Label maker

Gryphon2

Member
Joined
12 Oct 2009
Messages
212
Visit site
I want to replace some manky labels inside and out to mark halyards , switches etc. Any suggestions on what to use that is neat, simple , weather proof and cheap?
 

justanothersailboat

Active member
Joined
2 Aug 2021
Messages
304
Visit site
That's a tall order!

I have a Brother E300 and it's very capable and... I can't fully recommend it. It has a big rechargeable battery but quietly drains it in storage unless you remember to take it out. It can print on heatshrink tube, which is fantastic for electricals... but not big enough tube for main battery cables and the official cartridges are madly expensive. However, you can get cheap imitations from AliExpress. They also sell a cheap tape that prints gold-coloured foil on ribbon, which my daughters loved and which is surprisingly good for labelling spare lines in lockers 😍 The basic sticky label stuff is fine, but between the heatshrink and the ribbon I use that less. But unless I remember to take the blasted thing home to charge, I may as well not own it :-(
 

gregcope

Well-known member
Joined
21 Aug 2004
Messages
1,606
Visit site
I have a brother p-touch h101. Works well with tze tape (the strong stuff).

If i was to really get into it I would look for a brother model that had an iphone app or similar to be able to make double line or other more complex labels quickly. The reason for brother would be tze as i have found that really good quality.
 

DinghyMan

Well-known member
Joined
24 Jan 2006
Messages
1,724
Location
West Yorkshire
www.ff-systems.co.uk
We have a Brother P-touch P700, 6mm to 24mm labels, and a PT-H something handheld printer, 6mm to 12mm labels, both get used a lot

Laminated labels last very well even when used on my dive cylinders

The bigger Brother models seem to change price almost daily but do a massive range of label options
 

Tintin

Well-known member
Joined
21 Mar 2009
Messages
4,754
Location
Kernow
Visit site
I gave up with my Brother as the labels didn't seem to last beyond one season on things like clutches, they faded, and have gone full retro with a dymo.
 

jbweston

Active member
Joined
25 Jun 2005
Messages
752
Location
Me: Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Boat: Falmouth
Visit site
I've had good success with waterproof laser labels, printed black on white or white on black to suit the colour of the object they're being stuck to. You just need to cut them down to size after printing.

They lasted several seasons on the levers of clutches exposed to the elements, and for years stuck to the face of my engine instrument panel in the cockpit, although that was under cover when I wasn't using the boat.

For a really posh job I've used engraved plastic labels from Signs and Labels Direct, who do a quick and efficient service.
 

Snowgoose-1

Well-known member
Joined
2 Jun 2015
Messages
803
Visit site
I have a Brother which works fine.
My problem is longjevity. I wonder if there is an exterior tape that can deal with the elements and has hardy stickiness.
 

Refueler

Well-known member
Joined
13 Sep 2008
Messages
18,391
Location
Far away from hooray henrys
Visit site
I have a Dymo .... labelled the clutches on cabin top ... within a month - half were missing - other half hard to read after sun had been at them.

Used it on my switch panel ... couple of months before they started falling off .. and anyway - spacing and letter size too big ... so in the end I ordered a panel set of eBay .. labels just about for every item you can think of !! and sized for typical boat panel.
 

merjan

Member
Joined
21 Jun 2022
Messages
61
Visit site
I very happy with my Brother pt-e300 . They aren't cheap new, but second-hand bargains can be found. I got mine off eBay.

It might be a good idea to download the manuals for the printers in your shortlist to see what they can do and cannot.
 

RunAgroundHard

Well-known member
Joined
20 Aug 2022
Messages
1,546
Visit site

Refueler

Well-known member
Joined
13 Sep 2008
Messages
18,391
Location
Far away from hooray henrys
Visit site
Whatever label printer you decide buy the UV / outdoor label strip if using the labels outdoor.

I bought this model https://www.dymo.nl/labelmakers-pri...adbare-draagbare-labelmaker/SAP_S0968920.html

… and use these labels.

Part Number: 1978367
Dymo D1 DURABLE 1978367 Black on Orange - 12mm


Blurb on UV / outdoor labels if interested:-

https://www.dymo.co.uk/labels-tapes...rable-industrial-tape-labels/SAP_1978364.html

Interesting ... never thought to look for 'outdoor' grade !

Arrrr ... just looked at the link - its Thermal Print ... not the embossed style plastic strip as I have ...
 

PetiteFleur

Well-known member
Joined
29 Feb 2008
Messages
5,019
Location
Suffolk
Visit site
I've also got a Brother printer - initially bought for garden label marking but I found it was excellent on the boat and as mentioned use the tze tape which is UV resistant, mine have lasted about 15 yrs and show no sign of degradation.
 
Top