Printing Specialty Food Labels

Using the latest color label printer can help you get a better handle on the specific labels that your food products may require. Depending on how many labels you need to produce every month, you can select from a range of different label printers, including Primera and VIPColor, that are affordable and can bring you great results.

Whatever label stock you use, whether it’s for small jars or larger containers, the Primera LX900 label printer can be a good fit, especially if the range of labels that you’re printing is somewhere between 1 and 3,000 every month.

The LX900 is the number one selling desktop label printer worldwide with a low operating cost and the most sought-after color label printer of its kind which connects to your PC or MAC via a USB2 port. Alternatively, if you need a printer that can be networked, then you might want to consider the VIPColor VP485.

Both the LX900 and VP485 come with four individual ink cartridges, allowing you to purchase only the inks you plan to use. A typical 4″x3″ food label would cost about 10 cents with the LX900 and about 15 cents with the VP485. The print speed of the LX900 is about 10 labels per minute and the VP485 is very similar.

Other printers that can play a role in food label creation include the Primera LX400 label printer, which is ideal when you only expect to make a couple hundred labels per month. The LX400 uses a single ink cartridge for easy ink management and typically to print a 4×3 label is about 20 cents. It can be used to create different sizes of labels up to 4″ wide. Plus, the print speed of the LX400 is about 1 label per minute so it can produce about 60 labels per house.

The Primera CX1000 and CX12000 laser label printers are also good choices that can provide reliable printing rates of up to 50,000 labels per month (cost will vary depending on the amount of toner you use).

Laser label printers allow you to produce the best consistent color labels that are very durable. However, when compared to inkjet printers, toner print cost is a bit higher, especially if you want better print quality. Laser label printers are for those customers that just want the best print quality. The CX1000 and CX1200 will produce about 50 labels per minute.

Finally, there’s the Afinia L801 Memjet color label printer, recently launched last year and offering you the lowest cost to produce your labels: pennies per label (typically 1 to 2 cents for a 4×3) at very fast speed. The Afinia L801 label printer will produce over 100 labels per minute. This might be the best printer for you, as it balances speed with an effective use of color inks.

The Afinia L801 is also an inkjet based printer like the Primera LX900 and VIPColor VP485, however its speed and low print cost pays for itself quickly. A typical customer using an LX900 that switches to L801 and produces 5,000 labels per month will save over $500 per month in ink cost plus time due to the printer’s speed.

Which printer is best for you? First, look at how many labels you will be producing on a monthly basis: then your decision will get a lot easier. The more you invest in your printer, the lower your print cost and higher the print quality.

Optimedia Labs also offers leasing programs on all its printers so that you can pay for the printer over the 5 year life of the product without using up all your business capital. Plus with Optimedia’s leasing program, the monthly payment is 100% tax deductible.

Talk to one of Optimedia Labs’ label specialist to see which color label printer is best for your business.