Review of the Bixolon SLP-DX420 Printer

A new printer manufacturer has been increasing its presence on the market for printer industry solutions and its name is Bixolon. Bixolon is a leading global manufacturer of mobile, label, and POS (point of sale) printers with locations in several countries around the world. 

Formed as a mini printer division of Samsung in the 90s, Bixolon began producing printers in 2002 as a better solution for their customers in the industry. Comparable in size, shape, and specifications to many Zebra and Datamax models, Bixolon thermal printers are an affordable choice for users at 30% less than other name brands currently on the market. 

Bixolon printers are sold by resellers at prices ranging between $200-$300, depending on the distributor.

Let’s take a look at the Bixolon SLP-DX420 and see how well it holds up against other competitors.

The Bixolon SLP-DX420 is a direct thermal printer capable of printing up to 4-inches wide. It is a compact, desktop device used for printing various types of thermal labels at high speeds. The SLP-DX420 is designed to be user-friendly, easy to load, and operate with no fuss, accommodating different label sizes.

Intended for high-frequency printing, the Bixolon SLP-DX420 direct thermal printer is a versatile machine that can add efficiency and accuracy to many different industry environments and applications.

Because these are fast-paced environments, coffee and tea establishments require labels to print quickly and accurately for customer orders throughout the day.

Locations, such as post offices, utilize shipping labels with barcodes for quick scanning and tracking.

Healthcare locations, such as hospitals, apply labels to important documents and records for filing, as well as to assist with medication administration, which is crucial information that requires accuracy.

Shipping and receiving process inventory by using barcode labels. Products are able to be tracked and managed in an accurate, timely, and efficient manner.

The Bixolon SLP-DX420 prints on direct thermal labels, which have ink already embedded within the paper. The ink is exposed when it comes into contact with the heat of the print head, which means there is no need for a ribbon. Since it does not require the extra space to hold a ribbon roll, the overall size of the SLP-DX420 is slightly smaller than its thermal transfer counterpart. 

This Bixolon printer supports both direct thermal 1″core rolls or fanfold labels.

In order to use fanfold labels, users must first detach the rear paper supply cover on the backside of the printer. This can be done carefully with a knife or sharp cutting instrument. The paper holders can then be adjusted to the paper width by using the Fix Tool. This is located on the one side of the paper holders and can be pushed down when the correct paper width has been reached.

 The SLP-DX420 prints on multiple sensor types, which include:

• Gap sensor
• Blackmark
• Continuous
• Notch

Gap sensor, black mark, and continuous are commonly compatible with most thermal printers. Labels with a notch have a small hole punch in the liner between each label.  A sensor on the upper cover of the printer operates as a gap sensor while a sensor for black mark and notch media types is located on the bottom portion of the printer. 

The printer will automatically calibrate for most media types with a media width of up to 4.33 inches. However, a manual calibration is required for special types of media where the sensor cannot calibrate automatically.

As previously mentioned, Bixolon printers are comparable to other thermal label printers on the market at a more affordable price.

So what are some key features that separate the SLP-DX420 printer from other thermal desktop printers?

The Bixolon SLP-D420 has a media calibration that is designed to recognize the gaps on most print papers. This makes it easy to use multiple media types when printing. In cases where the printer cannot recognize the gaps due to a special or specific type of paper, an Auto-Calibration function can be run.

This desktop thermal label printer also uses a feature called Smart Media Detection, which is executed when necessary without user input. It allows the SLP-DX420 to automatically detect paper with varying media types. The operation simply requires users to press the Feed button on the top of the printer. Empty labels are detected and automatically skipped over to the next label. 

Unlike some printers that require attachments in order to use additional print options, the SLP-DX420 comes already equipped for these features. Users can print in standard mode, peeler, or auto-cutter.

Peeler mode allows for labels to be printed with the liner already removed, allowing for quick and easy manual application.

Label Artist is the custom label design program provided by Bixolon. It can retrieve and print out databases prepared in several file formats, such as Excel, Access, and Text.

The Bixolon SLP-DX420 is fully compatible with Windows, iOS, and Android, along with built-in Bluetooth. It is also compatible with market-leading programming languages, giving the SLP-DX420 the ability to support a wide range of fonts, graphics, formats, and logos, as well as 1-D and 2-D barcode symbologies.