How the Brother label printers laminate the label.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ธ.ค. 2024
- It was time to get a new label printer, so I decided to get the popular Brother PTE300VP unit.
This is often on offer from prominent suppliers like Screwfix and Toolstation in the UK.
The list price is usually over £100 but on offer it can be bought as a kit for around £50. Here's link to the toolstation (UK) page I bought mine on:-
www.toolstatio...
It comes in a huge plastic powertool style case that is almost twice the size it needs to be. When you have a van full of tools and materials, space matters. The case has the printer, one roll of black on yellow 18mm tape, the full instructions and the VERY good mini-instruction book, a lithium battery, wrist lanyard and a 12V 2A charger with a standard barrel connector with REVERSE POLARITY!!! So the first label you print should be a warning one to make sure the PSU doesn't get mixed up with others, as it could damage other equipment. A test with a current limited supply suggests that the printer does appear to have polarity protection on its own input.
The label cartridges generally contain about 8m of tape and the heatshrink sleeve cartridges contain just 1.5m of sleeve. (Ordinary heatshrink can also be used over a tape based label.)
The cartridge widths available are 6mm, 9mm, 12mm, 18mm, 24mm and 36mm, but not all tapes/sleeves are available in all sizes and this printer has a maximum tape size of 18mm.
The labels are automatically laminated so the text is underneath a clear front layer. The system for doing that is simple, clever and works very well.
The official cartridges tend to be quite expensive, but there is a huge market of 3rd party cartridges on eBay from £3.00 shipped versus £15 to £25 for an official cartridge of 12mm black on white tape. The advantage of using the official cartridges is getting a known quality of adhesive and print stability. The copy unit I took apart sounded a bit "tight" in the video because I had misaligned the tape when I disassembled it. (It was smooth again when I fixed it.)
You can get a wide range of tape colours and styles, both official and unofficial. That includes clear tapes, metallic tapes, security tapes that will leave a checkerboard pattern when removed and other novelty tapes with patterns and images on them.
It's a very good label printer. Loads of good features well suited to marking of electrical cables and equipment.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
www.bigclive.co...
This also keeps the channel independent of TH-cam's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
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I have a Brother P-Touch label maker. Everything in my life is labeled. The cat is rather annoyed with his labels . . . "tail", "right front paw", "left ear", "belly", etc.
You could post a video of your cat trying to shake off the label that reads, "Paw pad."
I made a cable label that just says "Dog" and put it on my dog's collar. Nobody's commented on it yet.
@Big Steve @StarkRG etc do you also label your undies?
@Big Steve I like it. I need to get a refill, but once I do, that's next on the list.
@Big Steve You know ... most guys don't need to do that ... mine has a 'pouch' that's worn in cuz you know ... it's large. I guess you need a reminder ... haha j/k
Brother is still one of the best brands for all kinds of printers. Great after sales support and durable products at a reasonable price. Something that most companies forgot. It’s all ‘build cheap, sell expensive’ with limited time support on hardware, drivers and consumables.
Tip for using great shrink labels, taught to me on harness building course at Raychem, heat the none print side of the tube first and obtain maximum shrinkage before moving round to the printed side. That way you are shrinking the printed side and hence the text less than the back side meaning more legible labels.
I learned something new today. Thank you
still have an ancient handheld manual label maker
where you have to select each letter in turn then squeeze a handle to impress it into the plastic tape
I love the look of that classic style label 😄
I was just coming down to bring up this same style label maker. They were cool. When it was time to cut it you selected the picture of the scissors.
Probably more durable than these....
@@ckm-mkc They were, but there were a couple caveats. The adhesive didn't usually last as long. Plus depending on the application having the raised letters made it more likely to catch on something and get pulled off.
@@mute8s I've seen them still working on equipment that is at least 40 years old.... Probably the old adhesive was banned for being too toxic....
Why did I spend 30 minutes watching a video on a product I have no interest in? Because Big Clive is so likable and entertaining as hell.
You don’t need to label everything?
I watched this and now I want one even though I have no real use for it lol
Still have my Casio Handy Writer to use on occasion, the one that you can hold up to any surface and it prints on it, but it feels so outdated compared to this one (it might as well be, since it's made in 1997 :-)
In my case, why did I spend 30 minutes watching a video on a product I already own?
@@davepusey as did I !!!!
I love this label maker. I use it for patch panels. I can use the serialization feature to generate an entire panel of numbered labels, then immediately hit another button and have it generate wall plate labels to match those same patch panels.
I use the wireless one. It makes labels like this, all on a 12mm tape
i.ibb.co/PjdzjtT/Example-Label-01.png
@@waqasahmed939 1970
i have zero use for a label printer whatsoever but you've made it look so interesting and fun that i want one for absolutely no reason other than to print useless little messages and stick them everywhere. Thanks!
This is how you do a product review. Zero shill factor. Nice.
*click*
Fully expected Clive using the printer, to make a label for the charger:
WARNING: OUTER PIN POSITIVE.
For Brother Label Printer Only.
Use on other equipment will set the magic smoke and electric pixies free.
Center negative, outside barrel positive used to be the more prevalent standard from the 1990s and prior. There was a gradual switch to center positive outside negative starting in the late 90s and everything is pretty much that way to this day.
I have lots of older computer equipment with center negative that I had to alter modern power supplies to work with when the original power adapters stopped working.
The labelmaker should have a label stating that it is a labelmaker.
