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The best label makers for small business

The best label maker for business offices is the Brother PT-D610BT: office labels, plus shelf and asset tags. If you ship, add a 4x6 thermal printer: the Rollo for a desktop, the MUNBYN if you print from a phone.

Price-check the Brother P-touch PT-D610BT on AmazonSee the machines

Updated 11-01-2026 by Imogen Pratt

Questions this page answers

How much does the tape cost, and am I locked in?

Most label makers only take their own brand's cartridges, so the tape decides your long-term cost. Brother TZe is laminated and costs more per foot; DYMO LetraTag paper costs less and lasts less.

Source: maker cassette specs.

Our pick for this: Brother P-touch PT-D220Fix: Brother TZe-231 tape, 12 mm black on white

App or built-in keyboard?

A keyboard is faster for one label. An app is better for fonts and icons, and for long runs. Some business models do both.

Source: Bob Vila and Your Best Digs groupings.

Our pick for this: Brother P-touch PT-D610BTFix: Brother TZe-231 tape, 12 mm black on white

Will a 4x6 printer work with USPS and UPS labels, including Etsy orders?

A 4x6 direct thermal printer prints the labels those services generate. Check the maker's supported platforms before buying.

Source: maker setup pages.

Our pick for this: Rollo USB Shipping Label PrinterFix: 4x6 direct thermal shipping labels

Machines for this

3D render of the Brother P-touch PT-D610BT, drawn for this site3D render, not a photo

Brother P-touch PT-D610BT

Best for a busy office

Shelves and assets as well as files, from keyboard, phone or spreadsheet.

Cost per label: About 14¢ to 21¢ per label on 12 mm TZe, 21¢ to 31¢ on 24 mm.

Price-check on Amazon

Read the full review

3D render of the Rollo USB Shipping Label Printer, drawn for this site3D render, not a photo

Rollo USB Shipping Label Printer

Best 4x6 shipping label printer

4x6 shipping labels at about one a second from the packing desk.

Cost per label: Roughly 3¢ to 6¢ per 4x6 label.

Price-check on Amazon

Read the full review

3D render of the MUNBYN Bluetooth 4x6 Label Printer, drawn for this site3D render, not a photo

MUNBYN Bluetooth 4x6 Label Printer

Best wireless shipping label printer

Print shipping labels from a phone where the parcels are.

Cost per label: Roughly 3¢ to 6¢ per 4x6 label.

Price-check on Amazon

Read the full review

3D render of the DYMO LabelWriter 550 and 550 Turbo, drawn for this site3D render, not a photo

DYMO LabelWriter 550 and 550 Turbo

Best for address labels from a computer

Exact runs of address labels with DYMO's software.

Cost per label: Roughly 3¢ to 5¢ per address label on DYMO rolls; larger labels cost more.

Price-check on Amazon

Read the full review

Before you pick one

A starter kit that covers most shops

For a shop that ships a few times a week: one tape label maker for shelves and bins, one 4x6 thermal printer, a fanfold stack of labels and a spare cassette. Add a shipping scale once you print more than a handful of parcels a day, so postage is right the first time.

Two machines, two jobs

Office labels and shipping labels need different printers. A tape label maker makes narrow, durable labels; a 4x6 printer makes carrier labels. Most shops that ship end up with one of each.

Product and price labels

Thermal printers that take labels from about 1.5 inches wide, like the Rollo and MUNBYN, also print product and barcode labels, even thank-you stickers.

Shared desks

If several people print, a model that prints from a keyboard, a phone or a computer avoids a queue at one desk.

Budget the supplies

Shipping labels and tape cassettes, with a spare of each. Log what you pay, then use the calculator to see your yearly cost.

Quick questions

  1. Do I need two label printers for a small business?

    Usually, if you ship: one tape label maker for the office and one 4x6 thermal printer for parcels.

  2. Can one printer do shipping and office labels?

    A 4x6 thermal printer can print small product labels too, but not laminated tape for shelves and cables.

  3. Which is cheapest to run?

    Thermal printers have no ink costs; tape label makers cost more per label but last longer. The calculator shows the yearly cost.

  4. Can staff share one label maker?

    Bluetooth and computer-connected models like the PT-D610BT handle several users.

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