PHOTO PAPER. It's all extremely expensive. There IS affordable LASER photo paper however. So if you can spend $500+ on a really good laser color printer, it may end up being cheaper per print when you consider paper cost. Also, I think you really have to spend big bucks to get a laser printer that comes close to the overall print quality of the inkjets.

In summary, I'd highly recommend a good inkjet with a CIS. We just get whatever's the cheapest photo paper, and print on plain old white copy paper most of the time.
 
Oh, and if you do lots of black and white prints (I do work orders and such for work) then get a good B&W laser. I have the Brother HL-2270DW for that. Between those two printers, I can print anything for dirt cheap.
 
ZandarKoad,

I have never heard of the continuous ink supply system. Off to look it up, thanks for the tip
 
Also -

Is this a good idea for someone who won't be printing really high volume ?
I'm starting out selling at a local market once or twice a week. Hopefully things pick up but I'm not sure how many labels I'll be printing at first
 
Can you recommend one? I read when looking at printers to buy some people said the "3rd party" inks were bad quality and smeared, bled, etc
 
OK, here it goes. If you've never heard of them before, then you've got your reading cut out for you. Look for a "continuous ink supply system". They are the best invention since the color printer. They basically let you pay next to nothing for an endless supply of ink.

You cannot get these systems for laser printers, but you CAN still get cheap third party refill toner kits. I don't have much experience with those though.

Don't do research on the printer you want. Do research on the continuous ink supply system (CIS) FIRST, then buy whatever printer is compatible with the system. It's much much much harder to make a CIS work on a printer you love, then to buy a proven CIS system and find a really good printer it works with. Believe me, I tried both ways, and I still have a high end printer I never use because I had to cut it to pieces in an attempt to get the CIS to work... it was ugly and wasteful.

When I did my research on this about a year ago, I ended up with the Artisan 830 from Epson. There were several CIS options available with lots of feedback on Amazon for the 830. It's been working perfectly for over a year, hundreds of worry free prints. Great colors, easy install, etc. We print all photographs as much as we want with (almost) complete disregard for printing costs.

The only big downside that I didn't see coming was the paper cost. Despite all my months and months of research, THERE IS NO AFFORDABLE INKJET PHOTO PAPER. It's all extremely expensive. There IS affordable LASER photo paper however. So if you can spend $500+ on a really good laser color printer, it may end up being cheaper per print when you consider paper cost. Also, I think you really have to spend big bucks to get a laser printer that comes close to the overall print quality of the inkjets.

In summary, I'd highly recommend a good inkjet with a CIS. We just get whatever's the cheapest photo paper, and print on plain old white copy paper most of the time.

I have the same exact printer as yours :) And I've been meaning to mod it for a CIS system for some time now. May I know where you got the ink and the system?
 
Can you recommend one? I read when looking at printers to buy some people said the "3rd party" inks were bad quality and smeared, bled, etc

A considerable amount of feedback on Amazon (and other review sites) is generated by the companies who are trying to sell their own products. They can buy reviews (positive and negative) by the hundreds if they know where to look - and they do.

I've had no problems whatsoever with the ink system I purchased back in April of last year. When we use good paper, the prints are fantastic. This is the exact CIS I bought:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LV25IG/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

This is the exact printer I bought:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XDU8OE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I'd recommend both. But shop around for the printer. If you can wait, you may find it for cheaper. Back in the day, that thing went for $40... it was a Slick Deal for a week or something. I couldn't find it for anything close to that. I paid just under $200.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What do you think about this printer - apparently it replaced the 835 model but is cheaper

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HFJFK4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I found CIS systems on amazon for this model too. I really don't need a printer this fancy, but with the cost savings of the ink system.. I feel like I should just spend the extra on the printer

Are those systems hard to install or maintain? I'm kind of nervous about it, I'm not too handy with technology
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'd go for it. If you can access the internet and ask questions (gee, I wonder), then you can install that CIS with no problems. They come with really good instructions... in broken English written in China. lol But there are tons of American buyers who've made videos on youtube on how to install them, and you can read walk-throughs on Amazon, etc.

Just don't hold me liable! :D
 
I think I will. At first I was going for a budget printer and going to do minimal labels to save in ink. But with basically free ink.. I will want to go all out on the labels

I'm even thinking about printing our business cards now

If you have personally used that CIS system for body or soap labels.. Have you found the ink to smear or smudge a lot when the product is handled or used? Epson advertises their ink as smudge proof, weather proof, etc
 
Ah, now that is a different matter entirely. If you are looking for shower proof printing, typical inkjet inks won't work as far as I know. That's actually an ongoing area I'm researching now.
 
Ah, now that is a different matter entirely. If you are looking for shower proof printing, typical inkjet inks won't work as far as I know. That's actually an ongoing area I'm researching now.

No, not shower proof although that would be nice. I just want something that will hold up fairly well with transporting, if it got a tiny wet, etc

I'm assuming most homemade soap makers use inkjet printers for their labels
 
I bought the printer earlier today btw
I've been pinching pennies since I started buying soap supplies, it feels good to have it done.

Quite expensive to start out!
 
Back
Top