Label printers

A thermal label printer lets you print shipping labels directly — no cutting, taping, or ink cartridges. You can also use one to print barcode labels for products that don’t already have them. This guide covers printer types, brands, label materials, and connectivity options.

Printer types

Thermal label printers are the standard for shipping and barcode labels. They work differently from regular office printers and come in two main types.

Direct thermal

Direct thermal printers use heat to create images on special heat-sensitive paper — no ink or ribbon required. They’re affordable, simple to maintain, and perfect for shipping labels. The tradeoff is that labels fade over time, especially in heat or sunlight. For shipping labels this doesn’t matter since the label only needs to last until delivery.

Thermal transfer

Thermal transfer printers use a ribbon to create permanent prints that won’t fade. They cost more and require ribbon replacements, but produce labels that last for years. Only worth considering if you need durable product barcode labels—not necessary for shipping.

Printer brands

Several brands make reliable thermal printers. Here’s what to know about the most common options.

Zebra is the industry standard for commercial label printing and our top recommendation. Their printers are built for high-volume, daily use, and Scanpacker supports Zebra’s native ZPL language for fast, reliable printing.

  • Popular models: ZD220 (entry-level), ZD421 (mid-range), ZD621 (high-volume)
  • Strengths: Reliable, excellent driver support, native ZPL support in Scanpacker
  • Considerations: Higher price point, but built to last

Brother

Brother offers a good middle ground between consumer and commercial printers.

  • Popular models: QL-800 (direct thermal), TD-4550DNWB (thermal transfer)
  • Strengths: Affordable, compact, easy setup
  • Considerations: Better suited for lower volumes than Zebra

Dymo

Dymo printers are popular for small businesses and light-duty labeling.

  • Popular models: LabelWriter 550
  • Strengths: Very affordable, simple to use, compact
  • Considerations: Direct thermal only, best for occasional use

Rollo

Rollo has gained popularity for e-commerce shipping labels.

  • Popular models: Rollo X1040
  • Strengths: Fast printing, good value, works with many shipping platforms
  • Considerations: Primarily designed for shipping labels (4x6 format)

Connectivity

Scanpacker works with any printer that’s set up on your Mac or Windows computer. Common connection options include USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth — whatever your printer and operating system support.

Label sizes

Common label sizes:

  • 1.5” × 2”, 1” × 2” or 2” × 1” — Standard products, retail items
  • 4” × 6” — Shipping labels

For product labels, choose a size that fits your packaging and leaves room for the barcode plus any text you need.

Tips for quality labels

  • Test before bulk printing — Print a few labels and scan them before printing a large batch.
  • Use high contrast — Black on white scans most reliably.
  • Leave quiet zones — Keep blank space around barcodes (most software handles this automatically).
  • Place labels on flat surfaces — Curved surfaces can distort barcodes and make scanning difficult.