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Some pieces of technology turn out to be better than you think. And when that piece of technology is a printer, I wonder, because they have a reputation for being pretty terrible.
Not this one.
About a year ago I tested and reviewed it Nelco PM220 Bluetooth Thermal Label PrinterA palm-sized printer that connects to your smartphone via an app and spits out a variety of self-adhesive labels. I used it extensively to label (and level up!) my workshop, and appreciated the large, bright and clear labels it created.
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They’re also water, oil, chemical, and low temperature resistant, so they last really well (although heat and UV will cause them to fade). Because I have a steady supply of new stuff coming in for testing, I shipped it to a place that would actually use it – a local business with a café on the corner.
Since then, this printer has worked hard for almost a year, printing labels for sandwiches and cakes (the labels are suitable for use right in the refrigerator and freezer), price labels for gifts (they stick incredibly well), packages going out, and anywhere else a label might be needed.
And when I say hard work went into it, I mean it. According to the cafe owners, they have purchased At least 16 boxes of labels For printers, each box contains three rolls, and each roll holds 100 labels.
When you add the few hundred labels I’ve added, it’s over 5,000 labels. This is too much.
Nearly 5,000 labels later… and it’s still working like new (though it doesn’t feel like it!).
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
A year later, this printer looks a lot worse than when I reviewed it. But it doesn’t just work, it works like new.
Print quality is still great, the shell is still in one piece despite being dropped countless times, and the battery still stays well charged (in fact, even with this heavy, extreme use, it only needed a charge about once every month or so).
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The only complaint with this printer is that it does not have a USB-C to USB-C cable, and requires a USB-A to USB-C cable. This is exactly what happens with some of these USB-C devices. But remember, this is a $30 printer.
Why do I recommend this product?
When I first started using it nelco pm220I thought it was like a toy. Definitely a capable printer, and one that would be fine for light home use, but I honestly didn’t think it would hold up to professional use.
I was wrong.
If you want a Bluetooth thermal label printer, the Nelco PM220 is definitely a reliable choice. The printer is cheap, the labels are reasonable, the setup is reliable and can do the hard work.
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