Choosing a Label Printer (for printing our Plant Labels)

[ideasguy]

Lots of experimenting will follow, I'm sure. Let us know when it arrives and youve had a chance to play with it Phil

[bossgard]

I'm happy to be able to help. I have an appointment this morning but when I get back I will try to forward the URL's of the sites I used for research on GA048. George hit in on the head, it's the commonality of the ink, the printer and the label stock that is going to drive your decision, otherwise you are going to be all over the page. Have you researched Epson printers looking for printers that will take the DuraBrite ink? The printer I am using for labels now, can be purchased for about 1/4 of the price I paid for it. And mine was on sale at the time.

Will get back to you.

- Toby

[roiphil]

Toby you have done a fantastic job with george on the labeling programe i been playing and just printing out on plain paper to see what they actually look like and they look fantastic

the pt 2100 http://www.brother.co.uk/g3.cfm/s_page/166900/s_level/17280/s_product/PT2100VPZU1 does not use ink it is works the same way as dymo label writer the only thing you have to buy is the tape which is laminated its called tz and is meant to be weather proof, the tz tape i can purchase from a shop in town,

i had to buy a new pc, and of course i had to have one that has vista on it because i could not find one with xp and my epson printer was not compatible and at the time i could not find a epson printer compatible with vista, crazy i know but this is southern ireland, cant even get pork scrathings  , no doubt there are epson printers compatible now

the printer i have is a canon mp220 which uses fine print ink and according to canon http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/consumables/PIXMA_Ink_and_Papers/the_difference_ink_can_make.asp

Ink demands

PIXMA Photo Printers and Photo All-in-Ones are very demanding when it comes to ink:

The inks must remain stable during operation, since they are instantaneously heated to high temperatures
They must be capable of forming microscopic ink droplets ? in some cases more than two million times smaller than a raindrop ? without clogging the tiny ink nozzles in the print head
The inks must retain a perfect spherical shape when expelled so that they are always placed on the paper with accuracy and precision
Our genuine Canon inks have been developed to meet each of these demands, print after print.

Quality that lasts
All photographs fade; inkjet printed photographs are no exception. Canon ink is engineered to minimise the impact of light and gases in the air.

Also, almost all PIXMA products feature ChromaLife100, the system in which the inks, paper and print head work together to provide you with beautiful, long-lasting prints.

my theory is that avery labels are a tad glossy (if memory serves well) feel free for any one to correct me on that please, like photo paper so i am hopeing that this ink will also be ideal for avery type labels and last a while, so hopefully i will have 2 types of label the avery ones for sticking on seedtrays etc and the tz ones for individual plant labelling, failing the canon i also have a brother dcp135c which is vista compatible will have to check out the inks in that one aswell

Phil

[NightHawk]

my theory is that avery labels are a tad glossy (if memory serves well) feel free for any one to correct me on that please

Phil, correcting you nicely here  ........

Kathy and I use Avery labels for our online business Roseberry Labels and have not come across any glossy ones.

We use a Canon Pixma iP4300 Colour Inkjet printer and a selection of Avery Smudge-free QuickDry blank labels.

These, of course, are only suitable for indoor use.  I believe Avery do a small selection of heavy-duty labels that are waterproof and suitable for outdoor use.  There appears to be only limited sizes available, quite large ones I think.  Haven't had chance to research fully on that aspect.  Waiting for George's input on this because he was corresponding with Avery not too long ago and I'm not certain if he got a favourable response or not.

Laurie.

