Slashdot Mirror
Linux-Friendly Label Printer Recomendations?
pdkl95 writes "I have been using some small, simple desktop label printers for quite a while now. Unfortunately, it's rapidly becoming clear that my printing needs are for something far more 'industrial strength.' Several of the label printers have failed, and they never really had the management features I wanted. So, does anybody have recommendations on label printers, that can hold up to a quite heavy load? The catch is that I'm printing to them from CUPS under Linux, and it seems like specialty-printers are a windows-centric field."
We tried this at the office for a while.
To print one label at a time is wasteful; to get users to specify how many labels are already used off the sheet is too hard (and slow), and the printers are slow and prone to jam when you re-feed the label sheets.
This solution lasted about 4 weeks for us, then we were told to spend the $200 or so and get a real printer (Zebra, I believe LP2844).
It's not the SIZE that's the problem, it's that users are idiots and really need most of the work already done for them.
Q: Can anyone recommend a Linux-friendly label printer?
Typical Slashdot answer: You can get a label printer from X company. If you install the software and loop the output back into a terminal you can hack the control codes and design your own printer driver.
Buzzword answer: Using a cloud service, you could upload your printing needs via a lightweight AJAX interface and have the results mailed to you.
Sane answer: Get a cheap Windows PC and choose from the many supported label printers.
Of course, the sane answer gets modded to -1 Troll.
Go to the nearest electronics store and buy 20 random pieces of hardware. Plug them into 4 computers, running any modern Linux distro, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Tell me how many of them work without installing additional software on each OS.
It is in most corporate environments. I can bring any hardware I want to work (I love my ergonomic keyboard), as long as it works in Windows XP out of the box. No driver downloads/installs allowed.
And don't forget the very large number of home users who are baffled by instructions like "click on the link" or "insert the disc". Installing a driver is, quite often, "a problem".
Or maybe they're actually doing work and don't want to sit there counting labels, going back to their desk and changing the print settings, and then dashing back and coaxing a fragile sheet of labels through a machine that will eat it 30% of the time, instead of just clicking the little printer button and peeling off a label.
Why, there are many printers that Linux supports. The problem is that the manufacturer doesn't directly support them so it's currently difficult figuring out which one were. That's were asking a community of people who uses *nix comes in handy. And yes, there is a difference between Linux supporting something and the manufacturer supporting it. Often that difference is only in where to look for drivers and capabilities and who to ask for help. It's not difficult, especially if you take your time and look around.
If you would just look around, you would see that almost every Zebra printer is supported, Brothers generally are too. The only reason he would need to purchase a windows PC is if he was intellectually lazy and didn't look. Obviously that isn't the case seeing how he was checking with the rest of us.
Is there really any need for that sort of Microsoft bashing?
Yes. Bringing some balance to a multi billion dollar marketing machine.
If a product is fit for sale it should be usable on an OS that a lot of people use exclusively.
Hence the lack of Linux support.