Side by Side Comparison of: Brother vs DYMO

Sometimes a laser printer isn't good enough and who wants to waste a whole sheet of labels for one or two print jobs. That, and having to remember which side is up, or which labels you used last so you're using the right space on the label sheet.Set-up was a bit of a pain and you REALLY need to call-in to set this thing up as far as the software. There were a bunch of updates, directions weren't clear, and just a pain until I called. That being said, once its set-up, its fantastic and very easy to use. Love having it for those quick one-off labels. My hand writing is atrocious, so love having at least the front of the envelope legible and neat. Two thumbs-up and one thumbs down for set-up.

Before I bought this I was using avery labels and an epson printer. The cost of the labels and ink was getting really costly and at that time, my printer ink slots (?) had dried and I would've needed to get it repaired or buy a new printer. For half the price, I decided to try this little printer and I don't know why I didn't do this from the beginning. You can adjust your label or screenshot an image to be any size to print. I've printed labels that are 3' x 5' and as small as 1' x 2' for my bakery business all on the same roll. It doesn't use ink since it's a thermal printer so they only thing I need to keep buying are the rolls of labels. One roll can print a lot of labels depending on what you're doing.

We have two of the QL-500 and two QL-700 printers in our office (we print a lot of labels). These printers are work horses and we've printed thousands of labels with each of the different printers. Easy to use, can do mail merges for mailing labels, or just about any use. Very easy to swap out different label size cartridges and the printer configures automatically for the new label cartridge. We've used with the file folder labels, the mailing labels, the shipping labels, the name tag labels, etc. Been happy all around with these.

Absolutely love this printer.***NOTE: Some people complained that it prints slow. Here is the deal: It DOES print slow, IF you only use the default "editor lite" software that comes pre-installed with the printer. Basically if you don't install the drivers/software that comes with it on the disc (or better yet, by downloading the latest version from Brother's website), then you have to use the crappy "editor lite" software that is literally built into the printer.If you use the "lite" software, you just plug the printer in, and your computer basically recognizes the printer as a flash drive (and you go into it like a flash drive, and then double click the editor lite exe / icon, which starts the crappy editor lite program.)If you use the editor lite program it prints slower than DEATH, even if doing multiple copies of a print.Trust me when I say you should just go to google and search for "brother Q-700 software". The first result that shows up will be Brother's Website, and if you click on the link, it will take you right where you need to be.Download the drivers AND the "P-Touch" Software (at the time of writing this, it was P-Touch 5.1.Install the drivers FIRST, and then install the P-Touch software (as per the instructions.)Now the printer will be recognized and function like a real printer. And the p-touch software has WAY more functionality than the crappy editor lite. But more importantly, this thing prints 100 times faster when you use the p-touch software.Hope this helps!

My wife has started a small business and this ended up being the perfect label maker. It was surprisingly easy to setup. And after playing around with the different size labels, we found the right one for our needs. There's more forms and varieties then most people would ever need. Having to switch between label paper I assume would be a pain, but we just found one that worked with our size label and haven't had any issues. It prints fairly quickly and hasn't jammed or malfunctioned yet. We've had it about 6 months or so. Its really everything you could ask for.

Another quality Brother product. I really like this label printer for one particular reason - when you plug in the USB connection, you get a pop up asking to open a file - which is the printer software! So, you don't have to remember to install everything. Just plug it in and run the pop up - and you will be printing in 60 seconds. It is the same experience I have found on Brother's PTouch printers. I know I sound like a fan - because I am. I have 3 P-Touch printers - work, home, home - and I just got this Label Printer. In addition, it works flawlessly. Prints quickly, does auto cutting so you don't waste label paper, and the software is embedded in the printer itself - like a USB memory stick.

Very simple to operate. I tried reading the instructions, but the instructions only showed 3 steps. I swore there had to be more to it than just these 3 steps. Turned out, there wasn't. I did run into a problem the first time I used it. I choose bold text at max text size which is 24 pt. I ended up getting a label that was unreadable. I took off BOLD and the text came out correctly. It does come with a starter 1/2inX10ft cartridge, but make sure you order more because once you start labeling things, you won't be able to stop, and before you know it, you will run out of labels. Getting Dymo branded labels are quiet expensive, however you can get generic for a lot less. I got a generic 4 pack 1/2inch for 15 bucks here on amazon. If you need just a basic label system than this is for you. It has a ton of features that I don't see myself using. And if this unit has those things, I imagine the more expensive version has features I can do without. Most people just need it for basic organizing. It doesn't come with an adapter, but you do have the option to use a 9V 2A adapter. If you choose batteries, it runs off of 6AAA. It is kind of bulky, but thats fine. For some reason this thing reminds me of those package scanners UPS uses. Its just as bulky if not more. You have the option to use labels that are 1/4,3/8, and 1/2 wide. I think 1/2 is the most popular size. The starter pack labels are laminated so you don't have to worry about fading.

