LABEL PRINTER GUIDE

Choose the right label printer

Direct thermal or thermal transfer? Portable or desktop? Which label size? Here is how barcode label printers differ, what they cost, and which one suits your shop.

MOBILE FIRST

Do you need a label printer?

Most packed products already have a barcode from the manufacturer. Baskit scans them with your phone camera - no labels needed.

You only need a label printer for products without their own barcode: garments, footwear, jewellery, loose and repacked items, or your own brand.

Start with what you need

Products with their own barcode₹0
Portable label printer - prints from your phone₹3,500 – ₹8,000
Desktop 4-inch label printer₹7,000 – ₹18,000

PRINTING METHOD

Direct thermal or thermal transfer?

This decides how long your labels last. Most desktop label printers can do both - you just add a ribbon when you need it.

Direct thermal

No ribbon - prints straight onto heat-sensitive labels
Lowest running cost and simplest to use
Labels fade in months with heat and sunlight
Best for price labels and items that sell quickly

Thermal transfer (with ribbon)

Uses an ink ribbon - labels last for years
Prints on paper, synthetic, polyester and fabric tags
Slightly higher running cost (labels + ribbon)
Best for garment, footwear and jewellery tags

	Direct thermal	Thermal transfer
How it prints	Heat darkens special label paper	Heat melts ink from a ribbon onto the label
Ribbon needed	No	Yes
Label life	Months - fades with heat and sunlight	Years - does not fade
Label materials	Direct thermal paper only	Paper, synthetic, polyester, fabric tags
Running cost	Lower - labels only	Slightly higher - labels + ribbon
Printer price	₹7,000 – ₹12,000	₹9,000 – ₹18,000
Best for	Price labels, shelf labels, shipping labels	Garment tags, jewellery tags, labels that must last

PRINTER SIZE

Portable or desktop?

Portable printers are made for a few labels at a time from your phone. Desktop printers are made for labelling a whole stock delivery at once.

Portable label printer

₹3,500 – ₹8,000

A small battery-powered printer for labels up to about 2 inches wide. Connects to your phone over Bluetooth, so you can label products at the shelf.

Print labels from your phone, anywhere in the shop
Battery powered, no cables
Lowest price

Best for: Small shops, shelf and price labels, small batches

Desktop label printer (4-inch)

₹7,000 – ₹18,000

The standard barcode label printer. Prints labels up to 4 inches wide, takes big label rolls, and prints hundreds of labels quickly.

Fast bulk printing for new stock
Large rolls - fewer roll changes
Most models support both direct thermal and ribbon

Best for: Garments, footwear, supermarkets, jewellery and online sellers

LABEL SIZES

Common label sizes

Labels are sold in rolls by size (width × height). Pick the size for what you sell and how much you want on each label - just a barcode, or name, price and MRP too.

Label size	Used for
38 × 25 mm	Small product and price labels (often 2 labels per row)
50 × 25 mm	Most common barcode label - grocery, pharmacy, general stock
50 × 38 mm	Labels with product name, price, MRP and barcode
75 × 50 mm	Garment and footwear tags with size and MRP
95 × 12 mm	Jewellery "butterfly" tags for rings and chains
100 × 150 mm	Shipping labels for online orders and courier

CONNECTION

USB, LAN or Bluetooth?

This decides which devices can print labels. Baskit works with all three.

USB

Plug into a Windows PC with a cable. Every desktop label printer has USB - the simplest setup for one billing or stock counter.

Works with: Windows PC, Android POS
Best for: One counter or back office

USB + LAN

Also connects to your router, so several PCs, counters and phones can print to the same label printer.

Works with: Any device on the same network
Best for: Multi-counter stores and warehouses

Best for mobile

Bluetooth

Pairs with your phone or tablet with no cable. Most portable label printers are Bluetooth, and some desktop models offer it too.

Works with: Android phone and tablet; iPhone only if the printer supports iOS
Best for: Labelling at the shelf, mobile-first shops

FEATURES

What else to look for

Print resolution (dpi)

203 dpi is right for most barcode labels. Choose 300 dpi for very small labels such as jewellery tags.

Ribbon type

Wax for paper labels, wax-resin for garment and synthetic tags, resin for labels that must survive rubbing and water.

Label gap sensor

Detects where each label starts so prints stay aligned. Look for auto-calibration - it saves wasted labels.

Print speed

Measured in inches per second (ips). 4 - 6 ips is plenty for labelling new stock in bulk.

Roll capacity

Desktop printers take large rolls of 1,000+ labels, so you change rolls less often.

Service & warranty

Choose a brand with service centres and label and ribbon suppliers near you.

WHICH SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

Our pick for your shop

Garment and footwear shops

4-inch thermal transfer printer

Wax-resin ribbon on 75 × 50 mm tags - stays readable through handling and trial rooms.

Jewellery shops

300 dpi thermal transfer printer

Sharp barcodes on tiny butterfly tags, with resin ribbon so tags don't rub off.

Grocery, kirana and pharmacy

4-inch direct thermal printer

No ribbon to buy. 50 × 25 mm labels for loose and repacked items.

Small shop running Baskit on mobile

Portable Bluetooth label printer

Print labels from your phone at the shelf - no PC needed.

Already have a label printer?

It will most likely work - Baskit supports label printers from TVS, TSC, Zebra, Godex, Argox, Honeywell and more. See the models we have tested, or download drivers.

See tested label printers →