My power supplies are all labelled.
I retrofitted one of my Brother labellers with a power socket as it was originally battery only and it drank six AA batteries in no time.
@@Frankhe78 One of mine is covered in labels on the back. It has a list of the built-in fancy formats, one that says "6V +ve centre" and a note of where I keep the spare label cartridges.
@@rpdom Very handy indeed. The label maker I have came with a big black plastic case that houses everything like charger, tapes and the quick manual. I covered the inside of that case with labels naming the sizes of the tape and the product number. It just makes everything go more quick and giving that professional touch to the job.
Ah yes, ripping open old cartridges to see what people have printed at the office. Like passwords behind locked doors.
There's a whole generation of typewriters which do that with entire documents.
@@Peter_S_ And fax machines - so much for the impression they're "secure"!
Remind me of the big scandal over high-capacity printers that stored everything on a hard drive and your data could end up anywhere
The only way for that system to be secure for writing sensitive information would be to have sticky-backed lengths of paper and adhere them to the spent pigment portion. This would hide it on both sides.
@@bluephreakr bee? buzz buzz? lol be*
I bought one of these a couple of years ago. Mine talks to my mobile 'phone through WiFi and does the cutting itself (get me) - it went on the tax return as a business expense. Amazingly useful, especially when rewiring Land Rovers. All of my drawers have labels now. And, of course, the PSU has a label that says "Label Printer Only". Thank you for explaining how the thing works.
There is only one channel on TH-cam that could possibly EVER get me to not only watch a video about a label machines but to ENJOY a video about label machines. Big Clive does it again! When will I ever learn?🙂
ProTip™ for cable flags: Fold the label around the cable without it actually touching the cable, line up the ends (perfectly, of couse!), then pinch your fingers together and slide them towards the cable.
If the ends are well aligned, all the rest will just fall into place and if you're not completely off, it will also be perfectly centered.
I've used one of these models for many years, so much that I wore it out (well, the plastic frame disintegrated that held the print frame). So I purchased a second one because they work so well. I am very happy that you explained why the printer 'wastes' about 1/2" of tape each time it prints. I have an older Brother label printer model that uses the same type of cartridge and it 'wastes' the same amount which affirms your discovery that it's 'all in the cartridge'.
While troubleshooting why my well used printer for not 'recognizing' my 3/4" tape cartridge, I found the switch matrix that it uses to identify the cartridge, was out of alignment because all the screws holding the print 'deck' down were broken free from the front faceplate and it wasn't activating the microswitches and thought there was no cartridge inserted...
The manual cutter is the way to go, the 'automatic' cutter models will fail much sooner than this type of model. I use mine all the time labeling equipment that I integrate at work.
There are tape cartridges available that have the 'strong adhesive', which I use since they really do stick well but they also gum up the cutting blade over time so you need to keep that clean if you do as much as I do.
Fun times :)
Good info. I bought a pt e300 as a Christmas gift for myself from my mom. Got for around half price of other stores, so it was a steal. I just bought a roll of heat shrink label from eBay, and I can't wait to use it. Is it difficult to clean the knife?
@@magnuswf it's not too bad with a good non-reactive solvent and a cotton swab
@@dougn7bfs No disassembly required then?
I have the PT-8000 When it was discontinued years ago I immediately went to staples to stock up, they were $.99 ea. A week later I saw they had clearanced them out at $0.01. I still have a couple dozen of the cartridges, including a couple of the refillable ones.
edit; I want to make it clear that I was talking about the cartridges that were $.99 not the machine. Sorry for any confusion.
That is an insane deal. I guess the cartridges don't expire, or do they?
@@Kyouske_42 I have no idea. They are still sealed in an aluminum wrapper.
Refillable cartridges? How does that work?
LOVE that owners manual design. There should be more of those. Excellent review.
Regards Mark in the UK
Me 30 mins ago: I don’t need a label printer
Me now: *buys label printer*
You won't be sorry if you buy one.
Me seventeen...!
When i was 10 i got one for my birthday
I got one for Xmas last year, and I LOVE it! It is so usefull.
I label almost everthing now. Not quite like Sheldon Cooper does, but almost :)
@@nostradumbass4984 touch grass
I just dug out my Casio KL-100 that I got for christmas almost 20 years ago just to lable my HDMI cables. I never even thought of doing this ever. Thanks Clive!
As always a great in depth video.
Reveals an interesting data security issue that I'm sure many office managers are not aware of! I remember fax machines that used this kind of thermal film deposition printing and the lengths certain institutions went to in order to destroy the "hidden second copy". I had no idea the technique was still in use, and certainly not in such a ubiquitous but innocent machine.
Three awesome things about these cartridges: they're heatproof, meaning they'll tolerate everything up to the point a label burns or melts without any loss of quality or darkening; also, the Chinese clones are a fraction of the price of the OEM ones and are of very decent quality. They also come in a huge range of colours.
I got a triple pack on Amazon for about 15 quid. Using clear just now and had no issues so far.
I find, the clone cartridges have one issue, the clear laminating tape is not as stable as OEM ones. When you put down the label, the clear layer will often pucker, especially where temperature varies considerably. Makes the label look unprofessional.
I have a similar Dymo Letratag as shown at the beginning (except newer) and it’s quite horrible. I labeled some electronic bins in my workshop with it. But because it gets quite hot there, almost all labels have vanished. It’s good to know that these are better for it. The other issue with mine is that it isuseless for labeling cables - the tape won’t stick to a cable at all, and it won’t stick to itself either. Are these better for that?