[ideasguy]

No response from Avery Laurie.
I contacted the US office, not UK

[Lyn and Malcolm]

How about these, available 14 and 21 labels per page as well as others bigger ones

http://www.viking-direct.co.uk/a/sku%2Fbusiness%2FAveryr-14Up-Heavy-Duty-Laser-Labels-99-1-x-38-1mm/pr=Q21&id=L7063-25/


Malcolm

[bossgard]

http://www.dpind.com/
http://gardenpos.wws5.com/testing/index.php
http://www.gardenmarker.com/
http://www.gardenware.com/page13.html
http://www.greenfieldsoftware.co.uk/labelling-software.php
http://www.planetlabel.com/
http://www.longcombe.co.uk/horticulture.htm
http://www.macore.com/
http://www.avery.co.uk/avery/en_gb/
http://www.okibuyer.co.uk/horticulture.php?osCsid=fcf704bbbd5695a45207ee24c8beef20
http://www.rippedsheets.com/

Laurie and Others:

Here are some of the websites I used in my label research. Look at them to study what they have to offer, and then perhaps incorporate some of their efforts into IdeasGenie and come up with a real good GA048 UK label program. I hope they are help for you, as they were for me. See if you can find their UK equivalents.

- Toby

Add on:
Phil: It depends on the Avery stock, that?s why it?s necessary to experiment with all the labels that you can. Some are slick, others are not. I probably tested more than twelve different labels, and actually since George and I are not through with US labels, I am going to check out two new ones from Avery when he?s back helping me.  I?ll let you guys know how they do, and which ones.

[bossgard]

Malcom:

Those labels are marked for Laser. Generally speaking, I found difficulty using inkjet on laser stock. It wiould be slow drying and prone to smear. If you are going to use inkject, look for stock labeled for inkjet. Avery has now come out with label stock marked for both inkject and laser. They are what I want to order and test. It will have to be in February before I can do that.

- Toby

[NightHawk]

To everyone.....

Just so the same enquiries don't get duplicated, I'll contact Avery UK to find out more about all the 'outdoor' labels they provide, that are suitable for an Inkjet printer.

I'll also ask if they could supply any samples for us.  As we are regular and heavy users of their labels, I'm sure they'll want to oblige so as to keep us sweet. 

As soon as I've done that I'll post the results here.

Laurie.

[roiphil]

my theory is that avery labels are a tad glossy (if memory serves well) feel free for any one to correct me on that please

Phil, correcting you nicely here  ........

Kathy and I use Avery labels for our online business Roseberry Labels and have not come across any glossy ones.

We use a Canon Pixma iP4300 Colour Inkjet printer and a selection of Avery Smudge-free QuickDry blank labels.

These, of course, are only suitable for indoor use.  I believe Avery do a small selection of heavy-duty labels that are waterproof and suitable for outdoor use.  There appears to be only limited sizes available, quite large ones I think.  Haven't had chance to research fully on that aspect.  Waiting for George's input on this because he was corresponding with Avery not too long ago and I'm not certain if he got a favourable response or not.

Laurie.

i stand corrected thankyou    i remember years back when i used to work at dog food factory and i had to print out sticky labels, possibly not avery, the sheets tended to stick together a jam up the printer 

[NightHawk]

The quality of labels has improved so much over the years, and quite rightly so.

If paper-jamming had been an issue (whoever the company is) they would want to correct that as soon as possible.

Because we are offerng a labels design service to paying customers, then we want the best possible product.

We've stood by Avery for a lot of years now, and completely trust their quality and durability.  There are cheaper labels brands out there, but we're not prepared to accept second best.  Our recommendation to other people relies on us providing the best possible service. 

Laurie.

[ideasguy]

RE: (Laurie)

I'll contact Avery UK to find out more about all the 'outdoor' labels they provide, that are suitable for an Inkjet printer.

Much appreciated Laurie. I look forward with great interest to their response.

RE: (Malcolm)

How about these, available 14 and 21 labels per page as well as others bigger ones
http://www.viking-direct.co.uk/a/sku%2Fbusiness%2FAveryr-14Up-Heavy-Duty-Laser-Labels-99-1-x-38-1mm/pr=Q21&id=L7063-25/

They should be absolutely no problem to use with GA048. As Toby has correctly pointed out, you need a Laser printer.
The very first label sheet I used when I wrote GA048 was 7x2 address labels by Avery.
You'll find that option in the list when you start GA048.
Theres also an Avery L7160 A4 sheet option which is 7x3 (21)

[NightHawk]

Well, I've had an email response from Avery UK, but not as helpful as I expected. 

