Epson LabelWorks LW-600P App-enabled, Portable Label Printer by Donald Burr

Epson Labelworks Portable Labeler

  • Getting organized!
  • Examples:
  • Label cables/power bricks to match them up with the devices they belong to
  • Label drawers that store various types of cables/other objects
  • Label file folders
  • The solution: a labeler!
  • But they really suck!
    • Lousy little rubbery keyboards
    • Tiny, faint, barely visible display
    • Very limited selection of fonts, no capability for images, etc.
  • Enter the Epson LabelWorks LW-600P App-enabled, Portable Label Printer!
  • Description
    • 6x5x2 inches
    • Fairly heavy (about 1.5 lbs, but that’s with batteries in it)
    • Large door on the side of the machine where you load the tape cartridges
    • Windows on both the side and front of the device, let you see what kind of cartridge you have loaded
    • Connections on the rear for power and USB
    • No keyboard or display – that’s because it’s app enabled!
  • Features
    • Can print on labels between from 1’4″ wide to 1″ wide
    • Can print over USB from Windows and Macs
    • Can print from mobile devices over Bluetooth
    • App supports text, graphics, and barcodes (both 2D and 3D)
    • Single line or multiline text, variable font and font size, and can add a border
  • Pros
    • Wide variety of label types are available
    • Standard stick-on labels
    • Extra strong adhesive labels
    • Cable wrap labels
    • Different colors (including clear)
  • Printer knows what size of label is inserted (so you can’t print on the wrong size)
  • Printer can be powered either by AC or battery
  • App supports many different label types (plain old text, graphics, barcodes, etc.)
  • App comes with a lot of standard labels (warning/safety labels, etc.)
  • A lot of customizability in the app
    • Use images from their clip art library, or use your own
    • The conversion to B&W for your own images is very customizable
  • Excellent build quality (even though it’s made of plastic, it’s very tough plastic and it feels solid)
  • Cons
    • Cartridges can’t be hot-swapped (means you have to turn it off/on, and then reconnect the Bluetooth)
    • The app can get a bit wonky
    • Not iPhone 6/6+ optimized (I’m sure they’re working on it)
    • Sometimes gets into a mode where all the menu choices disappear
    • Somewhat clunky and weirdly organized UI
    • Sometimes doesn’t detect the printer – only happened to me once, and fixing it was as simple as force-quitting and relaunching the app
  • Price
    • At $100 it is a bit steep compared to most dedicated labelers ($10-30) but compared to higher end systems ($50-70) it is competitively priced considering the customizability and features
    • Label cassettes are a bit pricy (around $25 a pop) but they do last a long time
  • Summary
    • A great, solidly built and versatile labeler that makes really nice looking labels
    • The app is a bit wonky but it works reasonably well in general, and I’m sure the glitches will be fixed
    • This thing has other uses too
    • Luggage tags, “if this item is lost, contact me” tags, conference badges, etc.
    • Labels with barcodes!
    • Product labels (i.e. if you are a small time retail store)
    • QR codes that advertise your website or whatever, that you can stick on flyers, promotional materials, etc.
  • Check it out at the link in the show notes
  • Also be sure and check out otakunopodcast.com if you are at all curious about anime, manga, Japan, culture, food, travel, etc.
  • 2 thoughts on “Epson LabelWorks LW-600P App-enabled, Portable Label Printer by Donald Burr

    1. George from Tulsa - December 14, 2014

      Followed up Donald’s review with a visit to Amazon, interested in what kind of tapes are available.

      Algorithmic Hilarity ensued. Hoping you “get” the accidental humor in following quote:

      “Buy Used and Save: Buy a Used “Epson LabelWorks Standard Tape Cartridge (Black on…” and save 30% off the $17.99 list price. Buy with confidence as the condition of this item and its timely delivery are guaranteed under the “Amazon A-to-z Guarantee”

    2. George from Tulsa - December 14, 2014

      Checked further. Amazon’s “used” link offers damaged packages, not empty spools. Too bad it’s not (as) funny as I thought.

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