I bought the Dymo LabelManager 160. On a product page that lists several different models, it's important to state which one are you reviewing.I bought it sale for $9.99 (which occur pretty often).It has a full qwerty keyboard which is nice, special characters are not easily accessible (only thorough menu button).Font size ranges 8-24 points. It has Bold, Italic, 5 underlining and outlining options and it can print vertically.It can print 2 lines with up to 12 points font size.It uses 6 AAA batteries (not provided) or a 9V/2A power supply (that is not provided either).They sell it at Fry's for $34.99, crazy!

I just needed something simple that did 2 lines and had a descent amount of clip art. It does the job, and as an added bonus, it's actually easy to peel the backing off. It splits into 2 pieces. On my last labeler, you had to work that finger nail between the backing and the tape to remove it. That required some time and patience. IT professionals don't have that kind of time. Thanks DYMO for making things easy and quick! The labeler is fun to use and comes with a rechargeable battery. It's nice to be able to keep the battery inside and recharge with a charger. No more digging out 6 "AA" batteries like in my old single line labeler. Thanks!

Wow really? People complain about the symbols? I've used a ton of label makers and this on is far and above passes them all!OK so the symbols are on a separate button bug deal..It's the perfect sizeIt prints super clearIt has a button for clip art designs and pictures!It can write multiple lines on a single strip!It has borders you can select to put around the text!It can write horizontal and vertical!The font sizes go from 8-20 on 1/2 inch tape with selection of 2 in between!The price is 9 dollars! And it comes with tape!Don't listen to these people complaining of things like "it's such a pain to need symbols" blah blah blah.Just grab this and a 2 pack of 23 foot long rolls and you'll love the thing! I promise!Oh and did I mention it's super quiet!The tape cutter is very smooth and comes out from the top instead of the sides like other label makers!And after all that... If you turn it over you can physically see how. Much tape you have left. Kind of like a gas gague, there is a little Window. Just buy the thing quick!

I love labeling things and was so happy to receive this label maker. Within a day I was severely disappointed though, when I attempted to label Oliver and it wouldn't adhere. I guess I'll give it five stars though. Whatever.

I had an older Dymo labeler that used a specific cartridge. I bought a replacement cartridge to find that my labeler had stopped working. This is the only new Dymo labeler I could find that used that same cartridge, so I bought it and it's actually pretty cool! First of all it's quite portable and has a rechargeable battery. Second, it comes with a USB cable so you can attach it to your computer, download some free software and it becomes a real printer! No, you're not going to print out a letter to grandma, but you can create your label on your computer screen (which is easier than typing it directly into the labeler) and the coolest thing (at least with my MacBook Air) I can print a label out using any font that's on my computer!! You're not limited to the few that are native to the labeler. Want a label printed out in Ariel, Helvetica, Courier, Papyrus, Brush Script? You can do it! And you print right from the computer! Very cool! I've been putting labels on everything!

Very nice Label printer. It works with a hardcode (holes on the support) that identifies which label sizes you are using. It would be useful to determine personalized label sizes by software or configuration.I have also not found how to cancel the auto-switch Off function. That means, I cannot leave the printer on for remote printing. (switches of automatically) Otherwise its a quit reliable printer. I am using it in a small company and it does its job.

I bought the QL-700 in order to make notes for myself. I wanted something affordable that could print text or images onto thermal paper. So far, it seems like it'll do exactly what I want it to. The only problem is, the installation CD was completely useless for me. I couldn't get the P-touch Editor to run after running the installer and following the directions.However, you don't actually need any of the software on the CD in order to use the basic functions. All you need to do is attach the device to your computer with the USB cable and press the "Editor Lite" button. Your OS will have access to a read-only USB device that contains a simple editor for both Windows and Mac OS. This editor doesn't need any special drivers. Just type your text or load an image and press the print button.tl;dr: The printer is fine for basic text and image printing, but you may have difficulty getting the advanced software on the CD to work.

I like the fact that it is a thermal printer and does not require ink. Had a heck of a time getting it to communicate with a Windows 10 computer, but after reinstalling drivers from Brother website, finally got it to work (hence the 4 out of 5 stars). I purchased this to make unlimited types of labels and it does the trick. With the Brother P-touch downloads, the look of the labels can be changed to an endless number of different styles. You can even do postage, but must pay USPS for that luxury.I would recommend this printer to anyone who needs to print out labels, keep their files neat, does a lot of mailing, or manages a small office.You can even buy non-OEM labels (from Amazon) and save a ton of money by doing so.

