Davis Brown
Zebra printers are ideal for printing custom labels, tags, and cards in manufacturing, transportation & logistics, healthcare, retail, inventory, and government services. Whether you are adopting barcode technology for the first time or upgrading existing printer models, these label makers have a streamlined design and smaller size that takes up less physical space, easy setup, intuitive user operation, and less downtime & maintenance expenditure.
Best Zebra Printers for Custom Labels, Tags & Cards:
Various Zebra printer models are suitable for industries, compatible with mobiles and desktop or product-specific such as card printers. We have selected the best printers based on public feedback and categorized them under each section of utility to erase confusion. The categories are as follows:
- Industrial Printer – Zebra printers that are suitable for industrial applications and harsh environments.
- Desktop printers – Printers that you can directly operate from your PCs
- Mobile printers – Printers that can be run on Mobiles and Tablets
- Card Printers – Printing on PVC and PVC composite cards
Industrial Printer (1-3)
The following list of Zebra printers is suitable for manufacturing/industrial units for custom labeling and tags.
1. Zebra ZT230:
Price: $1105
Zebra ZT230 is an industrial thermal label printer that uses wax/resin ribbon instead of ink or toner for optimal performance and minimal maintenance and costs. With a 450m ribbon capacity, it needs fewer ribbon changes with increased uptime. It is an industrial-grade custom label printer ideal for barcode-labeling applications in manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, and retail. A metal case construction is designed to sustain industrial and commercial environments and long-lasting use.
Media Compatibility:
Zebra ZT230 is compatible with continuous, die-cut, notch, and black-mark. Media thickness should be within a range of 0.076mm/0.003″ to 0.25mm/0.010″. And its width is between 19.4 mm/0.75″ to 114 mm/4.50″.
Print Speed:
It can print barcode labels at a speed of 152 mm/6″ per second with 203 dpi/300 dpi print resolution(speed may vary). You get crisp, clean text and barcodes even on narrow media. Further, it is ideally suited for industries that require more frequent label changes.
Print Width:
Zebra ZT230 can print a custom label of width within a range of 40mm/1.57″ to 110mm/4.33″. Further, the label should have a minimum thickness of 0.75″/19.4 mm.
Dimensions:
The overall dimensions of is 242 mm/9.5″ (Width) x 277 mm/10.9″ (Height) x 432mm/17″ (Depth) and weighs 9.1kg/20lb. It has a compact footprint and streamlined design that fits easily in confined areas where space is limited.
Warranty:
The Zebra ZT230 comes with 24 Months warranty on the printer. Twelve months warranty on platen rollers, belts, rollers. And six months on the printhead.
2. Zebra zt610:
Price: $3726
Zebra zt610 is an industrial thermal label printer built to withstand industrial conditions, thus eliminating operational downtime due to printer failure. It is ideal for shipping labels, barcode labels, package labels, id label/serial number labels, inventory tags, laboratory labels, pharmacy labels, and more. It comes with a 4.3 inches full-color LCD that allows you to navigate printer settings quickly. Moreover, it comes installed with 1GB RAM and 2GB flash memory to store your personalized labels for future use.
Media Compatibility:
Suitable for the continuous, die-cut, notch, and black-mark labels. The media width can vary between 0.79″/20mm to 4.5″/114mm. While, its thickness should be 0.0023″/0.058mm to 0.010″/0.25mm.
Print Speed:
The zt610 has a maximum printing speed of 14 ips/356 mm per second with 203 dpi image resolution. The speed may vary with an increase in print resolution.
Print Width:
Zebra zt610 can print labels at a maximum width of 4.09″/104mm at a resolution of 203 dpi. Further, it prints labels of 300 dpi @ 12 dots per mm and 600 dpi @ 24 dots per mm.
Dimensions:
The overall dimensions of Zebra zt610 is 19.88″/505mm (Length) x 10.56″/268.2mm (Width) x 15.58″/395.68mm (Height) and weighs 50lb/22.7 kg.