I’ve been eying one of these Brother units for a while now.
@@rolaroli Thats common. You have to keep in mind that the older thermal ones used heat activated materials. Meaning any kind of heat would start to darken it quite quickly.
Those still print with heat, but as you have seen in the video they transfer pigment, which is heat and uv stable after its laminated and wont change for a long long time.
Also yes they also stick very well to themselves.
I was curious about this since it uses thermal printing. I know with some of the thermal label printers a bit of heat will turn the whole label black and make it unreadable same as reciept paper, which is the main reason why I've stuck with the traditional embossing label makers, but might have to pick one of these up now. Still preffer the embossed labels for certain things, durability is hard to match especially with aluminum and steel tape, but knowing that now I would be much less hesitant to use them in most situations.
Looks great Clive! So glad you enjoyed your label printer and found it useful 🙌
Wholesome.
Tip/center-negative power supplies are extremely common in older Japanese electronics because you can make a portable device with batteries or external DC input and the switch that isolates the two power sources is built-in to the standard barrel jack. Japanese electronics often didn’t even include the adapter, especially for battery-operated devices, so you were expected to use your own.
The Family Computer Disk System likely uses batteries just to save money and sell the adapter separately, but this trend wasn’t just limited to battery-operated devices. This is why you see Family Computer power supplies bundled with used Super Famicom and Sega Mega Drive consoles in Japan (all center-negative!).
For the Super Famicom, Nintendo’s logic was that customers likely already had a Family Computer with power supply, so you could use that. Nintendo stopped including the charger with the Nintendo 3DS XL in the UK and with the New Nintendo 3DS XL in the USA. People in the US, including me, made a big stink so the US was the only region they included a USB power brick with the Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition in 2016. My complaint was that the NN3DSXL played all the games as the previous system and, thus, the previous system would get handed down or traded in. Ultimately, someone had to buy a charger, so the excuse that it wasn’t needed for a large portion of their customers who already own a DS lite/DSi/3DS with the same charger doesn’t hold water.
So, yeah, that’s how center negative became the standard in Japan but the reasons for Japan relying on DC and portables goes back further. Because some Japanese prefectures are 50hz mains and some are 60hz, it made sense to engineer more devices that would work with universal DC power. Those devices could then also be run from batteries or a power plug the consumer already had.
For example, I saw an old Japanese alarm clock with a switch for 50/60hz because it derived it’s clock from the line frequency. A DC clock with an internal oscillator would not need this switch and would also be able to use batteries. They had incentive to improve the power efficiency of these traditionally wall-powered devices and, thus, Japan’s portable electronics boom began.
@Emmett Turner I didn't know barrel jacks had the feature of isolating/switching off another circuit like phono(?) jacks. But why couldn't the isolation work with center negative? Once you disconnect one side, the circuit isn't complete? Or am I missing something?
@@richardwernst It’s all in EEVBlog #1015. :)
@@richardwernst What I gathered: a shared ground with switched positive is both useful for devices that simply disconnect the battery and for devices that have a battery charging circuit. Physically, switched positive only works for center negative, since the barrel physically pushes the outer contact away from the normally-closed switch position.
@bigclivedotcom @@emmettturner9452 Sorry, still not sure why disconnecting a jack with center positive, outer negative wouldn't work properly. If you have outer negative and it disconnects the negative side (we're not talking line voltages here), the circuit is just as disconnected as if the positive side is disconnected.
@@richardwernst Because ground/negative is always common.
That means it’s typically connected everywhere in the chassis and can’t be reliably/safely isolated. You always want to switch positive and that can’t be achieved for free with the typical 5.5x2.1mm three-pin barrel jack design without going center-negative.
Same reason we only switch the hot wire in a lighting circuit and not the return (neutral) wire from the bulb socket.
I like to come here just to listen to a calm voice make sense of this chaotic world.
Absolutely !!
I'll say this about the quality of Brother's labels -- they stick to plastic bins and other things with low surface energy that adhesive labels normally fall off of. I also use these to label junction boxes in my 130F / 55C attic, and after 3 summers, they're still attached and look great.
Those lables really hold well.
I have some labels on glasses, that go often into the Dishwasher. They'll stick. Even tough they really shouldn't, concidering aggressive heat, water and soap.
I also have some outside. After several years they still look like new, even tough they were exposed to ALL weather conditions, that our country has to offer - they've managed to stay intact from -10 to 70°C (when the summer sun burns onto metal....) so far, they've seen rain, dust, ice and snow. Still they stick and loock as new!
Altough: If you want them to get off, that's almost better. They'll come right off, without leaving 5 liters of adhesive back. Because after I've labled a things with paper, I'm fucking sick and tired of soaking those god damn stupid things in 10 liters of cleaning alcohol.
Why do you monitor the temperature of your attic?
I have the exactly same model as my daily label printer at work(I'm a telecommunications technician and I label cables with it). We use that empty printed piece to go around the cable, so it won't go to waste.
I liked this video, right after you said "Let's take this to bits"....
I've had a P-Touch connected to my computer for about 20 years, great machine.
Can't use labels outside. The sun washes out the printing after a short while.
