Overview
Save time and money by printing your own labels! The Zebra TLP 2844 food label printer is for printing quick, short and economical runs of labels up to four inches wide. Labels can include logos, basic graphics, text, bar codes and nutrition panels. Meant for all kinds of food products, the labels stand up to heat, moisture and cold.
This thermal transfer label printer is ideal for all applications requiring a space-saving, desktop-size, 4.09" (104 mm) printer. This user-friendly printer delivers optimal performance in today's on-demand desktop labeling applications. The TLP 2844 has a sturdy construction with a double-walled ABS casing.
Many applications: In addition to food label printing, the TLP 2844 integrates easily into a variety of printing applications, including shipping and receiving, warehouse shelf labeling and inventory control, and e-commerce postage. Serial, parallel, and USB interfaces, and an optional internal Ethernet (ZebraNet PrintServer II), make this flexible, reliable and affordable printer a smart investment.
Connecting via USB, it works with Windows 95 to Vista and Windows 7. Use the included label design software or Photoshop®, Illustrator® or similar.
Printing your own labels with the Zebra TLP 2844 rather than using a printing service, there are:
- No lead times
- No minimum order requirements
- No obsolete label inventory
- No plate and die charges
Wide Variety of Label Sizes and Materials
More than one hundred standard label types are available in rectangular and circular shapes. Lengths on continuous labels can be up to 11" with the standard memory or 22" with the optional expanded memory.
Water-, heat- and cold-resistant labels! Zebras print on various materials, including high gloss and simi-gloss paper, polyester and polypropylene plastics. The plastic materials are especially resistant to scratches, moisture, heat and cold.
Click here for the full Zebra Desktop Food Label Catalog and Product Guide
Included with the Zebra TLP 2844
- Starter ribbon
- Zebra Designer label design software (delivered by download)
- USB Cable
General Thermal Label Printer Information
This is a thermal transfer printer. Instead of ink, it uses heat to print either by transfer or direct methods. The advantages of thermal transfer over inkjet technology is that the labels are more water-resistant or waterproof, more durable and less expensive. Thermal direct printers are the type most commonly used to produce black-and-white food labels. Short runs of food labels (a few hundred to a few thousand per day) are usually made with thermal transfer printers. A typical food label made this way has a total cost of about a cent.
Thermal transfer label printers come in two main sizes and duty levels. Smaller, "desktop" printers print up to four inches wide and are suitable for printing a few hundred labels a day. Larger "industrial" printers print up to eight inches wide, accept larger label rolls, and easily print a few thousand labels a day. (Note that labels can be printed on their sides so the printer width can be used as the height instead.)
Label printers are loaded with label rolls of a few hundred to a few thousand labels per roll, depending on the label size. Continuous rolls are also available so labels can be individually cut to length or made unusually long with the automatic cutter separating the labels. Automatic cutters are usually optional extras.
The thermal transfer method heats a ribbon which causes pigment (usually black) to transfer from the ribbon to mark the media (labels). Ribbons are available in a limited variety of colors so the printer can transfer the color of the ribbon, but usually do not mix colors to produce the full spectrum of colors as do inkjets. One ribbon is usually sufficient for one or two rolls of labels. Ribbons are available in various widths and should be at least as wide as the labels being printed.
The widest variety of substrates (labels) are available for use with thermal transfer because the substrates do not need the special coating required for thermal direct printing and thermal ribbons can mark a wide variety of materials. Most dry food labels are printed on high gloss paper because it is scratch-resistant and looks good. Semi-gloss paper is less expensive but does not look as nice as high gloss, but it is more readable when glare is a problem. Plastic substrates are the most durable of all and are best to use for cold, moisture and heat.
The thermal direct method heats specially coated media directly so the media itself is marked by the heat without the use of a ribbon. Thermal direct printing is the least expensive technology because no ribbon is required. Its disadvantage is that thermal direct media remains heat-sensitive, so labels quickly turn dark if exposed to heat or prolonged sunlight and become gray in normal conditions in a few weeks. The variety of sizes of substrates (labels) is more limited because of the special coating they require to work. Thermal direct labels are the best to use with dry, cool food products which will never be on the shelf more than a few days.
