Powerful label printer, but the setup is a headache

iDprt SP420 can quickly print on most thermal paper labels up to 4.65 inches wide, but it is confusing and frustrating to set up and use.

The iDprt SP420 (officially priced at $192.99, but often discounted) is for small and home businesses that need to print 4×6 shipping labels in an affordable way. In many respects, it is similar to the FreeX WiFi thermal printer I reviewed recently. It provides fast performance and can use various labels of various sizes provided by other manufacturers. Unfortunately, it has some shortcomings and cannot be recommended without reservation. If you know how to format a file for printing, or are willing to learn, it may be useful to you.

The SP420 is basically a black box, although the slightly protruding sides and top make it more elegant. There is a blue release latch on each side, and the top can be opened to load the label. The top panel includes two status indicators, a paper feed button in the front left corner, and a transparent window so you can see how much paper is left on the current roll. It measures 7.8 x 7.1 x 9.5 inches (HWD), or roughly the same size as most of its competitors, including FreeX printers, iDprt SP410 printers, Zebra ZSB-DP14 and the editor’s choice award-winning Arkscan 2054A-LAN thermal transport label printer.

The printer is spacious enough to hold a 5-inch diameter roll, and it also has a rear paper feed slot for folding paper. Most label printers either cannot accommodate rolls in this size range or require you to install them in a separately purchased rear tray. Please note that SP420 can hold labels that are wider than the FreeX model. According to iDprt, it supports labels from 2 inches to 4.65 inches wide (50 mm to 118 mm); on the contrary, FreeX printers can print smaller widths than SP420.

The only labels sold by iDprt are 500 stacked 4 x 6-inch foldable labels at $22.99 per stack, or 4.6 cents per label. However, the printer can use labels from other manufacturers because I confirmed that I have used both the Brother and Dymo labels I have on hand.

Installing software can quickly become confusing. The printer comes with drivers and other files on the disk, but the user guide says to download the files from the iDprt website. I downloaded them based on the assumption that online files may be updated. However, when I compared the two groups, I found some matches, some in each group were newer than the obviously equivalent files in the other group, and each group contained some files that I couldn't find a match in the other group Name put. I did not choose, but insisted on using the version on disk.

These include drivers for macOS and Linux, and two drivers for Windows: a standard driver and a driver from Seagull Scientific. According to iDprt, using the bundled label program from Seagull requires a second driver, but it also works with most Windows programs. However, neither the user guide nor the download page mentions the existence of two drivers, nor does it recommend that you choose one of them.

For testing, I want to try two Windows drivers, so I started with the standard version, which is also the only version in the user guide that provides setup instructions. The description does not match the installation screen on the computer, but because I am familiar with Windows adding printer routines, I can easily complete the installation.

The Seagull driver I installed after all the tests of the first driver was more of a problem. Seagull provides a wizard to install the driver, but it cannot go through the steps of installing the port, and iDprt's online chat support cannot make any repair suggestions. I ended up installing it by choosing something other than USB for the port, and then setting it to USB. It turns out that running all the tests on the standard driver first was also a lucky choice, because the wizard removed the first driver from the system, making it unusable. The iDprt representative later confirmed that this was expected behavior.

I also encountered a problem with Bartender UltraLite, which is provided by the printer's label program iDprt. Bartender UltraLite is a limited free version of a program, it also has multiple paid versions, the price for a single user is about 255 US dollars, and the price for multiple users can reach up to thousands of US dollars.

It is easy to create labels in Bartender UltraLite. It provides a choice of 61 barcodes, including QR codes. Unfortunately, the text in the first label I printed also looked like a barcode: it was stretched vertically and was almost unreadable. iDprt's technical support was unable to figure out a solution to this problem, but the result was fonts. By default, Bartender uses iDprt Font 0. Once I changed it to Arial, Lucida Sans, or any other standard Windows font, it printed the label clearly.