I used to sell this stuff. One time a customer came in and complained the cartridge didn't last long. My boss took it apart and saw it was used up. When he showed what was typed, the customer said it looked like his kid got a hold of it. :)
About 55 years ago, my uncle gave me one of the mechanical embossing label makers. It was my favorite gift. The uncle who gave it to me died last summer at 98 years old. Made me think of this gift.
I have the PTE550 and love it. It gets used all the for time labelling anything & everything. The printed labels in bold colours are far nicer than any written labels, and being able to print directly onto the special heat shrink tubing is awesome.
And the kiss-cut feature of the PTE550 and PTE560 make it much easier to strip the label from the backing, and print repeated cut labels without wasting multiple bits of cut off leader.
Worth noting the label glue and durability. Most original labels are actually dishwasher safe, yet the label can be peeled off without residues. Tamper free labels, iron on cloth labels, paper labels also available. Truly brilliant!
I bought a similar one after seeing David Savery's review of it. I found it to be a very good label printer. One drawback is that sometimes you get a label tape where the clear print layer is misaligned with the backing layer, so the labels you print have a tiny strip of uncovered adhesive along the top or bottom of the label face, which attracts dust and debris over time. It seems to be more prevalent with the cheap Chinese tapes but even the official ones aren't perfect. It's most noticeable with the 6mm tapes. I've had to disassemble a couple to try to fix the alignment as it was so bad, but it's very hard to get perfect. I've had the most success with using a hot air gun to soften the plastic housing and nudging it into place, but even that involves a lot of trial and error.
I also had a similar Dymo label printer before this one, and where I am in Australia the sun is harsh enough that the Dymo labels all fade and peel after a year or two even indoors. But even the cheap Chinese tapes for the P-touch are UV-stabilised, so they can be out in the direct sun and they don't fade which is excellent. I've had one outdoors in direct sun as a test for over six months now and it's still as good as new.
The only drawback I've noticed is that if the cable wrap is used in a warm environment like an equipment rack (here warm means above 28°C/82°F) they tend to unstick and unwrap themselves after a few weeks, so Clive's suggestion of using clear heatshrink isn't a bad idea if possible. Sometimes I have also used clear adhesive tape (sticky tape/sellotape/etc) over the top and that works well too. This happens even with the official tapes so it's not a problem with the cheap ones, although I haven't tried a cable wrap with the 'strong adhesive' tapes yet. I'm not sure the strong adhesive version would help though as sometimes it's the clear print layer that unsticks from the coloured backing, but 'strong' refers to the backing adhesive used.
If anyone is interested in buying one of these, I'd also recommend watching the review from David Savery Electrical (search TH-cam for "david savery label") as his covers the next model up (E550), which has wifi and lets you print images onto labels from a computer or a phone.
Lastly, you can get cheap label tapes with white text on red/green/blue backgrounds however I'd recommend against these as the white pigment they use is very poor, and the labels come out with terrible contrast. It's more like light red on dark red, so they're not easy to read. I'm not sure why this is the case, because you can also get a tape with white text on a clear background, and that version isn't too bad at all.
I bought mine after i saw his review 👍
I've used P-Touch for about a decade. The standard tape will unstick itself from cables and fall off, but there's a special variant for cable labeling that is less prone to unsticking itself in tight bends.
@@johncrowerdoe5527 Is that the one they market as "Flexible"? If so that's also one I've used (it came with the unit) and it does seem to do a better job.
@@Berkeloid0 Yep, it's the extra flexible one that's for cables and pipes. But it's the stiffer regular ones that has the more durable surface and the most color options. Then there's special tapes like fabric or fluorescent.
I was about to put a link to this on one of Dave's videos, but it seems that he does watch Big Clive :)
I work in the cell tower industry and I have banned the use of Dymo labels via contracts. The Dymo being a thermal printer, any outdoor labels will always turn dark and become un-readable whereas the Brother is a thermal ink transfer printer and therefore is not nearly as susceptible to the thermal fading that occurs on the Dymo labels.
Exactly! I had a Dymo printer, and ANYWHERE I put labels that has any constant OR intermittent heat above
80° F, the labels would turn dark and unreadable. I was DAMN disappointed to find this out after I spent a BUNCH of time AND money on that garbage. 😠
I have a dymo printer and one issue I've had is it sucks in low temperature, labels always come out faded, I've literally breathed on the label tape to warm it up just enough to get a readable label. I don't know anyone with a P-Touch who has that issue.
I hope the contract expressly says that either industrial or laminated thermal transfer (or inkjet or laser) labels must be used. Brother makes heat-intolerant direct-thermal labels, too (the M series), as well as some unlaminated thermal-transfer labels on the TZ/TZe series. (The vast majority of TZ/TZe labels are the laminated ones, but they make unlaminated paper ones, too.) And of course, not all thermal transfer being made equal, there are also unlaminated, but highly robust, thermal-transfer labels from the industrial printer manufacturers (Zebra, Burndy, etc) and industrial wiring companies (WAGO, Phoenix Contact, Weidmüller, etc.)
My Dymo printer (Rhino series) uses thermal transfer just like the Brother (you can read what was printed on the label if you pull out the black transfer tape from the cartridge. I guess you must be talking about very basic consumer models.
I have the "desk" model of one of these that uses their USB label printing software. It is great for printing IT asset tracking labels with QR codes for the ID number. It can also run on batteries in a stand alone mode which is great when I'm working on wiring jobs.
Which model is that?