Nice little label printer. They offer a wireless one now. Mine needs a USB cable. which is fine for me.Turn it on and it offers printer software program that runs right off the screen.I have 9 computers in a network and find the networking software not reliable. That's where I have the printer on my home server and run the program on another computer. I had to fiddle with reloading - reconfiguring the printer and application more than once in 6 months .. My full size paper printer is connected to the server and I can print from any other computer or laptop in the entire house.. I never had to reload or reconfigure it in years...Office supply store are battleing each other... Like a Kodak camer the film is more expensive than the camer in the long run..The print quality even on off brand labels is fantastic.. I just bought the handheld P-200 as this printer must be used with a computer.. the P200 uses tape and will print anywhere. on batteries. Don't buy the 2 size label maker you can buy 2 of these cheeper and select your output by turning them on and off.. changing labels is 30 second job..

I ended up purchasing this after my QL-570 label printers were having some odd print driver issues (which eventually cleared themselves up).Concerning the hardware, the only major changes from the Brother QL-570 to the QL-700 is that (1) the print speed is indeed a little bit faster and (2) the sleeker form factor. The sleeker plastic shell does make the printer easier to clean and dust, but the fold-out collection tray of the QL-570 has been removed, which means that cut labels just fall off onto the surface below.Regarding the Windows software, there is definitely a learning curve. The QL-700 introduces a built-in 'P-Touch Editor Lite' which is ran from a small read-only drive inside the printer. Although, most users with experience using earlier Brother label printers, will probably want to stick with the standard 'P-Touch Editor,' which has both a simpler 'Express' mode and an advanced 'Professional' mode. (See screenshots added in 'Customer Images' for this item.)For those who already own QL-570 printers and only use their printers moderately or irregularly, I see no reason to upgrade. However, the increase in print speed may be worthwhile for very heavy users.

This printer is great for quick label printing and supper fast. However, the P-Touch Editor software that allows you to create your own label formats and link to your own databases (in my case SQL Server) is INSANELY complicated, though if you could actually master it you'd be able to do some great things.The user manual/guide just starts using terminology with virtually no overview or explanation of how anything fits together. I'm sure it makes sense to the programmers who wrote it but for an end user, even one who's been in the software programming biz for over 30 years as I have, it's an incomprehensible mess. Simple searches in the help systems for things that should be there turn up nothing. I called the tech support line with a couple of questions and the nice lady said "oh we have a guide we can send you by email". She sent two guides, neither of which applied, even remotely, to my questions.The printer itself is fast, quiet, small and a real bargain price-wise. There are a reasonable number of pre-designed templates to get me going so I'm giving it 4 stars for hardware, and if I could 1 for software. It would take me much longer to learn the custom label design software than I'm willing or able to spend; fortunately, you can get labels out of this device without doing them from scratch.

I got this for the purpose of organizing my film making gear. It's useful to have batteries, etc. labeled when you have multiple copies of the same batteries for multiple copies of the same camera so that you can more easily track your kits, charging, etc.I also use it to label drawers and compartments in my Stanley Fat Max to help keep things organized when I need someone to put something away and they're not familiar with my set-up.The labels are clear and seem to be durable and the label maker itself is light years beyond the old-fashioned ones that embossed the characters on the tough plastic strips.However, this is a battery (6AAA) hog and the interface is somewhat clunky.

I bought this label maker to label all my spice jars in order to to make easier to read. This label maker works wonderfully and prints out with out any issue. I also love the fact that the label has a little tab on the back to make it easier to remove the backing as I was worried i would be spending hours trying to remove the label. The only issue i had was initially loading the cartridge as when I loaded it, the printed label would not come out the label maker. It would just go back into the reel. Not exactly sure how i solved it, but it is working.

I use this label maker to label my plants. The labels hold up under New England weather. My only complaint is that there is no way to wipe out the last word you printed except to backspace and it is a pain. There should be a reset button or something to start a new label. Also I dropped my last one and a piece broke off so now the labels bunch up inside the machine and I had to buy a new one.

Very simple to use. There are many types of labeling tape available. It's not too difficult to pull the backing off the self adhesive labels. Just curl them and pull the backing off from the center. Pulling it up from the edges is difficult. You don't have to install any software to use this. When you plug it into a Windows 10 computer, the printer shows up like a USB drive and you can run the software from there. I installed the full version of the software and didn't see anything it did that the lightweight version didn't. The only thing that bothers me about this printer is that it wastes way too much label material by putting large margins at the beginning and end of each label. I don't see any reason for that except to force the consumer to buy more supplies. That is the only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5. I've been using this a lot.

