Reasons to update that old label printer

Distributed printing
A good way to improve the efficiency of your labeling operation is to produce the labels close to where they will be used. Rather than having one high speed, centrally located printer, it is often better to switch to a number of smaller ones – each strategically located where the labeling will take place.
 
These printers might be smaller desktop models or maybe mobile printers – it is important to look at your workflow and choose the best printer for the job.
 
Smart Printing
Using the computing power that is built into modern label printers, there are a lot of ways that clever applications can be written to simplify things for your operators and enhance productivity.
 
Need more capacity
This isn’t a huge deal for many of the Winco ID customers, where quality rather than quantity of labels is more important. However, the newer model label printers tend to be faster than in the past, both in terms of print speed and in speed of handling data.
 
Need better quality
Maybe that old 203 DPI printer just isn’t giving the quality you need. Upgrading to 300 or even 400 or 600 DPI is going to bring much better print quality.
 
Your clients include the Department of Defense or defense contractors
If your products find their way into the defense supply chain, you might well need to be able to print UID or RFID labels. If this is the case, you are almost certain to need to but either higher resolution or special RFID printers to be able to do this.
 
You’ve updated your ERP software
If you’ve spend a lot on a shiny new ERP system, you will want to see how your label printers can take advantage of this. Many of the newer models can take XML data streams directly from your ERP software, making the labeling process more efficient.
 
You’ve upgraded your IT infrastructure
To get the best out of your new network, you’ll want to make sure sure that your printers can be network devices, rather than being tethered to individual PCs. Most new label printers come with Ethernet connectivity and many can work with wireless networks too.
 
The manufacturer no longer supports your printer model
Even though Winco ID does a great job of supporting legacy model printers, it has to be said that sometimes getting parts can be tricky. If keeping your label production rolling is critical to your business, it might be time to upgrade.
 
Manufacturers trade-in deals
Just about all the printer companies have trade-in deals going on right now. We have worked with Intermec, Datamax and Zebra on these and they certainly help.
 
Low cost financing
If you are looking to find financing for your printer technology refresh, there are certainly a lot of finance options available right now.

You might have read my previous post which was all about good reasons not to upgrade to new printers but to keep the old ones working. There are strong reasons for each case.
 
In the real world, every situation is different. For some it certainly makes sense to upgrade while other businesses would be better advised to prolong the useful life of existing label printers.
 
One thing we can do is help you decide which is the best approach – our mission to help our clients get the best out of their labeling operations by finding the best plan for them.

Do you have older model label printers that are still in use? Give me a call at 603-598-1553 X237. We will look at all your labeling needs and help come up with the best strategy for you!