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You don't need ink to print address labels, receipts, tickets and labels, with the best thermal printers 4 Inch Thermal Receipt Printer
The best thermal printers make a lot of sense in these cash-strapped times. Because they don't need ink, they're much cheaper to run than inkjet printers or laser printers. They also tend to be compact and portable, reliable, and durable, and tend to run quieter too. For this reason, they're a great choice for printing small items like barcodes, tickets, and receipts. They're also among the best label makers too.
Thermal printers work by moving thermochromic-coated paper over a print head that's packed with tiny electrically heated elements. Where the coating is heated, it changes color. So there's no need for ink cartridges; you just need the paper. Although the quality is pretty low compared to a normal printer, and usually black and white, it's normally legible enough for the specific purposes detailed above.
To help you find the right one, we've brought together the best thermal printers available today in the article below. If you're not sure how to choose between them, or don't understand some of the terminology, then skip ahead to our Common questions about thermal printers.
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The DYMO LabelWriter 5XL Label Maker is the best thermal printer for most people. It's easy to set up, reliable in use and offers high 300dpi print quality at an affordable price. You get speeds of up to 62 labels a minute, and you can print labels up to 4 x 6 inches in size.
It's nice and compact, too, so it won't take up too much space on your desk, and it's light enough to carry around on trips. The main potential negative is that while you can print from a Windows or Mac computer via USB, you can't print from your phone or tablet.
If the first printer on our list is too pricey for you, you can save some cash by opting for a cheaper model, the Dymo LabelWriter 450. It won't print the 4 x 6-inch shipping labels you need for Amazon, but if you're happy with the smaller 2.3 x 7.5-inch shipping address labels that are suitable, for example, for USPS, you'll be fine. And you'll still get the same high print quality of 300 dots per inch.
The 450 Twin Turbo is also faster than the 4XL, at 71 labels per minute, plus it's slightly less wide, so won't take up so much space. Plus, this printer feeds two separate rolls, so you can send separate print jobs to either one. This can be a neat timesaver if you'd otherwise be swapping out different rolls all the time.
If you want to print narrow, plastic labels, we recommend the Brother PT-P710BT. It uses the company's TZe tapes, which are available in up to 60 different colour and size combinations, and in widths of 6, 9, 12, 18 or 24mm (1 inch).
You can print from both desktop and mobile devices via Bluetooth or USB 2.0, and the software makes it easy to create customised labels including barcodes, images, logos, symbols and frames. You can even spellcheck your text before you print it.
The printer itself is beautifully compact, and the price is very reasonable too. Admittedly, the 180dpi print resolution it provides isn't the highest, but at this size of label, that doesn't really matter that much.
This printer can be used to print postage labels for most major shipping platforms, from eBay to Amazon, as well as 4 x 6 inch stickers. It offers some smart features including automatic label calibration, is quick to install, supports label widths from 40mm (1.57 inches) to 118mm (4.65 inches) and can fire out 72 labels a minute. Overall then, it's relatively affordable, yet still produces high-quality labels, fast. So if you regularly mail items out as part of your business, we'd highly recommend it. Note, though, that it's not wireless.
If you want to print in color, check out Brother's VC-500W, which is good for printing labels, in 9mm, 12mm, 19mm, 25mm and 50mm (2 inch) widths, and up up to 50cm long. The print quality, at 313 dots per inch, is excellent. You can print from Windows computers, Macs, and mobile devices. And you also get a 5m label roll and a cleaning roll included free.
Looking for the best cheap thermal printer? Unfortunately, there aren't any current models under $100 we can recommend. So your best bet is the Munbyn Desktop Thermal Label Printer.
It's not mega-cheap, but it is a bit more affordable than most, and it does have a lot to offer. This well-made thermal printer allows you to print labels up to 4 x 6 inches, and you can print from Linux and ChromeOS, as well as Windows PCs and Macs. Speeds are fast, too, at 72 labels per minute. You can even print in color.
Receipt Printer 80mm Wifi On the downside, the print quality (203 dots per inch) isn't as good as the first two models on our list, which offer 300 dpi. But otherwise, this is a darn fine thermal printer and excellent value for the price.