5 Top Barcode Printers For Under $500
When running a small business you are always looking for opportunities to expand your capabilities without destroying your budget. Barcodes have become an integral part of how we do business and how we manage our business. From receipts, to inventory labels, to invoices, barcodes are an increasingly important tool for small business owners. While in the past barcode systems and printers were cost prohibitive for many small to medium businesses, that just isn’t the case anymore. Technological advances and innovation have made many barcode printing systems affordable for many businesses.
Whether you are a manufacturer, a doctor, or a small retailer, your business will need a barcode printer at some point. To help you in your search for the right barcode printer, we have looked around the market and found five barcode printers under $500 that are sure to help get the job done without finishing your budget.
Zebra GK420 Desktop Barcode Printer - $450
Working in the retail, healthcare, manufacturing, security, and/or travel/hospitality industries? Then the compact and reliable Zebra GK420 Desktop Barcode Printer might be perfect for you.
The Zebra GK420 barcode printer can produce labels using both thermal transfer and direct thermal print technologies. Its 4.09-inch print width and 203 dpi print resolution is great for general use like retail product marketing or healthcare specimen labeling. There are also several accessories available to help you customize it to your specific needs such as label dispensers and cutters. Find out more about this Zebra printer here.
Zebra GC420 Desktop Barcode Printer – $375
The Zebra GC420 replaces the popular yet discontinued Zebra LP2844 and Zebra TLP2844 and is ideal for government, healthcare, and manufacturing companies. From asset tracking to evidence tracking or laboratory specimen labeling, this printer can handle a variety of different kinds of barcode printing.
Zebra’s competitively priced GC420 desktop printer is perfect for low-to-medium volume direct thermal and thermal transfer printing applications. The GC420 has a small footprint, contains a powerful, 32-bit processor, and includes both EPL2 and ZPL II programming languages, making it easy to integrate with other Zebra printers.
You can check out the rest of the GC420 specs here.
Wasp WPL-305 Label Printer- $450
A device that can do the job of two printers and speed up operations not only saves company money, but also keeps it moving forward. Desktop barcode printers like the Wasp WPL305 can print both direct thermal and thermal transfer jobs. It’s ideal for light to medium duty print jobs such as shipping labels, asset tags, location labels, etc.
The Wasp WPL305 barcode printer comes with features like 8 MB operating RAM, USB and Serial, and Parallel interfaces, 2 MB of FLASH memory and sample rolls of ribbon and labels. There are some additional memory and feature upgrades that you can purchase but you’re in good hands with its initial offerings. The WPL, ZPL and EPL emulations are standard system compatibility options, and there are available add-ons for peelers and cutters. The Wasp WPL305 also comes with a two-year warranty. Find out more about the Wasp WPL305 here.
Zebra iMZ220 Portable Printer - $450
If your employees are mobile, shouldn’t their equipment be as well? When your tools move with you, you get more done. That’s why the Zebra iMZ220 is perfect for a mobile business. You can print receipts on demand and you can even sync the Zebra printer with your smartphone using Bluetooth technology so that information is transmitted wirelessly and instantly. At only ¾ lb and 3.18” width and 5.34” height, this portable printer is lightweight and unobtrusive - easy to carry and use. Zebra printers are known for their reliability and quality so if you need to work with a budget on the go, this is a perfect option. Find out more here.
Datamax E4205A Desktop Printer - $450
The easy to load, rugged Datamax E4205A is designed for a variety of industries and applications, from manufacturing to postal service. The printer is reliable and affordable with features that are normally only found on more expensive desktop printers. In addition, the Datamax is easy to use and includes a wide selection of connectivity options and language emulations.
If you need a true workhorse at a reasonable price, the Datamax is the way to go. You can learn more about the Datamax E4205A here.
| Zebra GK420 | Zebra GC420 | Wasp WPL-305 | Zebra iMZ220 | Datamax E4205A | |
| Print Width | 4" | 4.09" | 4.25" | 1.9" (48.3mm) | 4.25" |
| Print Speed | 5 IPS | 4 IPS | 5 IPS | 3.5 IPS | 6 IPS |
| Print Type | Direct Thermal AND Thermal Transfer | Direct Thermal AND Thermal Transfer | Direct Thermal AND Thermal Transfer | Direct Thermal | Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer |
| DPI | 203 | 203 | 203 | 203 | 203 |
| Interfaces | USB, Ethernet, Parallel, Serial | USB, Serial, Parallel | USB, Serial, Parallel | USB, Radio, Bluetooth | Serial, USB 2.0, Parallel, 10/100 BaseT Ethernet, |
| Warranty | 1 Year | 1 Year | 2 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year |
| Memory | 4 MB Flash, 8 MB SDRAM | 8MB Flash, 8MB SDRAM | 2MB Flash, 8 MB RAM | 512kb Flash, 128kb Ram | 64MB Flash, 32MB DRAM |
| Options | Label Dispenser, Cutter, Font Packs | Labels, Printheads | Cutter, Peeler | Peeler | Thermal Transfer, 300dpi, Wireless LAN, Dispense, Cutter |
| Use | Desktop | Desktop | Desktop | Mobile | Desktop |
| Price | $450.00 | $375.00 | $450.00 | $209.00 | $450.00 |
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