Software: Most label printers include basic control software for composing complete food labels with product names, logos, bar codes and nutrition data (such as nutraCoster provides). The included software can usually be upgraded for a fee to more robust versions that can perform advanced functions such as individualizing labels (with lot numbers, weights, etc.) by interfacing with databases.
Labels and Ribbons
More than one hundred standard label types are available in rectangular shapes, from about 1.2" x .85” to 4” x 8”. Label print width can be as narrow as 0.75 inches and as wide as 4 inches. A variety of circular sizes are also available. Length on continuous labels can be up to 11" with the standard memory or 22" with the optional expanded memory. Labels can be printed sideways so width and length can be swapped.
Water-, heat- and cold-resistant labels! Zebras print on various materials, including high gloss and simi-gloss paper, polyester and polypropylene plastics. The plastic materials are especially resistant to scratches, moisture, heat and cold.
Click here for the Zebra Desktop Printer Food Label Catalog
Service
- Warranty: One Year Parts and Labor
- Free factory phone support
Specifications
Standard Features
- Print methods: Direct thermal/thermal transfer (TLP)
- Construction: ABS double-walled casing
- OpenACCESS™ design
- Head-up sensor
- Windows® drivers (95, 98, Me, NT4.0, NT2000, XP, 7, 8)
- Windows printer utilities
- Zebra Printer Management
Printer Specifications
- Resolution: 203 dpi (8 dots/mm)
- Memory: Standard: 256 KB SRAM; 512 KB Flash
- Optional: 512 KB SRAM; 1 MB Flash
- Print width: 4.09" (104 mm) maximum
- Print length: 11" (279 mm) with standard memory, 22" (584 mm) with expanded memory
- Print speed: 4" (102 mm)/sec
- Media sensors: Reflective, Transmissive
Media Characteristics
- Maximum label and liner width: 4.25" (108 mm), 2.8" (71 mm) with Media Adapter Guides
- Minimum label and liner width: 1.00" (25.4 mm), 0.585" (15 mm) with Media Adapter Guides
- Maximum label and liner length: 11" (279 mm) (with standard memory)
- Maximum label and liner length (optional): 22" (558 mm)
- Maximum roll diameter: 5" (127 mm)
- Core diameter: 1.0" (25.4 mm) and 1.5" (38 mm)
- Media thickness: 0.003" (.08 mm) to 0.007" (0.18 mm)
- Media types: (black-mark optional), black bar, black mark, continuous, continuous receipt, die-cut, fanfold, gap, notch, notch sensing, notched, perforated, receipt, roll-fed, tag, tag stock
Ribbon Characteristics
- Outside diameter: 1.34" (34 mm)
- Standard length: 244' (74 m)
- Ratio: 1:1 media roll to ribbon ratios
- Ribbon width: Recommended to be at least as wide as media, 1.33" (33.8 mm) to 4.30" (110 mm)
- Ribbon setup: Ribbon wound ink side out
- ID Core: 0.5" (12.7 mm)
Physical Characteristics
- Width: 7.9" (201 mm)
- Height: 6.8" (173 mm)
- Depth: 9.75" (248 mm)
- Weight: 3.2 lbs (1.5 kg)
- Shipping weight: 5.8 lbs (2.6 kg)
Related Products / Options
- Cutter
- Real time clock
- Internal ZebraNet PrintServer II for Ethernet connectivity
- Dispenser with label taken sensor
Bar Codes/Symbologies
- Linear
- Code 39
- Code 128 with subsets A/B/C
- Code 93
- Codabar
- Interleaved 2-of-5
- UPC-E
- UPC-A
- UPC-A and UPC-E with 2 or 5 digit extensions
- EAN-13
- EAN-8
- EAN-8 and EAN-13 with 2 or 5 digit extensions
- Postnet
- Plessey
- German Post Code
- RSS-14
- MSI-3
- 2-dimensional
- MaxiCode
- MacroPDF417
- QR Code (requires Asian version printer)
- Data Matrix
Fonts and Graphics: Standard Fonts: 5 bitmapped, expandable 8x
Policies
Returnable within 20 days of delivery. Refunds are less shipping, 15% restocking fee and charge card merchant fees (if applied).
Related Products
FoodSoftware carries monochrome thermal and color inkjet food label printers, rewinders, applicators and dispensers:
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