The development of the label printer is also the history of Brother

The label printer is not usually the kind of hardware you place in the front end of the desk. A lot of people and companies have one – maybe more. They do their job every day, but you don’t hear people boast about their speed, nice screen or elegant appearance. The label printer is usually more discreet, but almost as indispensable as a modern laptop or a smartphone.

Brother has been on the ”label wagon” since 1988, where the company launched the World’s first electronic label printer. In the years after, a rapid development of increasingly better label printers has taken place, and Brother has influenced it more than any other manufacturer.

When looking at Brother’s first electronic label printer, the PT-8E, and comparing it to a Brother model from 2017, you clearly see the differences. However, you also see that the requirement of high quality at a reasonable price has not changed during the past three decades.

With its simple grey design, operated by a turntable and with only one font the Brother PT-8E is a classic legend in the label printer business. Almost like the first chubby Apple Macintosh is in the World of IT.
Brother’s label printers of 2017 reflect a changing world. Today a label printer needs to be as smart as a smartphone. It needs to be able to go online, to be controlled by Apps, look good on the desk and offer flexibility in design, colour, fonts, images, symbols and be able to print on a wide variety of tapes.

Brother’s new QL-800 series is the hitherto the hight point of label printers on the market, og the first of its class to be able to print labels in two colours. Two of the series’ three label printgers are wireless, of course, with both Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Apple AirPrint. It comes in a cool design with glossy surfaces that makes the label printer look nice and decorative on the desk, in the bookcase or wherever you place it.

The new QL-800 label printers are aimed at the professional audience in the companies, the public sector and at demanding users in the homes. Even at home printed labels can be very practical. For address labels or labelling shelves, books, electronics or ID of folders, binders, cans, boxes etc.

In Denmark Brother is among the biggest brands in the market and the new QL-800 label printers will strengthen Brother’s position further. Both for professional use and in the homes.

Globally Brother is the largest manuafacturer with approximately 50 % of all electronic label printes sold. During the past five years Brother has sold more than 400 million meters of QL labels. That is enough to wrap around the Earth in Brother tape no less than10 times.

Here is an overview of the electronic label printers’ development over the past 3 decades:

1988 – Brother PT-8E. Brother’s first electronic label printer that printed on laminated tape. In Denmark the PT-8E was sold from 1989.

1992 – Brother PT-8000. Keyboard in full size and new longer tapes in up to 24 mm width.

1994 – Brother P-touch PC. Brother’s first label printer that allowed the user to work on a computer while designing the labels.

2004 - Brother QL-550. The first label printer with automatic cutter that could print on tape in continuous lengths. This enabled the user to print labels of up to 1 meter in length.

2005 – Brother QL-650TD. Brother’s first modern label printer that could work without being connected to a computer. Label-layouts could be stored in the printers own memory and be marked with f. instance date and time.

2008 – Brother QL-580N. First label printer with a network card that enabled multiple users to print from the same label printer.

2010 – Brother QL-700 series. First wireless label printer from Brother. Easy to operate and to design your own labels. P-touch Editor software that does not require any installation.

2012 – Brother PT-P750W. Both Wi-Fi and NFC (Near Field Communication), providing easy wireless communication between printer and an Android smartphone. All you have to do it let the smartphone touch the label printer briefly.

2017 – Brother’s QL-800 series. Prints i black and red. The QL-820NWB has up to 6 MB memory and capacity to store up to 250 different label templates. Available for wired and wireless network. Bluetooth makes it easy to connect smartphones and tablets with Brother’s iPrint&Label App. The printer automatically registers the type of label tape that you put in.  ”Smart labels” are now a reality.

Further information
Nordic Marketing Director & Sales Director (Denmark) Henning Elkjær, Brother Nordic A/S, phone (45) 43 31 31 31, e-mail henning.elkjaer@brother.dk
or
Bomberg PR, phone (45) 22 67 25 27, e-mail leif@bomberg.dk