he first Bluetooth laminated label printer was launched about six years ago. Two years later, another model was released, one that could accommodate bigger consumables. Today, the ability to print labels from your PC or smart device using Bluetooth is becoming the norm. Russel Stoffels, Business Development Manager for Brother and Office Products at Kemtek Imaging Systems, describes it as a drive towards smart device label printing.The first iteration of the Bluetooth laminated label printer was mostly directed for home use. Acceptance took a while until people became more accustomed to Bluetooth connectivity. Initially, it could print three label sizes, while current generations provide many more options – and open up a wider range of consumables to use in the devices, including the ability to print labels in different colours and textures.” These thermal printers print onto continuous labels such as laminated vinyl, satin ribbon or iron-on fabric tapes used to label garments. The vinyl label variations allow for conditions such as subzero temperatures, chemical resistance and severe engineering environments where durability is a necessity.

The user downloads an app to their phone, tablet or PC and they can design and edit labels at their leisure, printing them out when they’re within range of their printer.”

The majority of existing label printing solutions are either standalone, where everything is built into the device by simply typing onto its keyboard to produce a label, or the label printer connects to a PC using a USB cable, and the user accesses software to design and produce the label. With Bluetooth connectivity, any user that has the app on their smartphone or tablet can produce their own labels.

However, over the past few years, there’s been an increasing drive towards mobile printing and the use of apps to produce labels on smart devices. “People are accustomed to doing everything using apps on their smartphones. The app user can design their own label or they can use built-in templates.

“The new series of laminated label printing solutions offer Bluetooth connectivity in addition to the capability to operate as a standalone device or connect to a PC via a USB cable. The main benefit of adding Bluetooth to the connectivity mix is that multiple users can access the laminated label printer as they are able to create the labels on their smart devices, only requiring the printer to print the laminated label. It also empowers off-site users to produce their own labels directly from their smart device rather than waiting on office assistance. And while people may not always have a label printer with them, they generally have their smartphones or tablets on hand.”