It's Fast, but it's TOO LOUD for office use--your cubicle mates will hate you!
Written: Sep 12 '03 (Updated Sep 12 '03)
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Pros: Fast, Great Software, Lots of Labels to Choose From.
Cons: NOISY, Expensive, Standard roll labels don't fit.
The Bottom Line: I didn't buy it--I settled for the 330 (boy, was I wrong...)
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| briandalsmom's Full Review: Dymo LabelWriter 330 Turbo Direct thermal Printer |
I’ve used three different Seiko label printers (links to those reviews are at the bottom of this page) and all of them performed fabulously—my complaint was their terrible software interface. When it came time for me to buy a new printer (new job) I did some research and decided to save some money and go with the Dymo. Reviews on them were good (unless you owned a Mac, which I didn’t) so I looked at what Dymo had to offer.
The two models, the 330 and the 330 Turbo are identical EXCEPT for the printing speed. The difference in price and the thought that a label printer couldn't be slow, made me choose the cheaper of the two. What a mistake. This decision was made before I knew how loud these machines were. I wouldn't recommend the 330 or the 330 Turbo.
The 330 is slow and to print I have to consider who else is in the office and whether or not they're on the phone. Seriously, it's that loud. I've resorted to putting my hand over it while it's printing to muffle the sound. Thinking there had to be a problem I called Customer Service. After hearing my story, and my unit as it printed, the CS representative declared that all was well and that the newer models were louder than previous models. She confirmed that it wouldn't help to upgrade to the Turbo model as it was identical--she did giggle and say that at least the sound wouldn't last as long!
WHAT'S IN THE BOX
Printer, labels, software, cables, power cord, manual, quick-start card
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
Directions for loading are easy—install the software, add the printer when told, power it up and you’re done. The software is extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate. I like the WYSIWYG interface and the ease of adding text. Unlike the Seiko, the Dymo had hundreds of fonts to choose from and great installed clipart. So far, so good.
FEATURES
A great feature is an add-in free address checker—downloaded from their site it adds an icon to Word and the label software. After highlighting the address to be checked, a simple click on the appropriate icon checks the formatting of the address and then adds the zip 4 code. All this is tied to the USPS web site so you’re assured the address is as correct as possible. I did find some bugs in the software and have had to uninstall and reinstall twice when it caused my MS Word to crash. So far I've not been able to isolate exactly what WORD is doing to make it crash, but it's only happening when I has it to check and address in WORD so now I just don't use that feature.
I do love the ability to print directly from Word. Highlight the address in Word, click the LabelWriter button on the Word toolbar or choose Dymo LabelWriter from the Tools menu. After a few seconds, the LabelWriter dialog box will appear with the address you highlighted. Edit it if you like or send it directly to the printer. No need to open any other program, it’s all right there for you.
An extensive electronic help system is there should you need it as well as a website with hints and tips.
One of the best features is a built-in database which saves your labels--with a dropdown box you can access them instantly. You can also import your Outlook contacts directly into the database (although I would have preferred they integrated the software into Outlook as they did Word).
It also has a built-in address database but I use Outlook for that so it isn't anything I've used. It may be a big selling point for others though.
It comes with more than 40 built-in label templates, all which can be customized and personalized and then saved for future use. You can add your company logo or other graphic, but be warned that line drawings are done poorly by the machine. Big chunky graphics (like those that are included with it--very minimal, probably 50) look best. Our company logo comes out so poorly we don't use it.
This is one of just a few label printers that do up to name badge size--this was a must as we wanted the flexibility of using it for more than mailing labels. I use it daily, but really wish I had my Sieko back--software flaws and all.
PRINTING QUALITY
Like any thermal printer this one doesn’t use ink. It uses heat sensitive paper and “burns” the image into it. Logos that are big and bulky print great, but finely detailed logos are sketchy looking. For basic letters it prints beautifully. The dpi is 300--good enough for a mailing label.
LABELS
Dymo has an amazing array of labels—they are made only for their machines and they’re just different enough that you won’t be able to use the generic roll labels out there. They come in every size and shape imaginable and in every price range. Common labels such as address labels are pennies per the label. More unusual and less-used labels can be up to 75 cents apiece. Labels can be purchased an most large office supply stores—I happened to purchase my at Office Depot along with the printer.
These labels are not permanent—how long they last depends on how they are used. Thermal labels are susceptible to fading if exposed to direct sunlight or fluorescent light for an extended period or if they are exposed to things like plastic ring binders. Since most of the labels I use are for mailing this isn’t a problem, but it’s good to know in advance that those I place on file folders will fade over time so if that is a concern I can use something else.
Don’t buy massive quantities as the shelf life of the labels is about 18 months. Store your unused labels in a cool dry place and keep them in their original black bag until needed.
A roll of 220 shipping labels (2.125"x4") averages $14.99.
CLEANING
This was something new to me. The printer comes with a cleaning card. Additional cleaning cards are $9.99 for six pads, it could get expensive.
SPECS
This is a big boy--Dimensions 4 7/8" w x 5 3/4"h x 7 1/4" d and weighs 1 1/4 pounds. Big by label printer standards. Print speed for this model is 2 seconds per label and print size is 2.44” wide by any length you wish to make.
WARRANTY
Parts and labor one year.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I'm disappointed with the speed of the 330, but not enough so to pay the extra to upgrade to this model. The noise alone is enough to make me crazy. This is the worst office purchase I've made (in a long time).
My recommendation is to go with the Seiko—if quiet operation is important to you.
http://www.epinions.com/content_106689957508 Seiko 240
http://www.epinions.com/content_106686746244 Seiko 200 ****MY CHOICE FOR THE BEST VALUE***
http://www.epinions.com/content_89389829764 Seiko 100
Recommended:
Yes
Operating System: Windows
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briandalsmom
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Member: Mom
Location: USA
Reviews written: 249
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