Warranty:
The Zebra zt610 comes with 24 Months warranty on the printer. Twelve months warranty on platen rollers, belts, rollers. And six months on the printhead.
3. Zebra zt510:
Price: $3,732.00
Zebra zt510 is a thermal transfer custom label printer ideal for commercial or industrial purposes. It is ideal for shipping labels, cross-docking, package labels, product ID labels, work-in-progress, compliance labels, etc. The significant difference between Zebra zt510 and Zebra zt610 is: Zebra zt510 is suitable for manufacturing, transportation & logistics labeling only, whereas Zebra zt610 is suitable for manufacturing, transportation & logistics, retail, and healthcare.
Media Compatibility:
Suitable for the continuous, die-cut, notch, and black-mark labels. The media width can vary between 0.79″/20mm to 4.5″/114mm. While, its thickness should be 0.003″/0.076mm to 0.012″/0.305mm.
Print Speed:
Zebra zt510 has a maximum label printing speed of 12 ips/305 mm per second. That is to say, 203 dpi @ eight dots per mm and 300 dpi @ 12 dots per mm. However, the print speed may vary with print resolution.
Print Width:
It can print custom labels of maximum width 4.09″/104mm. Further, it prints labels of resolution 203 dpi and 300 dpi.
Dimensions:
The overall dimensions of Zebra zt510 is 20.17″/512.3mm (Length) x 10.56″/268.2 mm (Width) x 15.58″/395.68 mm (Height) and weighs 50 lbs/22.7 kg.
Warranty:
The Zebra zt510 comes with 24 Months warranty on the printer. Twelve months warranty on platen rollers, belts, rollers. And six months on the printhead.
Desktop printers (4 & 5)
The following list of label makers is operated from desktops/PCs and compatible with your operating systems like Windows, Mac, Linux.
4. Zebra zd420:
Price: Starting from $389.00
is a thermal transfer and direct thermal label printer(depending upon variant), which is easy-to-use and straightforward to manage desktop custom label maker at an affordable total cost of ownership. You can easily connect it to your existing wired or wireless networks or directly to your PC. It is ideal for product labels, apparel labels, inventory labels, shipping labels, package slips, id labels, patient record labels, record labels, ticketing, and more. Overall, the desktop label printer is suitable for manufacturing, transportation & logistics, healthcare, retail, government, and service sectors.
Media Compatibility:
It comes installed with full width, movable reflective/black mark sensors, multi-position transmissive/gap sensors that maintain gaps, relies on a black mark on the back of the label to tell the printer when to/when not to print.
Moreover, it is suitable for maximum media width of 0.585 in./15mm to 4.65 in./118 mm, length of 39.0 in./ 991 mm, and thickness of 0.003 in./0.08 mm to 0.0075 in./0.1905 mm.
Print Speed:
ZD420 prints at a maximum speed of 6 in./152 mm per second for 203 dpi and four in./102 mm per second for 300 dpi print resolution.
Print Width:
You can print custom labels at a maximum width of 4.09 in/104 mm for 203 dpi and 4.27 in./108 for 300 dpi print resolution.
Dimensions:
The overall dimensions of the ZD420 thermal printer are 10.5 in. x 8.0 in. x 7.5 in, and its weight is 2.4 kg. Therefore, you can easily place it on your desktop table.
Warranty:
The Zebra ZD420 comes with 24 Months warranty on the printer and six months warranty on the printhead.
5. Zebra zd620:
The zebra zd620 is easy to set up and configure with the 10-button user interface and color LCD. You can connect it to your existing wired or wireless networks or directly to any PC. It produces high image quality that enables printing small 2D labels or labels that require graphics such as a logo or icon. Moreover, it is compatible with printing specimen labels, patient ID wristbands, asset labels, patient record labels, and more.