Thank you VERY MUCH Big Clive!
What a BRILLIANT machine, answers all my "needs and wants" for labeling. Most importantly, it has "backward capability", for the TXE tapes! Wonderful.
Just ordered one of these, looking forward to putting it to good use - LOVE the barcode function, and standards they are using, 100% compatible with everything I've done so far.
Hi to you from the tropics, Phuket Thailand.
All the very best, regards, Mark
I never realised I needed a label printer before this...
Your "life" will _never_ be *the samE*
If you have more than one thing, you need labels!
just a moment ago I ordered this one and a bunch of tapes
And another "mad labeler" is born.
The first thing you will print is "my label maker".
I have etiquette like this on my letter box in the street . 12 years ago and the letters are like new ! Very solid and reliable !
Given the print technology these units should offer an "inverted" printing mode (e.g. white on black using white label), I then wouldn't have to buy separate black labels.
They want you to buy the special black labels to make more money.
It might wear the heat element too much to be worthwile
the cassets come in all sorts of colour combos, and you can take a cassette out and swap it over without losing or damaging it. So there's no harm in having a bunch of different cassets for the colour you want. We use red labels, yellow labels and white labels based on the importance/urgency of the message.
See how the spent ink tape is exactly what you're talking about? Maybe you can take it out and iron it onto a new label yourself :P
The print head doesn’t reach all the way to the edges of the label, so you would have a white edge in that case.
Fab video, thank-you. My wife just bought me a PT100R, but I learnt a lot about how the cartridges work and found this video very useful despite having a different model.
I really prefer the printers with USB and automated blade, using the P-Touch editor software: you can create all your labels and insert cut lines between them, that way you don’t loose the 2cm peace of ribbon every time at the beginning of the print. You can also use all your computer fonts and insert images. I really like these labels, laminated, won’t fade and a vast selection of colours and width.
Hi Clive, I used your lesson to fix a broken and tangled tape (saved $$). You don't show how it dissassembled but just for the rest of the viewers, there are about six little clips in recesses around the tape case. Also see a couple inside the cavities under the tape path etc. The side is springy and not brittle so as you press a clip then lever the side you can see where the next one is.
i come from an era when, if we wanted them to last, we had to specify labels as layered plastic (outside black, core white) with text machine-cut deep enough to reach the center core.
and also specify screw or rivet fasteners or you would go out on a renovation survey and find that the switchboard labels (in the room everybody was afraid to enter) were all in a neat pile on the floor below where they were stuck on.
[ of course, one label always managed to hang on . . . the one on the huge circuit breaker at one end of the substation labeled "Main Circuit Breaker" ]
I remembe rit well - the old Traffolyte labels were all over the BBC.
When I was a kid, I used to take things apart to see what's inside. Now I can make repairs, or build things from scratch, from the knowledge I gained by destroying those poor machines. They made the supreme sacrifice.
I just 'inherited' a few hundred valves (vacuum tubes) most of them wrapped loosely in paper. I've ordered up lots of boxes for them and was considering how to label each one. This looks like jut the thing so I've got one ordered. Mind you, in my neck of the woods it costs considerably more than £50! Thanks Clive..
Just do the five finger discount. The pakaging isn't too big to swipe...
I love that your unit comes with metric units. Like something practical and worth using.
You can select imperial units and language in the menu.
@@wwsxa39 why would you ever want imperial?
Wow, that wire-wrap function looks handy!
Why do some people say their comments are from a week ago?
I think my favorite videos you make are you showing off your new toys
These are superb printers. I have the 550 , as an other reviewer said I bought the PT touch 550 on the strength of David Savery's review. Just cannot fault the printer in anyway. Hundreds of labels have gone thru and all of 'em perfect. Got mine from Labelzone in the UK. Fantastic company to deal with. I have not used the heatshrink tubing "tape" yet but will try it out one day. I never use 6mm tapes so cant comment on that aspect. The brother android apps do work but at times establishing the WiFi connection between the printer and the router can be a wee bit of a hit and miss. But... you can also connect the printer to a PC via the supplied MINI (take note !) USB cable. All in all ? A brilliant piece of kit !
Wondering, is it reported as a proper printer which you can directly use in, say, Linux, or does it require the (likely proprietary and only for win) dedicated software?
@@francoisrevol7926 francois... You may be right here, but if you use the Android app windows will be of no concern.
I use both the android app and the windows s/w.
Made me reminisce about a old Rotary Label maker my dad had, also thanks for the Ionizer information in your other videos. Gonna add one to my shop for air quality and dust localization, it is a small shop so every little bit helps.
You have a print preview button (mag. glass icon) next to the print button... You can see how the print will look without the need to print it out...
Just bought one of these so great to chance upon your deep dive into how it all works and its features. At first glance, out of the box, it looks really complex but in fact it is easy and intuitive to use. Thanks for making the video.
I got one of these like 5 years ago...changed my life! So many things to label! Comes out looking totally professional. The easiest way to get at the backing with no nails is to bend it in half, grab one corner that pops up and then pull that about 3/4 of the way off. Now put your finger on the little bit of backer still stuck to the label, flex it, and rip off the entire second piece. Now the last little bit of paper is just barely attached, use it to hold and position, then grab it off.
I've printed hundreds of little tags that say "Property of" with my name and phone number. I stick them to everything I own. Expensive stuff like laptop gets additional labels inside at places like the hard drive. I like the "tamper evident" tape they sell, makes a very big mark where a label gets removed and the label cannot be reused. The chinese label tape seems to last pretty well, although the glue is definitely not as sticky as the OEM stuff.
