Review of the Munbyn ITPP941 Printer

If you scour Amazon, you’ll find dozens of Rollo look-alike thermal printers.

Seriously, they’re everywhere.

I know the saying goes “imitation is the most sincere form of flattery,” but this is a bit ridiculous. 

I guess that was Munbyn’s goal. Their ITPP941 model is what we’re talking about. 

It makes sense why everyone hopped on the copy bandwagon: Rollo is one of the most popular thermal printers out on the market.

But I mean, if you’re going to copy someone’s idea, shouldn’t you at least put your own personal spin on it?

So did Munbyn add a ‘wow’ factor to their carbon copy of a label printer?

Let’s find out!

I’ll just come right out and say it: I’m not impressed.

The Munbyn printer is a literal clone of Rollo: same brick shape, same hinge cover, same setup. It’s like Rollo’s less desirable twin.

After taking the thermal printer out of its packaging, nothing jumps out at me as being amazing. 

Here’s what I noticed right out the gate:

• It’s a bare minimum type of printer
• There are colorful options
• The light on top is actually a button

Obviously, this kind of printer doesn’t bring a lot to the table.

But maybe my expectations are too high. I have to remind myself of the reason printers like Munbyn and Rollo exist – for simplicity and ease for small users.

They’re not supposed to be fancy or exhilarating. These printers are designed for less tech savvy consumers who just want to print some shipping labels.

A definite difference with the Munbyn printer is the colorful options they offer.

Unlike typical black, white, and gray tones, more playful colors like pink and green help it stand out in the market.

If you enjoy an organized desk space, colorful stickers, and a cutesy looking workplace setup, congratulations, you’re the target audience for this label printer (Munbyn’s Instagram page has dozens of these).

My guess is that these options are meant to entice or target a younger, female audience. And appealing to a specific demographic is a smart choice. 

Who doesn’t want a thermal printer in their favorite color? Or to match their work space?

Now this last one is becoming an annoying feature on thermal printers like this. 

You wouldn’t know it just by looking but the light on top of the Munbyn is a button. Yeah, I had this same issue with the Rollo Wireless, so congrats, Munbyn, on sharing yet another similarity.

There is nothing about this feature that outright indicates it’s a button you can press.

Seriously, it just looks like a light on the printer to show it’s on and working.

You have to hold down the button until it beeps to activate specific actions. Here are the different options:

• 1 beep = The printer will calibrate
• 2 beeps = The printer will print a sample label
• 5 beeps = The printer resets

This design makes me wonder, is it really that difficult to design a more obvious button feature?

If you’re serious about purchasing a Munbyn thermal label printer, you’ll want to be thorough in your search before you hit ‘add to cart.’

Because you might end up purchasing the wrong printer model. 

Munbyn offers 2 printer options: basic and pro. 

The difference? The dpi or dots per inch. 

• Munbyn Basic = 203 dpi
• Munbyn Pro = 300 dpi

300 dpi will get you a sharper image but it’s not necessary when you’re simply printing 4×6 shipping labels. 

But the difference is only around $10. 

So either way, unless you really want that higher resolution, you aren’t really losing out if you order the wrong one.

It’s not all the same as Rollo.

There are some features that come with the Munbyn printer that are somewhat unique and beneficial to users.

Printing large batches of labels? Or using your printer every day?

This nifty little safety feature is here to help.

After you continuously print 700 full-size labels, the printer will pause for 5 minutes. This prevents overheating.

Because burning out your printer in the middle of a busy workday is the last thing you want to do. 

The last thing you want to do is fuss with loading new labels. 

Most printers will have you recalibrate when you switch label sizes. This is not the case with Munbyn.

The cover can be open or closed, it doesn’t matter. As soon as you feed any size thermal label in through the holders, the printer detects the size and characteristics. 

If you need to calibrate, simply hold down the light-up button until you hear one beep. It’s always best to do this after your first use.

We love to see a printer that’s easy to setup. 

Especially for first time buyers who don’t need to waste time messing around with complicated instructions. The last thing you want is to spend hours messing around with a printer that won’t work.

Once the Munbyn is plugged in and powered on, users just have to click to install the driver.

However, there’s a reason for this simplicity: there’s no label design program for users to install.

If you’re looking to print shipping labels, this really isn’t an issue. Online marketplaces and shipping platforms are generally equipped to help create labels.

But if you want custom designs, the lack of a label program will make extra work to get all of the little details done right or if you’re planning to print on different size labels. 

If you’re a Mac user, be cautious. Some Amazon reviews expressed issues with their computers not supporting the driver.

Hey, in all fairness, I didn’t create this rivalry.

Munbyn did that on their own. They wrote a blog post about it!

So if that’s how Munbyn wants to play, let’s break it down.

Here’s a side by side comparison between the Munbyn and Rollo thermal printers:

So for the most part, they’re basically the same printer.

I think Munbyn is banking on the pro model’s higher resolution and the optional printer colors appealing to Etsy and Poshmark users who want to print custom stickers.

But its wide range of online marketplaces and platforms (Amazon, eBay, Shopif, etc.) makes it highly marketable for small businesses or people shipping from home.

Now if the decision was up to me? I’d go with Rollo. 

I mean, come on. They’re kind of the OG for this type of printer. 

Why would you choose a look-alike copy that doesn’t bring anything new to the table?

Quality over…less-quality, I guess.

It’s not great or outstanding. 

The Munbyn printer is simply there to get the job done.

However, the lack of a label software design program does a huge disservice to new users.

Especially since this printer is marketed to an audience that is more likely to print custom size and design labels for their small business. Munbyn should be making their lives simpler, not more complicated. 

Like I said before, if this overall printer look is what you’re going for, whether it’s to get started with your e-commerce platform or print batches of shipping labels, leave it to the original. 

Rollo or no-go, baby.

Neither the Munbyn nor the Rollo what you’re looking for?

That’s fair, there’s a wide variety of brands to choose from. But just in case you need some help deciding, here are some options you can look into.

1. Zebra ZD620 – If you can stretch your budget, Zebra is the brand to do it for. Their printers are well known as being reliable, sturdy, and of high-quality. They easily handle large batches of labels and print in 300 dpi. You also don’t need to spend more on a media holder for roll labels. 
2. Bixolon SLP-DX420 – If you want the design of Zebra without the price, Bixolon is a great, comparable option. It offers similar specs and features like the Zebra ZD620 at 30% less than the market price.