Of course, if you need a 4×6 printer that is mainly used to print shipping labels, you may never need Bartender software. The company said the printer is compatible with all major transportation platforms and online markets, and it lists two dozen on its website, including eBay, Endicia, Etsy, FedEx, PayPal, Shopify, UPS and USPS. And both of these drivers are suitable for most Windows programs, so you can also print from almost any program you like.

Once I got the SP420 to work, its performance was enough to make up for the software and installation challenges. iDprt rates printers at a speed of 150 millimeters per second or 5.9 inches per second (ips). Using standard Windows drivers and using Acrobat to print label images from a PDF file, I set the time for a single label to 2.6 seconds, 10 labels to 12.5 seconds, and 50 labels to 54.6 seconds or 5.5ips. When using the Seagull driver, the touch speed is slower. One label is 3.4 seconds, 10 labels are 14.0 seconds, and 50 labels are 59.7 seconds, which is 5.0 ips. In contrast, I used the USB connection to time the FreeX printer to 4.3ips, and the ZSB-DP14 to 3.5ips, and the print job was done via Wi-Fi and the cloud.

The output quality is a typical value of 203dpi resolution, which is sufficient for the type of label applicable to the printer. In our speed test, the barcodes and texts on the USPS package label are all suitable dark black, even the smallest text is easy to read.

In view of the difficulties I encountered in installing and running the iDprt SP420 driver and label program, it is difficult to give it a warm recommendation. But once it is set up, it will be delivered. If you need a printer that can handle 4 × 6 labels and are willing to face setup issues (it should be easier to use some of the solutions mentioned in this review), you may want to consider it.

That said, be sure to check out iDprt SP410, it has many of the same features, including the same rated speed, and may be cheaper on any given day. You can also consider the FreeX WiFi thermal printer, which does not have a bundled label application, but it is easier to install if you restrict it to USB printing. If you want to print wirelessly, please check out the editor’s choice award-winning Arkscan 2054A-LAN, which can connect to your network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, or Zebra ZSB-DP14, which provides cloud-based printing via Wi-Fi- Fi connects to your network.

iDprt SP420 can quickly print on most thermal paper labels up to 4.65 inches wide, but it is confusing and frustrating to set up and use.

Sign up for the lab report to get the latest reviews and top product recommendations sent directly to your inbox.

This newsletter may contain advertisements, transactions or affiliate links. By subscribing to the newsletter, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time.

Your subscription has been confirmed. Pay close attention to your inbox!

M. David Stone is a freelance writer and computer industry consultant. He is a recognized generalist and has written credits on various topics such as ape language experiments, politics, quantum physics, and an overview of top companies in the gaming industry. David has extensive expertise in imaging technology (including printers, monitors, large-screen displays, projectors, scanners, and digital cameras), storage (magnetic and optical), and word processing.

David's 40 years of technical writing experience includes a long-term focus on PC hardware and software. Writing credits include nine computer-related books, major contributions to the other four, and more than 4,000 articles published in national and global computer and general interest publications. His books include Color Printer Underground Guide (Addison-Wesley) Troubleshooting Your PC, (Microsoft Press), and Faster and Smarter Digital Photography (Microsoft Press). His work has appeared in many print and online magazines and newspapers, including Wired, Computer Shopper, ProjectorCentral, and Science Digest, where he served as a computer editor. He also wrote a column for Newark Star Ledger. His non-computer-related work includes the NASA Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite Project Data Manual (written for GE's Astro-Space Division) and occasional science fiction short stories (including simulation publications).

Most of David's writing in 2016 was written for PC Magazine and PCMag.com, as a contributing editor and lead analyst for printers, scanners and projectors. He returned as a contributing editor in 2019.

PCMag.com is a leading technical authority, providing independent laboratory-based reviews of the latest products and services. Our professional industry analysis and practical solutions can help you make better purchasing decisions and get more benefits from technology.

© 1996-2021 Ziff Davis. PCMag Digital Group

PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without express permission. The third-party trademarks and trade names displayed on this website do not necessarily indicate any affiliation or endorsement with PCMag. If you click an affiliate link and purchase a product or service, the merchant may pay us a fee.