I was shouting at Clive 'fold the corner - fold the corner' while watching that bit!!
I am in no way technical but I do enjoy these educational videos.
22:57 "Wow, I've been a great salesman for this labelmaker." I've been considering buying a labelmaker. So, Yes, Yes you have, thank you. =D
I suspect over 44,000 extra sales as a result of this. I already have a labeller and really have no use for another, but with the internet.........,
You need another so you can put a label on it to say that it was an un-necessary purchase.
Thanks Clive I am glad I found this. The wasted tape was driving me mad having just bought an identical machine.
With this brilliant device, you too can label everything - just like in the original batman TV series!
BAT LABEL PRINTER
KA-LABEL!!
Holy label maker, Batman!
Have this very printer. Had it for a few years and love it. Mostly an installation electrician but delve into things like data. Love being able to markup consumer units and patch panels etc in a uniform fashion. Certainly saved me a fortune being ripped off for a roll of lables at the likes of cef for for example for idiots the mixed version wiring labels. Only slight negatives I've found are the tape wastage however you've done a good job at explaining why. I've been using clear aftermarket tape from Amazon. Can get 3 for the price of an original. So far so good. Also found that if the unit is left for a week or so the battery seems to discharge itself. Good machine and another great video.
You should print off lables for the printer and the power supply to remind of the polarity reversal :-)
Love my P-Touch labelers. And there's a great selection of tapes too.
I bet Clives favourite is the tape with pink hearts.
The TZe tape have two kinds of recognition for the label printer: The one shown in the video and a second one on the backside of the cartridge. It's for the older P-Touch models and it use 3 or 4 pins for detecting the tape
I have an older UMPT1750 (The grey one) it has been happy for me for years.
You inspired me to get the PT-D600. Wider labels, better cable marking, uploadable graphics, etc.
Now to shop for 24mm tape...
The white on clear tapes are *great* for labeling black or dark items. They're shiny which is a bit out of place on matte textures like ThinkPads, but that's a small price to pay for clear labeling.
If you ever do a follow-up try and get hold of some electro-etching stencil tape. It's pretty handy stuff to have a roll of ....can use it to etch letters/words, symbols, bar & QR codes, etc. into unpainted metal surfaces. 12V DC using white vinegar & salt as an electrolyte worked pretty well.
Shame you didn't pick up a 550 model. It can take the wider 24mm tape and can partially cut just the top layer so the backing remains intact (a 100% must have feature when chain-printing lots of labels). Also makes it much easier for peeling off the backing.
Interesting. I've not come across that tape before.
Good news: These are not blown up by using a center positive by accident. My PT-E500 did not go bang and still works fine.
Always use protection (circuits)
I did test it with my bench supply and a 1K resistor in series. No current flow, so probably a protection diode.
Good to know! 👍 My current (tape-based) label maker - a Dymo LetraTag - has the same centre-negative crap going on, and so one of the first labels I printed with it was a big warning about the polarity!
No idea if the LetraTag has polarity protection - oddly I've not taken it apart very much!
I've been planning to get a new label maker soon-ish, and currently have my eye on one of Brother's smartphone/PC-connected devices (and no other UI), such as the P-Touch Cube and related: PT-P300BT, PT-P710BT, PT-P700, PT-P750W, etc.
I'm just slightly wary because they will be heavily dependent on the PC/smartphone software, and you often find that primarily-hardware companies/departments like Brother/Dymo/etc. end up putting out absolutely awful software, rarely/never updating it, and often software compatibility limits the useful life of the product :/
I have a USB-connected Dymo LabelWriter 450 as well. The hardware is flawless, but the Windows software leaves a lot to be desired and I haven't seen an update to it for many years 😕
Though that still leaves room for using the power supply with an unprotected device by accident. Dave on eevblog has an interesting video about polarity on barrel connectors and why it used to be more common to have positive on the outside.
I'm surprised it even has a diode, when a full bridge rectifier would not cost much more, and then you could even just use an AC input.
Outstanding demo. I've been wanting a label printer for years to replace an ancient Dymo embosser. The multilayer laminated tape is a great improvement and Brother's label printers for home and hobby use are quite affordable. The knock-off tapes are dirt cheap $0.04 for a 50mm label, but still only $0.13 with OEM tape.
Interesting. Thanks! One thing that I do to my older Brother printer is to alter the "tape size" recesses to trick the machine into thing that the tape is larger. That allows me to print to the full width of the tape. Useful.
So you don't have any waste on each label like is shown in this video? What do you do exactly? Or are you just talking about the wasted height space?
@@Sugarkryptonite I helps on the height. For example. Look at a 1/2" tape cartridge you will see some plastic that is not on a 3/4". Remove that plastic on the 1/2" and the machine thinks it is 3/4" and allows you to use a larger font and take advantage of the full 1/2" for either single or double line. Magic!
I got one of these after watching this video (for £49.50 and the cost of a 15 minute drive to Toolstation!). Not being a tradesman (tradesperson?), I don't think I'd have understood half the functions if I hadn't watched the video. After beautifully labelling up my consumer unit, I now mainly use it for labelling lockdown lunches in the freezer (using cheap knock-off labels, not the good Brother stuff). A huge step up from my £12 Dymo!
