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My printer is in storage indefinitely, so I needed to find an option for printing shipping labels in the meantime.
Because my usual laser jet printer is used almost exclusively for shipping labels, which wastes a lot of paper and ink and packing tape, and is also huge and cumbersome, I decided it was time to look into one of these small dedicated label printers with the thermal printing.
I read a lot of reviews. These cheaper models are hit or miss reviews wise, but I don't have money to spend on the big brands. I decided to take a chance on this one, and so far it does the job without issue. I've printed probably a dozen labels at this point, and only had one that came out wonky, which could very well have been user error.
The process is certainly not as effortless as having a printer set up on the network at all times ready to wirelessly print, but it's not horribly difficult.
The app and operation are fairly straightforward, it's just a lot of steps. I can get around apps and printers easily enough, however someone who struggles with multi-step tech or navigating apps might struggle with this. Particularly when it comes to getting files from your laptop onto your phone, which I can see where folks might find that challenging or frustrating.
What I do is plug in the printer power cord and fire it up, then feed my blank label as directed into the printer so that it's ready to go.
Next I save my label as a pdf with an intuitive file name into a designated "to print" folder on my MacBook, and then airdrop that pdf to my iphone.
From my iphone, I import the PDF file into the Flashlabel app that works with the printer (download app if you haven't already > open app > "open pdf" > "import pdf" > "local file" > select your file > "open").
In the Flashlabel app interface, I rotate and crop the pdf so that the image is right side up and is the only thing on the page.
When the file is ready to print, I tap the printer icon in the upper right, make sure the label looks correct in the Print Preview, and finally tap "Print now". Assuming the blank label was fed correctly into the machine, the label should print and look good enough for shipping purposes.
Idk how it works on Windows etc, but if you have apple products, those directions should work for you!
I think you can also plug the printer directly into your laptop if you want to go that route. I don't like plugging things into my laptop if I don't absolutely have to, and to me it's the same amount of effort as to just do it wirelessly. Either way there's going to be lots of steps and fidgeting with moving files around.
Everything I've shipped so far with this machine and the blank labels that came with it got where it needed to go. Printing is smoothe and speedy, and print quality is good enough for the package to get from point A to point B without issue.
I don't know that I would use this printer for purposes other than shipping labels. I don't think the resolution is good enough to print images or text that need to be high quality. If you just need it for something casual like a household project or organizing a classroom, it's probably good enough for that, but I wouldn't use it on something I was selling other than as a shipping label. Shipping labels are what it's meant to do and that's what it does well.
Size wise, my current spot is a tiny efficiency apartment with no space to spare. I have a small desk surface area of 2x4', so no full size printer would fit there. The footprint on this little thermal printer is compact enough that I can leave it sitting on my desk at all times for easy access, without sacrificing too much precious tabletop area. It sits behind my second monitor and I don't really notice it.
It has a nice weight to where it's easy to handle but still feels solid and sturdy. Be careful not to drop it of course, but I don't feel like it'll just fall apart on its own.
I like that I can keep it out for easy access, I just have to plug it in and feed it labels when I need it. Again, that's a few more steps than a full printer that's always ready to go. The extra steps are the tradeoff here for the small size and cost efficiency of consumable supplies.
Understanding that, I'm giving it five stars for its price, straightforward user experience of the app, compatibility with Apple products, and effectiveness at its purpose of printing shipping labels.
I'll report back here if anything of note happens that changes my rating of the thermal printer.
| Printer Media Size Maximum | Paper Width: 2"-4.25": 4*x6" 3"x2” 3"x1” 2"x1" 2-5/16"x4" |
|---|---|
| Included Components | USB Flash Driver, User Manual, Y812 Bluetooth Label Printer, 4x6 Thermal Labels, Power Cable+USB Cable+USB C Adapter (Only for mac) |
| Print media | Labels |
| Max Input Sheet Capacity | 72 |
| Max Copy Speed (Black & White) | 7 ppm |
| Compatible Devices | iOS, Android, Windows (7 and later), Mac OS, and Chrome OS |
| Sheet Size | 4X6 Inches |
| Maximum Black and White Print Resolution | 203DPI |
| Dual-sided printing | No |
| Hardware Interface | USB |
| Resolution | 203DPI |
| Control Method | App |
| Output sheet capacity | 72 |
| Processor Count | 1 |
| Series Number | 812 |
| Total USB Ports | 1 |
| UPC | 741365672104 |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 8 MB |
| Manufacturer | Anycash |
| Item Weight | 3.03 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 7.08 x 3.93 x 3.54 inches |
| Item model number | Y812 |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Size | 3.89 x 7.16 x 3.42 |
| Manufacturer Part Number | Y812-002 |
Aidan
Al
Kent Vong