Why did no one mention it requires a power adapter sold separately (mentioned in a blip) or a bunch of AAA batteries?Here's the link for those that want to grab it at the same time so they're ready to roll when their product arrrives:http://www.amazon.com/HQRP-compatible-LabelManager-Electronic-Labelmaker/dp/B007PP90TA/See photo with a note added to the label maker via a sticky note. It's like raiiiiin, on your wedding day... an unfortunate coincidence.

Most of the handheld label printers are built using ABC keybaords vs. the QWERTY keyboard, and that was a key factor in my decision to buy this scanner. Some people have claimed that using DYMO label makers vs. Brother label makers will save money as the DYMO does waste less label when printing, this is both true and false --- I will explain more further down in this review.I would like to add to this review a comment about batteries, there has been multiple comments about this label maker "eating batteries"; I have used up trial cartridge and many labels into my second cartridge and have not changed the batteries in this unit. I am using Eneloop Rechargeable batteries and they have performed flawlessly. Keep in mind that this would be a higher drain type of device when printing and cheap "Super Duty" (Non-alkaline or cheap Rechargeable) batteries are probably not going to work well. As always, I recommend the investment in Eneloop batteries with a good charger (LaCrosse BC-700)PROs:- Handheld form factor- Easy to use- Prints nice looking labels- QWERTY KeyboardCONs:- NO access to any special charactors except via menus (i.e. if you need a "-" or a "." on your label, there is NO button for this and you have to go into the symbol menu to find the symbol you want) ... This is annoying and is the reason that this label maker looses one star (most of my labels include "-" or "." in them)******************************************************************************************* The truth about actual label costs (Pictures will be attached to this review) *******************************************************************************************I printed out labels using a Brother P-Touch PT-2030 and the DYMO LabelManager 160 and these were the results of my findings:As of the time of this writing, the DYMO 1/2" D-1 label roll is selling for $14 and includes 23 feet (276 inches) of labelAs of the time of this writing, the Brother 1/2" P-Touch label roll is selling for $11 and includes 26.2 feet (314 inches) of labelI printed two labels that had this text in 24pt BOLD "TEST-XX-01"The DYMO label that was printed including wasted space on both sides was 2.75" in length which would allow 100 labels to be printed on a $14 roll *** $0.14 per labelThe Brother label that was printed including wasted space on both sides was 4" in length which would allow 78 labels to be printed on the $11 roll *** $0.14 per label*** TIE ***I printed two labels that had this text in 24pt BOLD "255.255.255.255"The DYMO label that was printed including wasted space on both sides was 3.375" (3 3/8") in length which would allow 81 labels on $14 roll *** $0.17 per labelThe Brother label that was printed including wasted space on both sides was 4.5" in length which would allow 69 labels on a $11 roll *** $0.16 per label*** BROTHER WINS ***The DYMO would win with smaller labels, it seems that my first label tested is about the tie breaker in size.Bottom line:If you print SMALL labels, you will get more for your money using a DYMO label printer with less waste per labelIf you print larger labels, you will get more for your money using a BROTHER label printer even though it waste more per labelThe DYMO generally prints more labels per roll than the brother, even though there is less label per cart, however the Brother label is cheaper at this time.There is also the consideration that you might be ok with the extra tape used by the dymo, and that you might hate how much extra tape is used with the brother, ... How much time might you spend trimming brother labels because they are huge?They are both great label makers ... I hope this review helps someone make an informed decision!

Has a hard time keeping connected - says it is offline when it is showing up clearly in my device list. When it works it is great. I have a problem every time I change ot the roll of labels - it does recognize the connection

Makes great labels. I have to print in the highest quality in order for my bar code scanner to accurately read the labels. I suppose that could be my scanner. The included software is the problem. After using it for a month, the template that I had created has suddenly stopped working. When I scan something, it won't create a new barcode. I had to create a new template. Very baffling but the only thing that I can really complain about.