There was an old lady called Mabel,
Who only wore ermine of sable,
To label a cable she danced on the table,
The doc diagnosed her unstable.
There was a young lady named Alice
Who used dynamite as a phallus.
You'll have to find the rest with a search! 🤪🤪😂😂
@@acmefixer1 lol
I bought the PT-D600VP unit last year and it has been very versatile for labeling everything as needed.
This was actually too interesting for me considering I work in an OfficeMax in America
Another thing to consider, this label printer is thermal transfer which is far better than the direct thermal label printers, as thermal transfer labels won't fade with time whereas the ink in the direct thermal labels will fade/discolour over time.
So, you don't want to print sensitive information with this device, since the information is retained within the cartridge forever for anyone to read after breaking open the cartridge after finding it in a landfill
Yes. Not suitable for secure information at all.
@@bigclivedotcom Unless you apply fire of course!
Some IBM Selectric typewriters used a film ribbon cartridge which could be similarly read.
@@whitcwa I have an old Panasonic typewriter that uses those film catridges. The one that's in it probably contains my last college paper...
Many years ago, banks also did this (late 1980's) and just put them (the used ribbons) into the bins out the back. I used to raid the bins as a child to collect card holograms, etc. Ended up getting a neighbours bank details on a microfiche sheet too. Things I used to do as a child, eh.
Thanks for this! Fascinating. I love my Brother label makers!! I currently have three, but I use my PT-D600 the most - and I use it all the time. I only buy the knock-off cassettes (from Amazon). I actually like that yours snips the bit at the beginning. All of mine have wide ears on each side of the label that I always have to cut off.
Print off a new "bigclivedotcom" to stick on the work bench
Safety pink would be a good choice!
He has by now :)
I have one of the smaller ones that has 9 aaa batteries to power it.I bought it to label plants in the garden and amazed how long the labels last, so far 6 years and still readable no degradation at all. I did not realise how complex the tape was and how reliable it is for the complexity.
I love these label makers so useful.
That being said, when I worked for Radio Shack it was very common for people to call coaxial power connectors "Standard", meaning center positive; however, there is no such standard, it's the wild west and one needs to be handy with a meter or know to check labeling for the polarity marker...if it has one.
Good times!
I have three of those brother machines and have been wanting to open one of them up but you now saved me a lot of time.
Although........might just open it after all.
Thank you Big Clive........
I read the title "How the Brothel label printers..." The video seemed a bit less exciting after I read it correctly.
glad im not alone :D
I guess you could use this to label things in your brothel.
The method of letting you cut off the first bit of tape is actually an improvement. On my old Brother P-Touch, it doesn't do that. Instead, it winds out an additional length of blank tape at the end of the label. That way, the text is also nicely centered on the label, but there are about 4 cm of blank space at the beginning and the end of the label which usually is unnecessary. I usually try to cut the tape once the text has been completed, just as it starts winding out the unnecessary blank tape at the end. Pushing in the cutter interrupts the printing process. I then cut off the blank space at the beginning of the label with scissors. Saves a bit of tape but is of course inconvenient.
Hi Clive. Great as usual.
Just a FYI that outer positive (annoying as it is) is super commonly used for guitar pedals, astronomy and camping gear.
Seems isolated to 12v 5.5mm outer, 2.1mm inner.
No idea which party f**d it first, but now we have to live with it.
Cheers
it might be doing this so it can use switch in the outer part of socket to switch vcc, not ground, between battery and mains... but in the result there's stupid way to burn them, i bet polarity protection is not really common either
@@ketas they can sell another one after you blew up the first one so it seems like a sales-driven decision!! I think Clive mentions in another video that some of these devices have polarity protection which would at least prevent it working until you plug in the correct adaptor.
Positive outer was the historic standard. It was reversed after cars switched to negative metalwork, except in Japanese products and guitar pedals. Brother is Japanese.
@Dave Micolichek I have no guitar equipment at all, for that detail I went with what I heard.
Wow thank you, much better than all the generic product reviews out there. Big fan Big Clive
So you're telling me it's *not* magic?
No, he's just explaining how the magic works. It's still magic, though, because, even with this information, without training or equipment, you'd never be able to construct one of those yourself. Yes, this means that Big Clive is actually a wizard.
Magic is just science we don't understand yet.
@@StarkRG the beard proves your point.
@@kazumahikineet3090 Or as Arthur C. Clark put it "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s_three_laws
StarkRG I knew it!
just bought one from toolstation £49inc deliver , ordered 4th got it this morning cracking bit of kit , thanks clive
LOL, I remember those old ones with a wheel, that punched the label.
Haha those high tech Dymo embossed label makers
I used a large version of one of those for work once. It used tape about an inch/25mm across. It was massive. Had a great big dial for selecting the letters and a lever that you pulled down with one hand to "print" it.
For wrap-around cable labels try the original Brother P-Touch Flex-labels. I use 18mm white flex tape for my cables and they are pretty stable if you do not bend the cable too tight. Also I always set the diameter several mm bigger to get more overlap, especially on H07RN-F and H07BQ-F, as these cables are pretty much non-sticky with labels. Label on label (wrapping around 1.5 times) won‘t come loose anytime soon.
Replace your bigclivedotcom decal on your bench
That's a very nice bit of kit. Proper QWERTY keyboard and dual power option are my favourite. But the resolution and multitude of options are superb too.
