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Label cost calculator

Enter how many labels you print, how long they are and the blank leader your machine feeds first. You get feet of tape and cassettes per year; add your cassette price for the cost per label.

Price-check the Brother P-touch PT-D220 on AmazonSee the machines

Updated 11-01-2026 by Imogen Pratt

Type your label

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Embossed, laminated or thermal: three looks. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.

Cassette lengths are maker figures. The leader is the blank tape fed before the text; 0.75 in is our default, so set it to what your machine does.

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

What tape widths can it print?

Small handhelds top out around 12 mm. The CUBE Plus and PT-D610BT go up to 24 mm per Brother, which reads better on bins.

Source: maker specs.

Our pick for this: Brother P-touch CUBE Plus PT-P710BTFix: Brother TZe-231 tape, 12 mm black on white

Why does it waste tape at the start of every label?

Most label makers feed a short leader before printing. Printing several labels in one run wastes less.

Source: maker manuals.

Our pick for this: Brother P-touch CUBE Plus PT-P710BTFix: Brother TZe-231 tape, 12 mm black on white

Machines for this

3D render of the Brother P-touch PT-D220, drawn for this site3D render, not a photo

Brother P-touch PT-D220

Best overall for home and office

TZe 12 mm: about 96 labels per cassette at 3.25 inches each.

Cost per label: About 14¢ to 21¢ per 2.5-inch label on genuine 12 mm TZe tape.

Price-check on Amazon

Read the full review

3D render of the DYMO LetraTag 100H, drawn for this site3D render, not a photo

DYMO LetraTag 100H

Lowest cost to start

LetraTag: about 48 labels per 13 ft cassette.

Cost per label: About 8¢ to 17¢ per label on paper LT tape, 13¢ to 21¢ on plastic.

Price-check on Amazon

Read the full review

3D render of the Brother P-touch PT-N25BT, drawn for this site3D render, not a photo

Brother P-touch PT-N25BT

Best for colorful labels, keyboard or app

Btag: about 48 labels per 13.1 ft cassette.

Cost per label: About 21¢ to 31¢ per label; Btag cassettes are half the length of TZe.

Price-check on Amazon

Read the full review

Before you pick one

How it works

Feet per year = labels per month × 12 × (label length + leader) ÷ 12. Cassettes per year = that length ÷ the cassette length. Cost per label = cassette price × (label length + leader) ÷ cassette length.

Why the leader matters

Many tape machines feed a blank stretch before the text. At 0.75 inches, our default, a 2-inch label really uses 2.75 inches of tape, which adds more than a third to the cost. Set it to what your machine does.

Cassette lengths

Brother TZe holds 26.2 ft, DYMO D1 holds 23 ft and LetraTag holds 13 ft, per the makers. Brother Btag holds 13.1 ft, per its listing.

Quick questions

  1. Why add a leader?

    Most tape machines feed blank tape before the text; it is part of what you pay for.

  2. Does tape width change the cost?

    Wider tape usually costs more per foot.

  3. Is thermal cheaper?

    Per label, usually, because there is no ink or ribbon; thermal labels are less durable.

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