UPDATE: Since using this machine to print barcoded shipping labels via Etsy and Paypal, I've had many problems with USPS reading the barcode (even though they scanned fine at home with the USPS barcode app). So one day we stood on line at the post office to have them scan packages in front of us. NONE OF THEM SCANNED! The clerk then graciously tried them on "the machine in the back" to check again. Still, no success. Since purchasing this in June, many of my customers were wondering why it seemed like I made a label and never mailed their orders because post offices along the way couldn't scan them. Nail biting on both ends ensued. (Of course, manual input of the tracking number would be the solution and due to volume and time, most post offices didn't bother but I unfairly blamed them for being too lazy to scan at all.) These labels are simply too small to be properly read on post office scanners. I nearly stopped my business over the problem because it was too nerve-wracking wondering if my items would get to their proper destination. The product is fine as a label maker in and of itself and I will still use it. (I even figured out the "uneven font" thing by adjusting the setting in the QL-700 software.) I've since moved on to the Brother QL-1050 (it prints 4x6 labels that seem huge compare to the QL-700).ORIGINAL REVIEW:I'll try this again. I wanted to use a photo of the specifics but since Amazon thinks it contained personal info (e.g. including personal addresses, etc) they wouldn't let me share it. (It was a copy of an address label to which I had changed anything identifiable but they didn't pick up on that.) Well, here is the review anyway: My review for the QL-700 should be five stars for so many reasons but I'm all about the visual and the actual printing of names, etc. on my labels is not as nice as it would be on almost any other printer. HOWEVER, other than that, it is a lifesaver. I use these for printing labels for my small business: Bar codes are pristine (I use an app to scan them before bringing to the post office so I know there won't be any problem), the print is visible and essentially clear, just not as "even" as I might like. It also took some doing to get the label size to print across all the platforms I use (Paypal, Etsy, Word, PDF Pro). Needed adjustment so that I didn't waste label stock. All this being said, I highly recommend this item, even if you're a perfectionist "all about the visual." I wish everything was as efficient as this item. My life would be infinitely easier.

The label printer works well. Unfortunately the software does not appear to recognize what size paper is installed - meaning that you create templates to print labels only to have the print dialog say the the media size is wrong. The label software bundled on the disc with the printer is way out of date. Make sure you download the latest version - it is a lot more functional that the version on the disc. (-2 stars for poorly implemented software). Also -- my own fault, but I thought I was ordering the one which was wireless - this requires a USB connection. I guess I clicked the wrong button (no deduction for my stupidity, but if you are ordering a label printer for events -- make sure to get a WIRELESS one)

I bought this for FBA label printing along with other shipping labeling. If you plan to use it for printing FBA labels, yes, it will work but it will not print "continuously" because the label sizes used by this printer does not align with how Amazon FBA labels' are lay out in the PDF. In order for labels to print nicely, you will have to go to 'Edit' -> 'Snapshot' on each label, and right click to print, one by one, for each label.Otherwise, in terms of quality and speed, this is great for the price. Just wanted to put it out there for FBA sellers as I experienced this first hand myself.

We own a Brother QL-570 and bought a second, QL-700. Both are great label printers. The software is crappy. The PTedit50 software is mickey mouse and features things like when typing text, it disappears off screen on the left. So every edit requires moving the text box back to align with the upper left corner. The built-in Ptlite10 software on the QL-700 sounds great, but can't read the extensive set of labels created under the older Ptedit50. No conversion utility is provided or seems to be available. So every layout needs to be reentered new, a huge waste of time. The lite editor is lite and takes much longer to edit layouts than ptedit50. It looked like we could use ptedit50 with the newer QL-700, but the QL-700 printer driver for Windows 7 64-bit won't install and there does not seem to be any reason why or anything to do. It just says driver installation failed. So we can't use the ptedit50 user library and software and have to use the ptlite10.So, great label printer, crappy software. It is a shame really. Contracting for decent software is not hard. Brother management and marketing have a serious issue with competence. Buyer beware!

I am not overly impressed with this label maker. The first one I received was faulty, it did not print at all, though did make noises like it was trying to. I attempted to use two different sets of tape and neither worked. So I switched it for a new one of the same thing through Amazon. This one I just received, and while it does print now, the largest size lettering (which is what I wanted to use) prints extremely poorly, with lots of uneven-ness as if it's running out of ink. Also tried two different sets of tape on this device, both did not print correctly. Images attached include prints from both tapes at pt.24 font size.At pt.20 font size the printer will print decently, still not perfect, but it's at least easily legible and doesn't look like complete garbage. So I will probably keep this one just to print what I need and never use it again. I would probably recommend spending an additional 10 bucks to get a much better label maker than this.

There are some issues with this product. First, they made the display of the type size almost unreadable. Maybe that's so you don't notice that when you change colors of tape, the unit mysteriously resets just that one setting back to 8, so that you waste a label. Odd that it's the only setting it changes, and I didn't change tape sizes. Next, when you change tape, there is a stop placed in the tape loading chamber, that makes it feel like it's inserted all the way, when it isn't, so it also invariably jams or prints the first label crooked, wasting a label. If you check it by pushing hard on the cartridge, you will discover it snaps in again a second time. Next, on some size fonts, it leaves an unprinted stripe down the middle of the tape, wasting a label. Next, I read the questions and ratings, and someone had asked if it wasted label tape like the predecessor Dymo label maker by leaving big blank areas on both sides of the printing and the answer was no, but that was not my experience. It left a full half inch regardless of printing size. Finally, the keyboard is buggy. Sometimes you will hit a letter and it won't register, even though the keys have a definite input feedback so that you know you pressed them completely, other times it enters TWO letters instead of just one. SO you waste another label. So to me it seems like these issues are all designed into the product to waste label tape.

