Primera vs. Epson vs. QuickLabel

As we’ve discussed in a previous article, inkjet label printers use colored dye or pigment inks to produce high-quality images, which are utilized by dozens of markets and industries. Inkjet printers can be a great investment when image quality is important, such as small businesses looking to customize products with unique and vibrant looking labels or industrial environments requiring durable images.

If purchasing an inkjet label printer is your goal, you won’t be surprised to find a wide variety to choose from in today’s market. So what are some factors you should consider when determining what kind of inkjet printer you will need?

In this article, we compare three popular inkjet label printers so you can see which is the overall best choice for your business: the Primera LX2000, the Epson C7500G, and the Quicklabel QL-120.

Because the prices between the three printers vary so much (between $3600 – $8900), there are several considerations you’ll want to make before acquiring one.

What kind of labels will you be printing? Will the labels be applied to products you are selling or products that require dangerous and hazardous material identification? Do the labels need to be certified for FDA or GHS standards?

How many labels at a time will you be printing? Will you need to print large quantities per day? Per month? Will you need to print on demand? Will your label design require a large amount of ink to be used?

Will your labels require a durable material? Will you need labels with a matte or gloss finish? Will the products you’re labeling be indoors or outdoors? Will they come in contact with moisture, oil, chemicals, etc.?

Is there an overall budget you need to abide by for yourself or your business? Have you considered the cost of supplies for your printer? 

Good customer and technical support should definitely be deciding factors when choosing a printer.

While there are many features you’ll want to look at with an inkjet printer, it is important to take a look at the support the company you’re buying from has to offer. These printers are complex machines with dozens of parts, as well as many ways to navigate your computer’s operating system. You will want to know you have reliable help available should you need assistance.

Primera offers free telephone support Monday – Friday 7 am – 10 pm CDT and Saturday 11 am – 8 pm (+1-763-475-6669) along with online support by emailing support@primera.com. 

Primera allows potential customers the chance to live chat with employees on their website during company business hours and generally answers within a few minutes. They then send a copy of the live chat to the customer’s provided email address as a way to reference back to the questions answered and information provided. 

From our personal experience dealing with Primera, their staff has been very friendly, helpful, and informative in answering questions about several of their products. 

Epson offers free telephone product inquiries Monday – Friday 7 am – 4 pm PT (1-800-463-7766). However, to get support for your printer you will need to search the product on their site to receive a phone number. You can also submit a contact support email. Epson does not offer live chats on their website. 

From our personal experience dealing with Epson, we were unable to resolve initializing issues we had with our C7500G printer.

AstroNova is the company that supplies the QuickLabel printer. They offer technical support Monday – Friday 8 am – 5:30 pm EST (401-828-4000) and have an after-hours number available if necessary (877-757-7310).  You can also submit a technical request form on their website. AstroNova does not offer live chats on their website.

Similar to support, it is important to understand the warranties and guarantees that come with the printer you purchase. These inkjet printers are an expensive investment to make. Therefore, should any issues arise while using one, you will want to know ahead of time what the company is willing to cover for repairs and replacements before you commit to a purchase.

In order to send your Primera printer for repairs, you have to first call their tech support via phone. 

• 1 year warranty on parts and service
• Parts, labor, and return shipping are covered by Primera

Epson printer owners must provide proof of the date of the original purchase in order to use their warranty for repairs. To verify your warranty on their website, you must submit the country of purchase and the printer serial number.

• 1 year warranty for repairs or exchanges of defective product

Quicklabel offers a warranty on manufacturer’s parts and labor. This warranty does not cover printhead and purge units.

• 1 year warranty from the date of original purchase

When using an inkjet label printer, the size of the label will determine how much ink is required. Larger labels means using more ink, which means purchasing ink refills more often. Therefore knowing the proper size of the inkjet label you will need to print on is essential. You will also want to consider if you plan on using roll labels or fanfold labels. 

It is also important to know what type of label substrate your printer can handle. Different materials and finishes will affect the overall print quality of your labels and, depending on the printer, you may be required to use a specific substrate type in order to print.

Inkjet printers use specified inks, either dye or pigment to produce vibrant colors, lending to the overall print quality of the label. The inks tend to come packaged in cartridges, which need to be reordered and replaced when empty. Some of these ink types are more expensive than others and allow for better printing on synthetic materials, which produces a more durable label.

How fast your printer works will determine how many labels it is able to print in a set amount of time. For businesses needing large batches of labels printed at once, this feature is significant. Print speed also factors into how well the labels can be printed since some printers require slower speeds for better print quality and increasing print speed can often lower this. 

• Primera LX-2000 – 114 mm/sec (4.5” per sec)
• Epson C7500G – 300 mm/sec (11.8” per sec)
• QuickLabel QL-120 – 305 mm/sec (12” per sec)

How and where your labels will be applied are critical questions that need to be answered as they will affect how your labels will look on the product and how long they will last. Application also determines what kind of label you will need, such as industry regulated labels or labels for marketing products.

The Primera, Epson, and QuickLabel printers can generally all be used for similar applications. Some examples of these include:

• Product labels
• Industrial labels
• Barcode labels
• GHS compliant labels
• UV resistant labels
• Water-resistant labels

Resolution factors into the print quality of your labels. Different resolutions can produce similar-looking results, depending on the print job. A printer’s resolution will be affected by the print speed and ink costs. A higher resolution will cause the print speed to be slower and can cause more ink to be used, which can become very expensive depending on the number of labels being printed per month.

• Primera LX-2000 – 4800 dpi
• Epson C7500G – 1200 dpi 
• QuickLabel QL-120 – 1200 dpi

With all of this information to digest, take the time to consider your business needs in detail to help determine which printer will best serve you in producing colorful and versatile labels.