Printer manuals seem confusing and very dull! Unfortunately, there are a few essential pieces of information about your printer you will need to know when ordering roll labels. There are multiple factors when ordering labels that can impact the compatibility of the roll product with your printer, all found in your printer manual.
Maximum Media and Print Width
Firstly, you should know the maximum media width and print width accepted by your printer. This will impact the maximum size of the label that will fit in the printer. You can find this information under print and media specifications in your printer manual. The width will inform you of the maximum width of the label plus the liner that can fit through your printer. All our roll labels have a few millimetres of backing liner beyond the label edge to help peel the label off the roll. To find out how big the excess liner will be on our products, note the ‘gaps b/w labels’ dimension under the specification heading on the product page. Add this amount to your label width dimension.
Core Size
The core size is an imperative factor to consider. The core is the cardboard tube labels are wound around and is the main structure of the roll. At Flexi Labels, we can provide rolls on 25.4mm, 38.1mm, 44.45mm and 76.2mm core sizes. If you order your labels on the wrong core size, they won’t be compatible with your printer and you will need to return your order to us for them to be rewound onto the correct core size. Rewinding will incur an additional charge, you will be expected to return the order to us at your own expense, and a second delivery charge will applied for the subsequent dispatch. The core size can be found in your printer specifications. Sometimes, roll printers that can be fed through the back of the printer may require additional adaptors/ external mounts for specific core sizes to become compatible with the printer. Please speak with your printer manufacturer if you are unsure.
Overall Diameter
The core size, material and number of labels per roll affect the overall roll diameter of your product. On the roll product pages, when you have selected your desired specifications for your order, an overall roll diameter will be generated, found under the ‘Add to Basket’ icon on the product page.
If the maximum overall roll diameter of a printer is exceeded, then the roll will not fit into the machine. The maximum overall roll diameter should be stipulated in the printer manual. This is often described in the specifications as the ‘media roll size’. We recommend your auto-generated overall roll diameter is a few millimetres under the maximum diameter to prevent incompatibility.
Printer Type
You will also need to know which type of printer you have - Laser, Inkjet, Thermal Direct or Thermal Transfer - ensuring that the material will be compatible with the printer. At Flexi Labels, we have a variety of materials compatible with all of these printers. On the roll labels product page, if you head to the material selection drop-down, all the options listed are filtered by the type of printer, or by the identification key – green dots signifying compatibility. You will find the consumable your printer requires in your specifications, often noted at the beginning of the manual or specification sheet as it is fundamental knowledge.
If you need assistance finding the relevant information in your printer manual for you to ensure that your product will be compatible with your printer, get in touch with a member of our team by phone or email. Printer manuals are long and confusing! We can do that tedious task for you so that you don’t have to. This can halve the time it takes for you to order with us.