I use this daily to label bead tubes. I find the buttons are somewhat difficult to push and often either don't push it hard enough (skipping a letter) or push a little off center and end up getting the letter next to the one I want. Maybe I've gotten spoiled by my touch screen but the buttons are tricky.One thing I don't like is I can't clear an entire line with just one touch of a button. I have to back space alllllll the way back which is a pain is I have two full rows of text to erase.

Like the labeler and the concept of a rechargeable battery. Just too bad that after less than one year, the battery went south.Not going to pay for a replacement battery that costs more than the original purchase price of the entire unit.Have a Dymo LabelPoint 100 for over 10 years and am still using it. Thought that my purchase would have been a great alternative to replacing 6 AAA batteries. I was wrong!!Update:Contacted Dymo and was impressed with their service. They're sending me a replacement battery. No questions asked!Went from 1 star to 3 stars . . . will see what happens once I get the replacement. Still, if you want a spare battery, it costs more than the whole unit from Amazon!

Needs a "clear all" option. So painful having to slowly backspace over everything between labels- pretty much a deal breaker unless you plan on printing the same label over and over or don't mind having your productivity cut in half. Why not just have a long press on backspace clear everything?Workaround: press down to go to the end of the text and hold backspace 5-10 seconds until all your text is gone ಠ_ಠ

This replaces an old Brothers label maker I have. At 30 bucks and it works with Word AND it will print anything you can think to type AND insert a picture or graphics make this product my new best friend. The small foot print means it on my desk permanently.UPDATE: 7/7/17 - This unit stopped working due to a low battery. A replacement battery sales for over $30, about the price of the unit itself. This had me questioning as to why there is a battery in the first place, the unit is ONLY PnP. This will only work with a healthy battery. This is an underhanded way of getting you to buy their proprietary battery. Buy a Brother P-Touch PC (PT-P700) instead.

This is one of the most difficult things I've ever tackled. First, it does not work with Windows 10. I spent a tremendous amount of time getting it to, but all ended in frustration. Finally got it hooked up to an Apple computer, but not without extreme hassle. Had to look up how to download of software that the thing works from. More frustration. It is working now on the Apple computer, but there were times when I felt like throwing it in the garbage. Guess it now has newer editions that work better. I will let someone else figure those out.

don't understand why they have to add ever bell and what not you will never use the soft ware drives me nuts

If you think you are going to use your labels, think again.. you need to purchase Brother label "cartridges"

This Label Printer is incredibly difficult to use. I cannot for the life of me get it to print in a format that works with Etsy. I cannot use any software on my computer to downscale the label, or move any of the length width and height adjustments to make it work. This is really only useable for very small stamps and labels. I am sure the product is great for those purposes.

Will upgrade my review if I can get the software to work? 3 1/2 hours in, installing on2 separate win 7 machines. My issue is printer port, you have to chose during installand there's no way you can make a virtual USB printing port, the machine/softwareis supposed to do that. Purchased to make barcodes and wasted too many hourschasing my tail with this printer.Basic lite version works, P-touch 5.0 upgraded software does not. Very disappointed.Going to call Brother support, because I hate to be defeated by stuff like this. Snag isthe computer recognizes this printer same as a usb thumb drive/storage device, not asa printer when you try to install it to use the enhanced software. At lease it did in my case.Next move is to return to Amazon and say good riddance.Increased my rating to 2 stars, because of Amazon's no hassle return policy. If you're lookingfor a cheap thermal printer that can do basic labels? This machine might work for you.Cartridge type labels for this printer are a heck of a lot more expensive than generic rollsthat work in Zebra printers,I purchased a Zebra LP 2824 from Amazon that's 4 times the price with less issueson installs.

The software really stinks, and the print quality is not up to the competition. I have a Dymo label printer at home. I bought this Brother for my office. I'm sorry I did. The Dymo software is SO MUCH better and easier to use. The Brother software looks like it hasn't been updated since 1998.Also, the print quality resolution is not as good as the Dymo. Buy the Dymo, even if it is a few dollars more.

