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As our Poshmark sales ticked up and up over our first two months as resellers, our printer ink was ticking down and down. Though I have a newer, business model laser printer, it isn’t the most economical when it comes to ink. When I saw the new black ink cartridge was going to cost over $80 alone, I knew it was time to invest in a thermal laser printer if we were going to continue upping our reseller game.
As usual, I tend to research things to death. It didn’t take long, however, for me to notice a trend in the top thermal shipping label printer recommendations. Over and over again I saw the same three options recommended in various Facebook reseller groups.
So, I decided to focus my research on those three options. In the end, I purchased two of those models and ultimately returned one. Read on for what I found out when researching and testing these top three thermal label printers.
Brother QL-1110NWB Wireless
The Brother QL-1110NWB Wireless Thermal Printer was the first on my wishlist. This one doesn’t require a desktop installation. It can be set up anywhere you have a power source. It connects via Bluetooth to your phone or laptop, so you can print as you go. Since Poshmark is a phone-based app, it sounds great for sellers and resellers accustomed to running their businesses from their phones.
What gave me pause, however, was the price. The Brother Wireless is almost $100 more than the other popular thermal printers I was considering. In addition to that initial expense, the cost of replacement labels is also more expensive by comparison.
When it comes down to any business expense, I always have to ask myself, “Will this item pay for itself in savings of time or money?” For me, that answer was no. I have to walk past my office to get to my reseller room anyway. Opening the door to grab a label from the machine only takes a second.
Now, if I had a whole office setup in my reseller room, things may be different. For now, that isn’t the case. So, I passed on the Brother Wireless.
Brother Wireless Pros
- It’s wireless!
Brother Wireless Cons
- Price – both initially and ongoing
Check current Brother QL-1110NWB Wireless Label Printer prices on Amazon.
Rollo
I decided to go with the Rollo thermal printer. It has good reviews overall and was the most inexpensive choice – initially and long-term – by my calculations. Within the reviews on Amazon, I did see several complaints about different printing issues. Most looked like they were resolved after a ticket was put into the company. I decided to give it a try.
Installation was a snap. Within a few minutes, I was up and running. The Rollo does need to be hooked up to a desktop, but I did find a way to print from my phone and Chromebook. You can watch that video here.
I did have printing issues from the get-go, however. My eBay address labels came out perfectly. But, my Poshmark labels were really light, in some cases the address was almost unreadable. I did a lot of searching and troubleshooting online. Despite tinkering with the speed and density several times, I could never get them to come out clear. I also had some feed problems right off the bat. Within a few prints, it was stopping up or printing out several blank labels.
Before I could put in a ticket to the company, I ran into another problem – no easy way to print Mercari labels. At the time of writing this post, Mercari does not have a printing setting for 4×6 labels. Their labels print on 8×10 paper by default. I did find a video tutorial for printing Mercari labels on a Rollo printer but it was far too many steps than I want to take every time I print a label.
So, I sent it back. It may work perfectly for your needs, especially if you aren’t listing on Mercari at this time. And you may be able to clear up any printing issues with a ticket to the company. I just didn’t have the time or patience to mess with it at this point.
Rollo Thermal Printer Pros
- Price!
- Ease of installation
Rollo Thermal Printer Cons
- Some compatibility issues
- The printer I received wasn’t printing clear Poshmark labels
- I also had some feed problems
- It’s not wireless
Check current Rollo prices on Amazon.
Note – You can print Mercari labels on Rollo printers as of September 25, 2022.
DYMO 1755120 LabelWriter 4XL Thermal Label Printer
I traded in my Rollo for a Dymo 4XL Labelwriter. This is perhaps the most popular thermal label printer among resellers. It has great reviews in all of my reseller communities and it can easily do something the Rollo printer cannot – print Mercari labels. What makes the Dymo Labelwriter different is that it comes with its own label creation software. You can create any size of label you want within this software. To print Mercari labels, it’s as simple as taking a screenshot of the Mercari label and pasting it into the label maker. Then, click print. (Here’s a video tutorial. I don’t download my Mercari label first. I just open it and take the screenshot.)
I was also able to follow the same steps I took with the Rollo printer to be able to print from my phone or Chromebook. This is done through Google Cloud Print. The awesome thing about this is that I can print from anywhere – even when I’m away from home those labels are popping out in my home office! I love that.
The Dymo is also comparable in cost to the Rollo.
I’m very happy with the Dymo thus far. My labels are crisp and clear every time. Installation was a snap. Changing labels is easy.
Dymo 4XL Pros
- Price
- Ease of installation
- Software allows for a lot of flexibility
Dymo 4XL Cons
- It’s not wireless
Check current Dymo 4XL prices on Amazon.
These are just three of the top thermal label printers perfect for resellers. Which will you choose?
Remember when looking for a printer to print shipping labels it needs to print 4×6 labels. Not all have that capability.
Related reading:
- 9 Tools and Tips for Selling Clothes & Shoes Online
- Gift Ideas for Clothing Resellers
- What Do You Really Need to Work From Home?