I'd explained the lay of the land first by telling them I was a regular customer of theirs for our online labels design service, and that I was making enquiries on behalf of a gardening forum.  Thus indicating a lot of potential customers for them.

I'd asked for details of all white heavy-duty label sizes available that are suitable for inkjet printing, and suitable for sticking to wood, plastic and metal.  Also, I asked for confirmation that they are resistant to rain, sun, and frost.  Finally, I asked if they could sent me some samples of each to test.

I think they were suitably unimpressed because they replied with a link to their website to read about the products concerned, but no additional information was given.  Looks like we're not getting any samples either. 
Although there is a link at the top of this page for a free sample, you have to fill in a separate form to request them - and it doesn't say which samples you'll get.  I'd already made my request in my email, so it's not very helpful when they expect you to go through a separate process to get them.    I have not submitted the form.

Anyway, here's the link to their web site section that has the heavy-duty labels - Avery Heavy-duty Inkjet Labels.

The Laser labels appear first, so you'll need to scroll down the page a bit to get to the inkjet ones - and there's only three sizes available.  Click the 'View Details' link for each label size for the full specs.

I tried my best but they were just not very forthcoming.  Sorry guys and gals. 

Laurie.

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Thanks Laurie for trying. Unfortunatley the Inkjet ones are only described as splashproof, as opposed to the laser ones weatherproof.

Next time I send to Viking for stationery I will get some of the laser ones to try. I have used laser labels in my inkjet printer before, and apart from what Toby rightly said about longer drying, they worked fine.

But of course the laser ones may have a coating that the ink from a inkjet wont penetrate, so then will be handwriting them just for parcels etc, worth a try I guess.

I do have a printer with Durabrite inks.

Hey..... have just noticed I have been promoted from a junior member.

Malcolm

[bossgard]

Please go to Avery UK and do a search on J4775-10, J4774-10, and J4773-10. I don't know metric so don't know exact sizes. They should be a good start however for testing for you. The Avery site had a survey if I had problems using their site. I have asked them if you could get samples of the three products. If they get back to me, I'll let you know, either way.

- Toby

[NightHawk]

Thanks Laurie for trying. Unfortunatley the Inkjet ones are only described as splashproof, as opposed to the laser ones weatherproof.

We can but try Malcolm.  Nothing seems to be perfect.  Ho hum. 

Hey..... have just noticed I have been promoted from a junior member.

Keep posting and you'll soon become a Hero Member (the highest).  But I'm not going to tell you how many posts you have to do to reach that.  It'll be a nice surprise for you. 
(You've got to go through Senior Member first though, tee-hee.) 

Laurie.

[bossgard]

Regarding my previous posting looks liked you have done that, but, note description; EVEN SUITABLE FOR OUTDOOR USE. These are probably equivalents to what I am using.

- Toby

[NightHawk]

That's right Toby.

I am beginning to think that adhesive labels aren't really going to cut the mustard.

Malcolm still has some enquiries to make regarding the Laser ones, so we'll see what he comes back with.
But I'm getting very sceptical about suitable outdoor use labels (for all our purposes anyway.)

Laurie.

[bossgard]

http://www.avery.co.uk/avery/en_gb/Products/Labels/Identification-Labels/Heavy-Duty-White-Labels/White-Heavy-Duty-Inkjet-Labels_J4773_10.htm?N=&Ns=Rank|1||Product%20Number|1&refchannel=4aecf123cdcdc110VgnVCM1000002118140aRCRD

- Toby

[NightHawk]

The key description here for these labels though Toby, as Malcolm has also pointed out, is that although Avery describe them as 'suitable for outdoor' use, the description goes on to say they are only splashproof.
To me, that is a contradiction of terms.  As we all obviously know, outdoors we get heavy rain.  A bit more extreme than 'splashproof' if you ask me.

It's good that we are at least getting somewhere with these enquiries, albeit that we are eliminating some of our options.

