iDprt SP410 is a consumer-grade label printer that supports a variety of media and has a very low operating cost.
The iDprt SP410 thermal label printer ($139.99) is primarily a transportation label printer, but you can also use it for many other applications, such as barcode and QR code printing. It is very similar to the Arkscan 2054A-LAN thermal transport label printer ($259) that won the Editor's Choice Award, and it is fast and cheap to use. 2054A-LAN has a variety of network and connection options, and is equipped with excellent label design software, so it is still our first choice for professional label printing. Nevertheless, the simplicity and low purchase price of SP410 make it ideal for small businesses that often ship packages or have other label printing needs.
At the entry level of commercial label printing, the competition is fierce, so you can make fairly subtle purchasing decisions based on your budget and printing needs. With SP410, you can even choose a black or white case.
The SP410 measures 6.2 x 6.4 x 10.9 inches and weighs 3.8 pounds. It is similar in size and weight to some competitors, including the 2054A-LAN mentioned above. Other products, such as Epson's LabelWorks LW-700P and Brother's QL-820NWB (another editing choice), are significantly smaller and lighter. All of these competitors have multiple connection options, including Ethernet and Wi-Fi. In contrast, SP410 only supports USB. It is very suitable for a small mail room or a single workstation in a home office.
The USB and AC power ports are located on the back of the chassis, as are the paper feed slots. The only real physical control is the combined power switch and status LED at the top. The printed label is sent out from the surface of the machine.
Two blue latches, one on each side of the chassis, allow you to open the paper loading device. SP410 supports roll and folded label media up to 5 inches thick and 2 to 4.7 inches wide. This is wider than any of the above competitive models can handle.
If you want to use rolls, you need to buy a paper tray to hold them. The same tray can also hold stacked media, but it is not required.
SP410 supports die-cut labels and continuous-length labels. It will automatically sense the size of the media and configure itself accordingly.
The maximum duty cycle per month is 10,000 prints, which is a lot of labels. If you do send so many packages, you may need a more powerful label printer.
iDprt rates the SP410 at 6 inches per second (ips) or 360 inches per minute. Label printer manufacturers use different types of measurements to evaluate printer speed, which is more challenging.
Like Arkscan 2054A-LAN, the printing speed of SP410 is 203 dots per inch (dpi), and the output quality is very good. The resolution of Epson's LW-PX750PCD is 180dpi. If you need higher resolution, Brother’s QL-800 series supports multiple resolutions, up to 600dpi, but the 200dpi range is sufficient for most labels.
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In our test on SP410, even at a smaller size, the shape of the text is good and easy to read. The graphics we printed have almost no jagged edges, almost no streaks, and the filling is strong and attractive. Since this is essentially a fax imaging technology, we have no complaints about the print quality of the SP410.
The driver included with the SP410 provides a basic interface that allows you to create and print basic labels. It should work for most Windows and macOS programs. Most importantly, it supports label printing applications from FedEx, UPS, USPS and most other global shippers. The printer recognizes the media size and type and sends this information to the application you are printing, which is a very simplified process.
This inkless thermal printer does not use ink or toner, so if you ship a package through a company that provides label software and media for free, your running costs will be zero. If your shipper does not provide free blank labels, or if you use SP410 to print file folder labels or container contents labels, the cost per pack of 500 standard universal die-cut and continuous feed labels is approximately $17. Each 4 x 6 inch label costs about 3.3 cents, which is not free, but if your print volume is relatively low, it is livable.
The iDprt SP410 has a low purchase price and low or even zero operating cost. It is a budget-friendly label printer that is very suitable for small offices and home offices. Arkscan 2054A-LAN is still our editing choice due to its extensive feature set and software, but SP410 can perform one of its tasks easily and brilliantly.
iDprt SP410 is a consumer-grade label printer that supports a variety of media and has a very low operating cost.
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William Harrel is a contributing editor, focusing on printer and scanner technology and reviews. He had been writing articles about computer technology long before the Internet appeared. He has authored or co-authored 20 books-including the popular "Bible", "Secret" and "Fool" series-on digital design and desktop publishing software applications such as Acrobat, Photoshop and QuarkXPress, and prepress imaging technology. His latest work is HTML, CSS and JavaScript Mobile Development for Dummies (a manual for creating websites for smartphones and tablets). In addition to writing hundreds of articles for PCMag, over the years, he has also contributed to several other computer and business publications, including Computer Shopper, Digital Trends, MacUser, PC World, The Wirecutter and Windows Magazine, and he has served as Printer and scanner specialist on About.com (now Livewire).
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