We are looking to replace an older manual style label maker and upgrade a bit. We have some new software that we have finally got around to implementing that automatically generates wire labels along with cable schedules and diagrams. The software generates an excel file for the labels, so ideally we would want to feed the printer the excel file via USB, bluetooth, or WIFI.

Who else is doing this out there and what printers do you like?

Brady Labels. Used to use them back in Okidata dot-matrix printer days. I'd print up labels for all cables for an audio/video showroom with twenty video sources, twenty AV receivers and 20 sets of speakers.

I use a brother p-touch (PC software) with various color/size for printing a few labels or labels for wall plates or components. I use label sheets for printing wire labels for a project. Label sheets work with standard printers. Just make sure you have the right type of label (laser or ink) and that you never send a laser label sheet through the printer more than once. JUST NEVER DO THAT OKAY?

Why not, Mac? I was able to get the detached label out of the printer in less than a day!

Sweet! So like $600-$1000 in labor!

If you send a laser label sheet through the printer twice the glue will melt into the printer and cause it to not work.

Scenario...

Someone took our label excel sheet and entered wire numbers into the top row of labels. They then printed...full sheet came out with only the top row of labels having text in them.

They then deleted row 1 text and typed wire numbers into row 2 and tried to print again using the same sheet.

Label sheet got stuck. Glue gummed up entire printer. $500 to clean the glue out of it. Printer never worked quite right after that.


Label sheets like this:

Brother PTE500.

Not sure I think My label maker is called Sharpie

;-)

are there any labels that don't fall off the cable?  I've tried ones that claim they are for labeling wires, but they all end up falling off if I don't heat shrink over them with clear shrink tube.  And that doesn't help if I am labeling a cable with a big connector on the end of it.

I know heat shrink labels exist, but how do you get that over the head of an hdmi cable?

The only ones that stay put for me are the ones you write on, then wrap around the cable.  my handwriting sucks though...

The only ones that dont fall off are the printed self laminating labels. Everything else falls off unless you heat shrink or clear scotch tape (yes i did this once when all labels started to unravel) over them.

This is good to know. Looking at label printers now and I've see the laminated and the heat shrink labels. Heat shrink is pretty expensive and adds a tool to the bag. The laminated is a little more but if it helps than it may be worth the difference.

My decision came down to the PTE500 or the Dymo XTL 300.

[Link: dymo.com]

I decided to try this guy out as I've never loved the interface with brother products. Who knows, this thing may suck too.

my dymo 300 pisses me off. Brand new out of the gate sometimes it prints poorly and parts of letters are missing. The label backings are also a bastard to peel off.

We use the Brady TLS2200, however they don't make it anymore and it has been replaced with the BM61 [Link: bradycanada.ca]
I have never had an issue with the wire labels peeling off over time and we have jobs from 10 years ago that still have labels on them that look like they were put on yesterday.

I'll agree with this statement. We've been limping along an older laser printer for the last 15 years because of the large amount of Brady labels we purchased at the time for a steal.

The wrap-arounds that we put on back then are still holding strong and are as clearly read as they were when first printed.

The Brady software that we bought, however, will only run on XP so we've also been limping along an old desktop jjst for the software.

We've been looking for a change and Brother seems to be beating out a lot of the competition.

I print label sheets in the laser, but have also been in the Brother P-Touch camp for 12-15 years.  I have a portable in the van and a desktop version that lives in the office, but I'll sometimes take the desktop to larger jobs for a few days.

They print labels up to 1.5" wide and I've never had the "Flexible ID" tapes come off.  The had an older wire wrap label that was different (kind of looked like fabric) and they didn't stick as well.

All the labels look alike, so you just have to be sure and use the "Flexible" labels when wrapping around wires... the regular labels won't stick.

They have tons of label options (sizes & colors).  I probably own 30-40 cassettes.