So I remain sceptical that this is going to be the answer we were hoping for.

It's a pity really, and I'm starting to feel sorry for George here, as I was hoping that this would have proved an extremely useful option to incorporate everything needed for plant labelling within his software.

Let's just hope that there is a glimmer of light at the end of this tunnel and someone comes up with a brilliant solution for using adhesive labels that will stand up to all weather conditions.   
 
Laurie.

[ideasguy]

No need to feel sorry for me Laurie.
Any option, any label, any printer is the same to me. I'm confident that we'll be able to offer a range of options for GA048, for a range of labels with something to suit everyone.

Toby has tried and tested the labels he is using, printed with special ink.
They aren't the same as stationery labels. The weather conditions in his region are a lot more extreme than ours. They reach very high temperatures in Summer and fall much colder than us in Winter, and he has reported that they are doing very well.

[bossgard]

George:

Sorry, have been at lunch, with a short nap break:

These are some of the labels I have tested with good results, the ones following are labels I hope to test. The numbers may not necessarily agree with those shown on the GA048 program, so I will give you #?s and sizes with package descriptions. They do not necessarily state the material that they are made of, but if this is not satisfactory I could go to US Avery and see what information they have there:

#5366, 30 on, 1/3? cut Guaranteed to Stick and Stay, Archival Safe and Acid Free
#6577, 32 on, 5/8?x3?, White Durable IDLabels, Resists moisture, scuffing, tearing and smudging.
 #6571, 32 on as above, White Permanent Labels, Archival Safe and Acid Free
#6572,  15 on, same as #6571
#6573, 2 on, 5?x8-1/2?, as #6571
#5523, 10 on, 2?x4?, WeatherProof (and that?s trademarked)  White Labels, same as 6577 (the packaging, on the back side has a picture of labels stuck on plant pots

Hope to test:
Do not have packaging yet:
#8163 White Shipping Labels, 2?x4?, Permanent, Inkjet, Smudge free printing, dries instantly, perfect for mailings, shipping, bar coding and organizing
#8263 Color Printing Labels, Matte White, 2?x4?, Permanent, Inkjet, special coating provides vivid color and sharp test for brilliant, high resolution color images, Ideal for mailings, (as in) messages, invitations and announcement, print to edge capability. (I?m eager to test this one.)

- If you need more information will go to website.

And yes, George, is entirely correct about our weather conditions, we had two weeks of snow through holidays, I couldn?t leave house, followed by heavy rains with total disaster flooding cutting off transportation of western side of State (where I?m at). Now we are having heavy smog, with frost, plus heavy dew, where the sun may or not burn through for the day. I have labels still outside, through it all!

I think they are surviving better than I am.

- Toby

[roiphil]

RE free samples for heavy duty labels have requested a free sample for inkjet printer, and my son has requested a free sample for laser printer  its good at times to have 2 home address's, if both turn up i will be able to do a little test useing my canon mp220 printer with this fine inks, and see what results are, no doubt will get email stating free samples only apply to uk 

[Lyn and Malcolm]

This is one of our Clematis labels that has been out for about 10 months on an exposed fence facing west, so plenty of rain, the best of the sun last summer and -10c a week or so ago.

The label is just an ordinary Dymo D1 series tape, not specific for outdoors, made on the Dymo labelpoint 350.

I cant see that any of the other ones we have made, have any problems, The stainless steel was wiped before sticking the label on as there was a small amount of oil on the labels from manufacture.

Malcolm

[roiphil]

my pt 2100 arrived today with 18mm laminated tape been haveing a little play and this is one of the labels printed out, i scanned it on my scanner to upload it to photobucket to get it here



what i plan to do is to pin some outside facing west which is where the worst of the weather comes from and will keep you all updated on how they last, the label size is 18mm x 60mm why 60mm because i found some plastic pointy labels on ebay that i can stick that size lable too, all of the other pointy labels i looked at were under 18mm

this label with the pic 18mm x 90mm pic on label comes out in black though