Mercian Labels are the UK's leading short run label
printer and a supplier of thermal label printers
If you are looking to purchase a label
printer, or looking for a label printer
specialising in custom self adhesive label printing
in short runs, then Mercian Labels can help you.
With 39 years experince as a short run label printer
in the UK, we specialise in helping UK businesses to
quicly and efficiently source all their label printing
requirements.
Looking for a label printer?
If you are looking for a label printer to produce your
own labels, then Mercian Labels can help you.
We offer a wide variety of fixed and mobile label printers
which are feature-rich and easy to install and use.
Our fixed printers can be found within logistics and
warehouse operations with integrated communication capabilities
intended to reduce downtime and save money.
Our mobile printers are often used for front-line activities
(e.g. invoices, delivery receipts and shelf labelling).
Mobile printers benefit from fast print speeds and optional
wireless communication (IrDA, Bluetooth, 802.11g or
802.11b) for swift data transfer.
DYMO LabelWriter 400
We are pleased to offer the full range
DYMO products, including the LabelWriter 400 with prices
starting from just £74.99 ex VAT.
Methods of Printing Labels
The most popular label printing methods are thermal
transfer and direct thermal.
Direct Thermal Printers
Direct thermal printers contain a thermal printhead
that applies heat energy to create the required images.
Direct thermal saves money by not requiring the use
of an inking ribbon. However, the coated facestock is
more expensive than non-thermally coated facestocks
and is sensitive to temperature, light, water, chemicals
and hard use. The life expectancy of direct thermal
labels is usually less than one year. Direct thermal
labels perform best for short term or indoor uses such
as products with short shelf lives, shipping or indoor
inventory control.
Thermal Transfer Printers
Thermal transfer printing is the most widely used method
for in-house label printing. A thermal printhead is
used to generate heat energy that transfers the ink
from a ribbon onto the label facestock, creating the
required images. This method improves upon direct thermal
printing in several ways. A wide variety of both paper
and synthetic facestock materials may be used with both
black and coloured ribbons. Print quality is very high;
the image is long lasting and durable. Any barcodes
can easily be read by both infrared and visible light
reading devices. A wide variety of thermal transfer
ribbons are available and it is very important to match
your ribbon selection to your application. There are
three basic formulations of thermal transfer ribbons
that are:
- "Wax-based ribbons" are low in cost and
suitable for most applications. Label images may be
scratched in use or if the temperature is too high.
- "Resin-based ribbons" produce label images
that are much more resistant to wear and extreme conditions.
Some resin inks used on certain facestocks can withstand
temperatures over 1000 degrees. However, resin-based
ribbons tend to be rather expensive.
- “Wax-resin ribbons" produce label images
with higher durability than wax-based ribbons but
are lower cost than pure resin-based ribbons.
Please contact us so we can help you
find the best printer for your needs.
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Intermec PF8
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Intermec PF4i and Intermec
PM4i
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Intermec PB50
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Printer Considerations
In most cases, your thermal printer will need to be
linked to a host, such as a PC. Some computer systems
require a specific communications interface between
the computer and the printer. We will help
you check whether such an interface is required.
We’ll consider the following when helping to select
your printer:
- Communication interfaces - You may need serial,
parallel, USB, Ethernet, coax, twinax or others.
- Memory - Your printer needs sufficient memory
to support your application and label software. We’ll
make sure that the printer we provide has options
for additional memory and is supported by the software
package you intend to use.
- Print Speed - You may need from 2 to 12 Inches
Per Second (IPS) print speed for your label generation
requirements. However, even more important is label
throughput, measured in labels per minute. We’ll
help make sure that, your printer of choice can produce
the required minimum number of labels per minute for
you.
- Print Head Resolution - This is the number
of dots per inch the print head can print and is measured
in DPI. Most applications can be handled by 203 DPI.
However, if you need to print tiny barcodes and tiny
sized text characters or Two Dimensional barcodes,
then a higher resolution such as 300 DPI or 600 DPI
may be required.
- Fonts – We’ll make sure your printer
has a good set of built in fonts but that it also
supports additional fonts by using memory cards or
computer chips. We will also consider the capability
to support multiple languages if required.
- Special Media Handling - Your application
may require internal or external label rewinding,
label peeling, label cutters, ribbon savers or other
special functions. Contact us to ensure that the printer
you choose supports all these functions.
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Intermec PD42
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Intermec PM4i
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Intermec PM4i (Open)
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Label Printer Software
Printing and designing barcode labels has never been
easier. Mercian Labels supplies labelling software programmes
written by world-leading software companies who are
dedicated to auto-ID.
Free Label Printer advice and quotation
For a label printer quote unique to your business and
to discuss your label printing needs,contact us now
using the form below.
If however, you would like a sample pack of custom
printed labels (not label printing hardware) then please
submit your inquiry here.
(Fields marked with a '*' are required
entries)
Label Printer Inquiry Form
(some images courtesy of Intermec Technologies)
Are you looking for your own labels
from a specialist custom label printer?
We manufacture custom printed labels from our factory
in Staffordshire and provide a label printing service
using a variety of cost effect, superb quality printing
techniques to manufacture a range of products.
 Our
technical speciality as a label printer is the manufacture
of custom printed tamper evident
security labels.
We use a range of label printing techniques to make
low residue, high residue and covert security labels.
 As
a digital label printer,
we also provide the many high qualitybenefits of digital
label printing to our customer base.
Digital label printing allows you to change your design
many times without incuring any additional origination
charges.
 Hotfoil
labels are our most popular product as a hotfoil
label printer can economically produce high quality
labels with up to 6 spot colours quickly and economically
with a range of effects:
These excellent examples of our hotfoil
labels were made with embossing of a high quality
crest onto superb gold papers.
As a hotfoil label printer, our printed
label products are frequently used by major brands to
advertise their products, but are equally cost effective
for very short run label printing.
Microembossed™ Label Printer
Mercian Labels specialist skills as a
label printer enabled us to develop a range of
microembossed™ hotfoil labels which simulate
full holographic labels without the very high origination
costs.
We are one of Europe's largest hotfoil label printers
and are experts in using these machines to produce precisely
the labels you are looking for.
Please contact
us for
samples or a
quotation on these bright and attractive products.
Please feel free to discuss your label printing requirements
with a label printer who knows how to keep
customers satisfied!
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