Media Compatibility:
ZD620 is compatible with roll-fed or fanfold paper, die-cut or continuous roll with a black mark, tag stock, continuous receipt paper, wristbands, and linerless media. It allows a media width of 15 mm to a maximum of 118 mm and thickness of 0.003 in (min.) to 0.0075 (max.). Moreover, the permissible roller diameter should be 127mm(Outer) and 12.7mm(Core).
Print Speed:
It achieves a maximum print speed of 203 mm per second(203 dpi) and 152mm per second(300 dpi).
Print Width:
You can print labels of 203 mm width in 203 dpi and 108 mm in 300 dpi.
Dimensions:
The overall dimension of Zebra zd620 is 267mm(L) x 202mm(W) x 192mm(H) and weighs 2.4 kg.
Warranty:
The Zebra zd620 comes with 24 Months warranty on the printer and six months warranty on the printhead.
Mobile printers (6 & 7)
The Zebra printers can be operated from your mobile devices and are compatible with operating systems like Apple iOS, Android, Windows Mobile & BlackBerry.
6. Zebra zq521:
Zebra zq521 is a direct thermal mobile label printer for printing barcodes, text, and graphics. It is an upgraded version of Zebra zq520. The Zebra mobile printer is easy to set up, simple to manage, and compatible with Apple iOS, Android, Windows mobile, and BlackBerry connectivity. It runs with Link- Operating System. It is powered by a 3250 mAh removable, rechargeable Li-Ion battery.
Further, it is ideal for applications in barcode labels, shipping labels, packaging labels, asset tags, FedEx labels, return labels, ticketing, and more. It also prints UHF RFID tags for tracking needs. Overall, it is suitable for applications in the areas like manufacturing, retail, transportation & logistics. Furthermore, it comes installed with 4GB RAM and 4GB flash memory to store your personalized labels for future use.
Media Compatibility:
Zq520 is compatible with media types such as receipts, gap/black mark labels, and tags. It is suitable for maximum media width of 113mm + 1mm and a proper thickness of 0.0063 inches for labels and 0.0055 inches for tags.
Print Speed:
Zq520 has a maximum print speed of 127mm per second in 203 dpi(8 dots per mm) and more than 5-inches per minute for text-only printing. Moreover, it uses Power Smart Print Technology to anticipate what the user will print, thus saving battery yet delivering fast, high-quality labels and receipts.
Print Width:
It can print labels and tags at a maximum width of 5 in./104 mm in 203 dpi image resolution. It is optimized for on-demand receipt printing.
Dimensions:
The overall dimension of the zebra mobile printer is 158mm(Length) x 155mm(Width) x 67mm(Height) and weighs 1.73lbs/0.79kg. Small size and light weight make it a portable device.
Warranty:
The Zebra zq521 comes with 24 Months warranty on the printer and six months warranty on the printhead.
7. Zebra zq620:
Zebra zq620 is a mobile label and receipt printer for inventory management, retail, manufacturing, transportation, and logistics. The Zebra mobile printer is easy to set up, simple to manage, and compatible with Apple iOS, Android, and Windows mobile connectivity. It runs with Link- Operating System. It is powered by a 3250 mAh removable, rechargeable Li-Ion battery. Further, it is ideal for applications in barcode labels, shipping labels, packaging labels, replacement tags, staging labels, self-edge labels, mark-down labels, mobile point of sale receipts, asset tags, return labels, packing labels, and more. Furthermore, it comes installed with 512MB flash storage for receipt formats, fonts, and graphics. User available storage is 128MB.
Media Compatibility:
Zq620 is compatible with media types such as die-cut labels, linerless labels, receipt paper, RFID, black bar, gap/black mark labels, and tags. It is suitable for a media width of 25mm to a maximum of 79 mm and a proper thickness of 6.5 mm for labels and 2.3 to 5.5 mm for tags.
Print Speed:
Zq620 has a maximum print speed of 115mm per second in 203 dpi(8 dots per mm). It uses Power Smart Print Technology that maximizes efficiency by delivering the exact amount of power required for the highest amount of printing quality at optimum speed.
Print Width:
It can print labels and tags at a maximum width of 2.8 in./72 mm in 203 dpi image resolution.