The user interface is terrible for a label printer this size. I wish I'd gone with a model that has a true qwerty keyboard. Having to go three layers deep to get a backslash is painful. Seriously, the steps you have to go to get a simple dash is mind-numbing. If you are only printing one label it's not too bad but anything over that and you better have a drink and cancel all your appointments for the rest of the day.I can't recommend this if you are looking for an easy functioning qwerty keyboard label printer. If you don't care for that, just get the next model down. It's in the $10.00 range with a smaller handset, which you would expect to have to go to special function buttons to finish your label.

This label maker has some problem. After using it on both Windows and Mac it seems to have similar limitations on both.1 - The print head on the device will not always engage. After clicking "print" it is not uncommon for the mechanically lifted to remain retracted while the tape is fed and ejected, still blank. This problem can be overcome if the user opens the side panel, pushes and holds the print head to engage before clicking "print."2 - If the USB device is ejected, the computer must be re-started before the Label Maker can be 'discovered' again. This may be a driver problem but it occurs on both Win and Mac computers.3 - Dymo Label Maker software is not intuitive. Labels require multiple clicks before the text is editable. The interface seems to be the same for both Win and Mac.When it works, the labels are nice and clear. Small, black and white,-user made graphics can be added. The variety of color tapes is nice.

It's a great label maker if speed is not an issue, but the battery leaves much to be desired. I barely made it through one day and one drawer of files and the battery indicator became low and it became very temperamental with it's printing and charging? I figured since it was plug and play it got power from my computer so why did it need a battery? I don't want anything battery dependent when it comes to label printing, I want that label maker to be quicker than I can type it, and this label maker disappointed me. You have to type it, print it, cut it by pushing another button, peel the backing (paper split in the middle - two slits to peel), then stick it. I guess if you have the time all this is okay, but I do file organization and want something a bit more dependable and faster.

I ordered this label printer specifically to print UPC-A bar codes. UPC-A bar codes are standard product UPC codes that consist of 11 digits and a calculated 12th digit. However, I am only able to enter 11 digits into the label maker. I assumed it would automatically calculate the 12th check digit and print all 12 digits. But it only prints 11 digits. This is not a usable UPC code. I can't use this at all.I am assuming this is some sort of user error so I submitted a help ticket. Dymo gets back to me and says that I enter 11 digits and the 12th digit is automatically assigned upon generation of the barcode.But it doesn't print the 12th digit. I follow-up again and wait a week. No response. Then I get another form email saying they question was answered. It wasn't. I need a physical label printout showing a 12 digit UPC code.I'm still not sure if it is something I'm doing wrong. I'm giving two stars because of the lack of support, weeks of waiting for a non-response and the seemingly inability to print 12 digit UPC-A barcodes. (I would give it 1 star if this is confirmed).I'm attaching a photo to show what result I'm getting. For demo purposes, I simply used the exact bar code on the Dymo box.For general label printing, this is fine. But there are many other options if all you need is a general label printer. Not many hand-held UPC printer options.

Read Update:This label maker blows away all others in flexibility, portability, and function. The software you need to use it, is loaded from the device when you connect it to the computer. It shows up like a standard USB drive. The software it comes with can do it all, and even though I have the full version for my other Dymo printers, this is by far my fastest, most favorite Dymo .Why do I like it so much? The software will let you do multiple lines, and print so small that you need a magnifying lens to read it. You don't have to print that small, but if you print 4 lines on it, yes, it will do it, but you will need to wear strong glasses to read it. . You can paste graphics into the editor window, Printing graphics that you can find on the internet under Google images is fantastic. if I wanted a fancy arrow, I just searched for arrows, and sized it for the label. If you need a lot of labels that will run in a sequence, use Excel to generate the data, then past each cell into the label maker and print. This is a great product for what it is, it does not need to be better, it is great for what it is.Update: I now have two of these that are door stops, the reason being that they charge as much for the battery that it needs, as nearly what the printer costs to buy in the first place. So why buy the battery when you can have a new model under warranty? I'm being sarcastic here, the printers are good, the batteries are bad. I'm going to dissect mine to see if I can remove the charging circuit, and use a wall wart, or external battery to power the print head. After all, the printing head must need the extra power from the battery pack. You would think they would give you a cable to use two USB ports, or a powered usb port to get away from the battery, even better would be the use of two double AA alkaline batteries, they are cheap in comparison.. Buy a model that does not need batteru, and save yourself the aggravation of finding that this battery is unique and cost around $22.