This video made me think of the time I was in school and my buddy showed me how to spell BOOBS on the calculator.
I have the PC connected one. It can print arbitrary low resolution images such as the actual 80085s, if you want waterproof labeling of your entertainment.
Just got home after buying one of these based on your review - what a step up from the old P100 model.
I've 'butchered' the case with a knife and it allows me to fit another 9 spare 12mm cartridges into the space alongside the unit itself, in a 4/5 arrangement eg ||=.
On the inside lid of the case, you'll notice a 'spine' that holds the unit in place and the relevant 'blow' for the unit, you need to trim the side with the smaller rectangle 'blow'.
You need to trim the longside away so you have a lip 1.5cm from the bottom of the 'blow' with the two holes in. Obviously, you need to trim away the 'spine'. On the unit side, it was trial and error to get a full 5 lengthways. I trimmed roughly about 2cm depth off the unit side of the spine to about 12.5cm along from the 'bottom' edge of the unit.
I have pics, but have no clue how to upload them so you can all see the butchery of the fine blow moulded case.
Oh wow. I've had one of those Dymo printers for like.... 15 years. I used it for the first time in probably 5 years just last month. I somehow had the crocodile border selected? I just went with it because I thought it was funny.
I'm suddenly feeling like I need one of these Brother printers...... for some reason.... hahaha.
Dymo makes also professional printers, the old line is called Rhino and you get them for pretty cheap used from Ebay, or you can go to the tactile display app monsters they make now ( not that they are bad, just overpriced )
I like the Brother tape printer a lot for its great printing options. I've the smaller Dymo Tag that is similar to yours. Which I have been using faithfully over the last 7yrs to label items. Useful to have for many ID'ing, Info Notices, and Naming labels on various surfaces.
When testing things like this, always use the phrase “TEST IT CALLS”, especially when it needs to be confirmed out loud within earshot of someone else.
What do they give Tickle Me Elmo before he leaves the factory? Two test tickles!
I know someone who worked on early (long before lasers) optical disks for recorded announcements for a major telco. He told me that one of the announcements - "This is a test signal" - was discontinued after complaints from many of the telco's switchboard operators.
After having a few of the cheaper Dymo and Brother labellers all die for no reason, I bough the P-Touch E550WVP which is the bigger brother of this one (has auto cutter, WiFi, etc). Apart from the waste due to the laminating design, it is absolutely brilliant. Pity the heatshrink isn't cheaper. I also use the bench top Brother label printers for doing serial number labels for production runs of PCBs. I run them via a linked Excel sheet, or from my own Windows app that drives the test jig and programs firmware & serial number.
I guess I'll have to remember to destroy the tape in my spent cartridges, then.
You're making labels .... to label things.... that everyone can see.... lol I'm pretty sure the giveaway to what you've made will be the stickers with words you've left everywhere 🤣
@@jindivik321 what if you made labels of access codes to be placed under your keyboard like some dumbass in 1999
@Dave Micolichek Nuclear launch consoles. Label under the keyboard says "password: 55555"
Jo Decker Yes because otherwise someone going through your rubbish will notice that you made that label with your PIN to stick on your bank card.
Dave Micolichek But that way you’ll never forget your pin. Another good tip if you’ve got a combination lock is to stick a label on it with the code and you’ll never get locked out again.
Awesome, went and got my Brother TZ printer and took a longer look at it, a ton of options I’d never even bothered to look at 👍
Thank you, I'm replacing mine tomorrow. I would advise staying away from the super flexible from eBay. It's rubbish
I should get one of these to make labels for all the cables/wires/cords etc in my room because I have so many.
Great video!
mine have usb on it for printing from the PC, so I can use custom pictures
Some of the "hand printers" also have USB, so that you can load them with custom images that you then can use similarly to the build in symbols.
The hand printers are a lot easier for "casual use", as there is no messing around with PC software, USB-Cables, etc.
@@sarowie But the pure printers without screen and keyboard is slightly cheaper.
I used to work at a companie mostly doing archiving stuff and they had the most beautiful label maker i have ever seen. Its basically a Inkjet printer, but a special one, small, yet able to print 150mm wide labels, electric cutter, 4 Colours, battery powered, super portable. It uses a special Pigment ink in 27 ml cartridges (so way more than any Desktop printer). The printer was like 3000+ Euro but it was soooo much cheaper to run.
I have never seen one like that ever again, would love to have one at my place to print shipping labels etc.
I use a simple Dymo thermal label printer for shipping labels. It works well.
I have one. I've been tempted to hack it to allow me to print whatever I want but it gets used too much for the downtime. Maybe if I see one used or something.
The metallic labels don't do well in damp conditions FWIW.
The brother p700 is quite good for that. Its basically the same thing with the same cartridges, but connects to a computer via usb. You can basically print anything you want (eg you can import jpg/png)
The brother software is actually quite decent, but you would have to manually put it to "pro" mode, or it will be very simplistic and restricting.
The "Waste" is actually better then with the older label machines. They also waste a bit of material, but they are designed to leave a margin on both sides of the print-area. That doubles the waste and you have to cut the waste-bits on both sides with scissors, if you want a smaller margin.
Nearly *3am* on a Tuesday morning and here I am 🤣
Had a H500 at a previous job, that one could also be hooked up to a pc to use as a printer! There was also a chain mode for larger print runs that would print continuously without leaving the little nubbin of extra tape.