Anyone Here Use a Label Maker - How Durable Are The Labels?

omghi2u on 16/03/2025 - 08:04
Last edited 16/03/2025 - 11:45 by 1 other user

We keep leaving our stuff everywhere. Our community is pretty good about getting things back to their owners, if they know who they are. Sometimes we loan things to people and they forget to return it, and more often than I'd like they forget who loaned it to them in the first place!

So I'd like to start labelling things.

I'm contemplating getting a label maker. I've never owned one. I'm picturing the one that stamps the letters into a sticky plastic strip, like on that Simpsons Timmy O'Toole episode….have they evolved much from this?

Anyway. How durable are the stickers themselves? Like if I stick one on a school lunch box or a snorkel, will it stay on there for a long time? Or come off after a couple of contacts with water?

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  vince088 on 16/03/2025 - 08:16

  adhesive and water prob not a good mix.

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  RogerLoger on 16/03/2025 - 08:46

  +1

  Ask Dymo. They have labels made from different materials, including some with different grades of resistance - sweep resistant (whatever that is) and tear resistant. Presumably, plastic and paper with different grades of glue and ink. They may even recommend the old style embossing labeller, which they still make.

  Personally, labels from Ali cover my needs, but my labelling is for things in an easier environment. Ali labels come in at least plastic and paper, both of which I use.

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    Some Human on 16/03/2025 - 11:58

    +1

    Dymo have been 🐔 blocking their machines with microchips so you have to buy their expensive labels.

    • 

      RogerLoger on 16/03/2025 - 14:00

      The b's!

      Thanks for the advice. Mine is relatively old and is tested with Ali tape, but it is handy to know if we break it.

    • 

      BewareOfThe Dog on 16/03/2025 - 18:45

      I've not has an issue yet.

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  sumyungguy on 16/03/2025 - 09:30

  +2

  Brother TZe tapes are resistant to water, chemicals, abrasion and temperature extremes. You can even put them in your dishwasher.

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  soan papdi on 16/03/2025 - 10:17

  +1

  Like if I stick one on a school lunch box or a snorkel

  Can’t help for random one-off labels but if you’re after just name labels, wait for the regular HippoBlue offers and order in bulk. They last a long time and don’t get damaged in the dishwasher either.

  • 

    omghi2u on 17/03/2025 - 07:16

    hadn't thought of this..thanks!

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  wizzy on 16/03/2025 - 11:15

  +1

  I have a Dymo label maker. I don't label things that go in the dishwasher, so can't comment about that, but the plastic labels stay on well and don't fade. The paper labels stay on, but fade after a while.

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  GordonD on 16/03/2025 - 14:08

  +1

  I've had a couple of Brother P-Touch labelers. A 1230PC and P700. I was happy enough with the first one that when it seemed to have given up the ghost, I bought a new one. Unfortunately the replacement never worked, and Brother "support" completely failed to resolve the problem. So now I have two Brother labelers that don't work.

  Or should I say they work perfectly. But only on Windows 7. Despite them both claiming on the box and on Brother's web site that they work on all versions of Windows, up to the latest, they haven't worked on any PC I've tried them on that had any newer version of Windows than Windows 7. Windows 10 and 11 just generate a "communications error" when I try to print. Or try to upgrade them to the newer firmware that might work.

  So if you buy a Brother P-Touch labeler - there's a newer gee-whiz all singing and dancing model out now - I hope you have better luck with the product and Brother support than I've had.

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  morse on 16/03/2025 - 14:17

  +1

  I have a dymo it’s it’s great. Tape stays on in dishwasher but letters fade over time. I’ve had it for many years and managed to pick up some bulk discount tape so haven’t had to buy new tape for ages.