Dimensions:
The overall dimension of the zebra mobile printer is 173mm(Length) x 117mm(Width) x 84mm(Height) and weighs 1.6lbs/0.73kg.
Card Printers (8 -10)
The following list of zebra printers can print on PVC cards and labels. It is small in size, lightweight and portable.
8. Zebra ZC300:
Zebra ZC300 is a dual-sided custom card printer that uses the dye-sublimation thermal transfer direct-to-card print method. Id card printer, employee badges, employee badges, membership cards, event passes, food safety labeling, and more. Furthermore, it comes installed with 2GB flash memory to store your personalized cards for future use.
Media Compatibility:
Suitable for PVC and PVC composite card material of thickness 10 to 40 mm. Further, you can apply spot color or monochrome printing on cards >20mm thick, CR79 cards, and transparent cards.
Print Speed:
Zebra ZC300 can print 900 cards/hour with single-sided monochrome. At the same time, it prints 450 cards/hour with double-sided monochrome. Yet, the speed decreases further if using YMCKO & YMCKOK ribbons. Further, the print resolution is 300dpi(11.8 dots/mm).
Print Width:
ZC300 can print a maximum image size of 1006 x 640 pixels.
Dimensions:
The overall dimension of the zebra card printer is 258mm(H) x 157mm(W) x383mm(D) and weighs 9.7 lbs(4.4kg)
Others:
- Warranty: Two-year unlimited warranty on printer and printhead
9. Zebra ZXP series 7:
Price: $3995
ZXP Series 7 printer is a single/dual-sided card printer that uses color dye sublimation or monochrome thermal transfer printing for simultaneous printing, encoding, and laminating capability. Zebra’s CardStudio makes designing and printing professional-looking cards easy whether you are a small business or a large enterprise.
Media Compatibility:
Zebra supplies its true color ribbons and laminate series. The ribbon types include blue, black, red, gold, silver, YMCKO, YMCUvK, YMCKOK, and linerless waste-free 1.0 mil top and bottom laminate. The laminate types include clear, magnetic stripe, smart card, and holographic
wallpaper designs.
Print Speed:
It can print 1375 cards/hour monochrome single-sided or 555 cards/hour dual-sided printing. Printing throughput (cards per hour) based ribbon type, single or dual-sided printing. Moreover, the time may vary depending on the computer configuration.
Print Resolution:
The print resolution is 300 dpi/11.8 dots per mm.
Dimensions:
The Zebra ZXP Series 7 card printer’s overall dimension is 277mm x 699mm x 306mm and weighs 26.9lbs.
Others:
- Warranty: Two-year unlimited warranty on printer and printhead
10. Zebra ZC100:
Zebra ZC100 is a single-sided card printer suitable for retail and identification sectors. You can print membership cards, event passes, guest & passenger cards, employee badges, visitor badges, food safety labeling, and more.
Media Compatibility:
The Zebra ZC100 works with only Zebra genuine ribbons, including the corresponding cartridge. There are nine types of Zebra ribbons: black, white, red, blue, silver monochrome, YMCKO, and ½ YMCKO ribbons.
Print Speed:
The zebra printer can print 700 cards per hour (single-sided) with a monochrome ribbon and 300 cards per hour(single-sided) with a YMCKO ribbon.
Print Resolution:
It prints a maximum image size of 1006 x 604 pixels of resolution 300dpi(11 dots/mm).
Dimensions:
The overall dimension of the zebra card printer is 258mm(H) x 157mm(W) x 383mm(D) and weighs 8.6 lbs.
Others:
- Warranty: Two-year unlimited warranty on printer and printhead
Conclusion:
Zebra printers have been a popular choice for labeling, barcode, tags & card printing used in shipping, ID labels, warehousing, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and more. We have made a curated list of custom printers divided into different sections under a specific application area.
Finally, the list of Zebra printers serves your purpose. Please comment on your opinion and experience with Zebra printers.
