Last week’s review was the first scanner review (Brother ADS-1100W) we’ve done on this blog. This week will be another first as we’re going to review the Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer. Label printers are different from your usual laser or inkjet printers. They’re designed with different user requirements in mind.
For instance, label printers need to produce text that is not only legible at smaller font sizes but also resistant enough to survive wear and tear that goods in transit have to go through. The Brother QL-700 is a professional label printer, which means that it needs to further be able to handle bulk printing at affordable costs. Can it meet these diverse requirements and be suitable for your needs? Our review answers.
Strengths of Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer Review
The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) has put a price of $149 on the Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer. This, however, is the list price and not the market price. While some sellers may try to get the list price out of you for the Brother QL-700, you should hold out and shop around a bit.
With the right discounts and offers, you can probably get this device for a much lower price. In fact, at Inkjet Wholesale, we’re offering the Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer for only $90.33.
This is a very competitive price which is why we think the acquisition cost of this device needs to be seen as a plus especially if you consider the type of features this machine carries.
The foremost of these features is its printing speed. This professional label printer can print about 93 standard address labels every 60 seconds. That’s more than 1 label per second and amounts to a total of approximately 150mm of printed paper. Its print speed is impressive as it is but it becomes unbelievable when you put it against its competitors. This device prints twice as fast as the average print speed in the industry. We find these numbers quite staggering.
We all know why you may need high print speed. That’s right – bulk printing. The device comes with a starter roll containing 100 labels as well as starter continuous tape. When you buy replacement rolls, you can expect them to have around 400 labels. Wouldn’t you think that 400 address labels would be sufficient for whatever kind of bulk label printing you have planned?
The maximum width of labels you can use on the Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer is 62mm but there are a number of varieties available below that maximum. You’ll not only get multiple sizes but also types of rolls, which makes this device very versatile and flexible to all your needs. Moreover, since the Brother QL-700 supports continuous rolls, you’ll always have the option of printing banners or signs spanning +900mm.
Another great quality of this label printer is that it allows you to print your own stamps. This can be a major saving technique if your business sends out packages in bulk on a regular basis.
One of the complaints many people have with label printers has to do with changing rolls. What happens is that because it is such a precise manoeuvre, they end up with misaligned rolls that result in precious labels and time being wasted. This is not a problem you’ll face with the Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer. The rolls for this device come with built-in spools. Moreover, this device even boasts of automatic label detection technology. This makes them easy to replace and takes away the constant irritant of misaligned rolls and wasted labels.
Running cost is also something you’ll need to consider if you plan on printing a lot of labels. Even though they seem small and insignificant, when you print a lot of them, the costs can quickly rise up and inundate you. Luckily, the Brother QL-700 is a thermal label printer. This means that it doesn’t use ink and instead burns the writing onto the paper. Since there are no ink costs, you save tonnes there.
You’ll still have to replace the rolls regularly, though, and they have their own cost. If you insist on using OEM rolls, then you can expect your costs to be fairly high. The wiser thing to do would be to look at generic or compatible rolls. These tend to be more affordable in the short, medium, and long term. At Inkjet Wholesale, we have quite an array of generic and genuine rolls for this device. You can find them here.
The device also boasts of an integrated automatic cutter that removes the risk of uneven label cuts. If your labels are not clean and uniform in dimension, you run the risk of looking like an amateur company. The integrated automatic cutter takes the entire exercise out of your hands. You won’t have to do anything except set the dimensions you need.
Weaknesses of Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer Review
The Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer is surprisingly difficult to set up. You would think that the kind of experience that Brother has with printers, it would be able to design a simple setting process for its devices but that is not the case here.
If you’re not a regular user of label printers, then you’re going to have trouble with this device. The documentation isn’t sufficiently clear and the process itself is convoluted.
What’s worse is that the software provided with the device isn’t the latest.
If you’re running Windows 10, then you’ll have to update it. Even when it comes to using the software, you’ll run into obstacles if you’re not a regular user. Online guides, however, can take away most of the pain. It’s just that you’ll have to put in the effort to access them.
Another limitation of the Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer is that you cannot connect to it wirelessly. This device only comes with the USB 2.0 connectivity option. Moreover, the device only comes with a USB 2.0 cable. Therefore, if you have a new computer with USB 3.0, then you’ll have to get a USB 3.0 cable to connect this device. You can, of course, choose the higher model Brother QL-810 Professional Label Printer over this one since that one has wireless connectivity.
The device is capable of printing at a maximum resolution of 300 x 600 dots per inch (dpi). This isn’t bad but it isn’t something to write home about either. In practice, if you use smaller fonts, you may note pixilation but all in all, the device does a good enough job with the most usual labels printing.
Key Features of Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer Review
The Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer isn’t really a compact printer but it isn’t that large a device either. It measures approximately 153mm in height, 221mm in depth, and 128mm in width. Without the DK roll installed, it weighs around 1.1 Kg which is fairly standard for this product class.
Inside the inbuilt software, you’ll come across a “Label Collection”. This collection contains pre-designed labels that can make your life easier if you don’t already have label designs ready to print. On top of the device, you’ll find a series of LED indicator lights denoting its status. As expected, the lights are orange, red, and green.
The Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer is compatible with the most commonly used computer software and apps including Microsoft’s Excel, Outlook, and Word. The functionality of the device is such that you can use fonts in those apps or transfer them to the printer, itself.
Along with the device, you’ll get a series of software programmes including the P-touch address book, the Office Add-in, and the P-touch Editor. Each of them is useful but the P-touch Editor is, by far, the most versatile and helpful. The Brother QL-700 Professional Label Printer comes with a 3 Years Return To Base warranty.