So close but still misses a few simple things. Like if you want to put a symbol right next to text you can't, even if you go into the properties of both the image and the text and reduce its boarder to 0 there is still a minimum of 1/8" between them. Its really frustrating to not be able to lay out a design as desired. This could be fixed in software later.As other have said, it is limited to .5 inch labels which is clearly labeled but really going to 1 inch would have been really nice.Also the closest you can print to the edge of a label is 1/16" so that 1/2" label is really 3/8" of printed text. That means 1/8 of the total space is wasted on margins. I know it doesn't sound like much but it is really noticeable. This is my biggest gripe.Finally small deal, they only sell it with 10' of tape, not the full 23' in a normal cartridge. I understand it is to save money but still.All and all it is a good first go at a product like this. It is still incredibly better then the old style with its own keyboard as you can really see what you are printing. I'm not happy with it, but it was a good buy.-- Edit after a few days of working with it. If you download the full version of DYMO Label v.8 you can set the margins to negative numbers (which freaks it out a bit) and fixed Length you can get it to print right up to the printers up/lower margin limits. Also if you want to know what kind of company DYMO is, they disabled Arial Narrow! Yup, to help you waste tape they disabled narrow fonts. LabelLightV2 still has it (for now), but Label v.8 doesn't.

I can't recommend this printer, the linux/ubuntu driver support is non-existent. None of the drivers on the download page work reliably, contacting support got me form letters and there isn't even an open source driver for it. I bought a Dymo to replace it and that works fine out of the box and is half the price. DYMO LabelWriter 450 Turbo Thermal Label Printer (1752265) Disappointing, as the Bother QL700 hardware itself seems quite well made.

They don't accept returns so make sure you order the right printer. Yay.

I was never able to get this Brother QL-700 High Speed Label printer to work with Microsoft 10 driver. It would never detect the printer and I could never find the correct driver. Wish I had bought it from local store so I could have returned it. Do not buy this product. If anyone can help with this problem please let me know.

Does not work well for Ebay labels.

DO NOT BUY! The DVD which came with doesn't work and the online doesn't as well , and keeps popping the its incompatible . tried two day and total waste of time.Plus this item s NOT RETURNABLE... But thanks to Amazon Customer Service, they are ab to help and put on the gift card so can Order NOT form Brother anymore.

Never get to print one single label. Unpacked the printer, connected it to the electricity and the PC. The driver was uploaded automatically. So far, so good. As soon as I attempted to print the first label, the printer made a popping sound and turned off. It never turned on again. I qualify this as dead on arrival.

I got two of these things; one of which was a replacement. Neither worked with AC/DC adapters and would literally go through a whole set of new batteries in a matter of SECONDS. Not even one label could be printed before they would die because of dead batteries.

This product worked great for the first 20 labels then it stopped doing anything except make a mess out of the rest of the label tape. I really needed a good quality label maker and instead bought one filled with hours of frustration and blank labels. I'm not sure if I can return this but I was expecting much better quality from DYMO since I had previous label makers from them before. The screen is nice and large and the ability to cut of each label is a nice bonus if it worked correctly.I did my usual thing of taking the case and cleaning it out to see if there was an obstruction. I changed the batteries. I changed out the label cartridge. Nothing worked to get this device to print properly.

I got this a few minutes ago and excitedly tried it out. The system is fairly intuitive - insert cartridge and batteries. Type and print.The first three tries produced barely visible print. On the 4th try, the low battery light came on. Yes. 6 brand new energizer batteries didn't last 2 minutes.

I mainly bought this to label my daughter's bottle for daycare which require the current date of its contents. Therefore, handwriting all those labels everyday got to be a pain. I was so happy when I first got this and started printing out labels. I really liked the features such as being able to choose different font, text size, bold/underline, etc. You can also save commonly used labels which is a nice bonus. Unfortunately, something with the inner spool doesn't seem to catch the cartridge tape anymore and it does not print any labels. As of 10/19, I submitted the issue to the DYMO Customer Support so we'll see how it gets resolved. In the meantime I'm back to hand writing daily labels.

Haven't used it in awhile, and then when I did need it, not working with my Macbook Pro now, even though there are no app updates showing. Now computer is showing 'not connected' even when it is, and it nothing more than a paperweight. Guessing something happened when the OS upgrades took place.

I would have given this a five star rating...but after five months, the "replaceable" battery has died, and the ONLY place to get a replacement, it seems, is the DYMO website, where the battery costs more ($25 plus shipping) than an entirely new unit.I've perfectly printed out hundreds of labels with this unit, but now it's a paperweight on my desk, as "Battery level is too low to print" is the only message I get when I try to print anything.Since the unit is constantly plugged in to a computer's USB port, I can't understand why it wouldn't stay charged perpetually.Shame on DYMO for designing a proprietary battery. The battery case seems to be glued shut, so replacing the cells does not seem to be an option.