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Any postage printer recommendations?

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I sell the odd item on eBay and I've noticed I can print postage labels at home. Is this usually a good deal compared to queueing at the post office? If so, which home label printers do you use?
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Comments

  • tacpot12
    tacpot12 Posts: 9,246 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I don't use eBay to sell very much, but have just printed labels on my ordinary printer. I don't think you need a label printer, but might be wrong. 
    The comments I post are my personal opinion. While I try to check everything is correct before posting, I can and do make mistakes, so always try to check official information sources before relying on my posts.
  • Just use your normal printer. It is cheaper than over the counter prices but do take care to check where your nearest drop off shop is compared to your local PO. Petrol might be more than the saving
    Love living in a village in the country side
  • If you're at home when the postie comes, for most Royal Mail services you can have it collected and they can bring the label with them. 

    But otherwise just printing it on paper and sticking it on is absolutely fine.
  • Any printer will do.... I send parcels and letters and the option for the postie picking up from my house is always there on both. I personally laminate the labels as well..... with it being printer ink I always think if it gets slightly wet during transit it would smudge and become unreadable
  • soolin
    soolin Posts: 74,119 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I bought a ZebraGK420d many years ago when I opened my RM business account- it was on the recommendation of someone on here and it has saved me hundreds of pounds over the years. I use it for everything even though I no longer use an RM business account, I print my Vinted labels, paypal labels anything printed via RM for private sales - everything in fact.

    It's thermal so no ink required and RM supply the labels on reels and they are sticky, so no Sellotape required either.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • The best ones are thermal printer. No need to refill!!! I have a GK420d. 
  • Assuming the OP means Royal Mail, I use a Brother QL-1100 thermal printer which can take up to label size 6" x 4". You need to buy specific roll sizes for the printer and I also use a very small size roll for doing return address labels.

    When you buy postage online, RM gives you the option to print everything to an A4 printer (which typically involves u cutting out the labels and sticking them on) or printing to a 6" x 4" label. I buy all my labels for overseas stuff online now, because u can print off the CN22 customs form as well.

    If however you only sell the odd item, a larger A4 printer might be more beneficial as you could use it for other things. Thermal printers are quite limited, and quite expensive, a decent one (certainly one capable of 6" x 4" labels) may cost the equiavent of a reasonable A4 printer, and although you will have to buy ink cartridges now and then for an A4 printer, the thermal printers require specific label rolls, so you have to buy them now and then anyway ....
  • EffieTrinketsWig
    EffieTrinketsWig Posts: 90 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 10 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 16 November 2023 at 9:26PM
    I use a Beeprt thermal printer with bluetooth, currently they are about £75 if you shop around, I am very happy with it, easy to use and reliable and very easy to clean.
  • MR1988
    MR1988 Posts: 256 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    I used a paper printer before and cut around the label and stick with tape on parcels. It was taking a lot of ink every now and then or ink would dry out and was really bothering me.

    About a year ago I got a thermal printer and I can never go back from this. So easy to just print label and stick to parcel. Saves me money in the long run but most importantly saves me time.
  • I'd recommend a cheap mono laser printer, one that takes toner cartridges, not and inkjet that takes ink. ink seems to be both more expensive and harder to buy cheap in bulk because they don't do bulk
    probably not the best specifically if you only ever want to print labels, if thats the case pick one of the suggestions above. but if you occasionally also want to print things this can double up. you can pick them up on ebay for £50-100

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