The Best Thermal Label Printers for Etsy Vendors

March 21, 2022

Etsy is a versatile platform beloved by sellers and buyers alike; it celebrates the work of independent vendors, and allows customers to easily find their unique products. Things can be found on Etsy that you can’t get anywhere else. However, unlike a conventional storefront enterprise, an Etsy store relies on mail to get its products to where they need to be. For effective mailing, you need clear, high quality postage labels, made by an efficient, versatile machine. In turn, you need to be able to print a lot of barcodes, as well as product labels and promotional stickers. That’s where label printers come in. Thermal label printers are the most cost-effective and reliable way to create all the stickers and labels your Etsy business needs. Yet with so many on the market, it can be hard to know which is right for you. Here are our top picks for the best label printers for Etsy sellers.

Product Comparison Table: Best Label Printer for Etsy

TitlePriceRating (Amazon)Best in classBuy
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is tetea-902x1024.jpgTetea Thermal Label Printer$$5 starsBest for large volumes Amazon
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is phomemo-m110s-1024x1012.jpgPhomemo-M110S Thermal Label Maker$$4.5 starsBest for small labels Amazon
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is psglobal-1.jpgPSGLOBAL Thermal Label Printer$4 starsBest value Amazon
Phomemo PM246S Label Printer$$4 starsBest for stickers  Amazon
DYMO LabelWriter 4XL$$$4.5 starsBest overall Amazon

Tetea Thermal Label Printer

The Tetea thermal label printer is engineered with shipping labels in mind, creating 4×6 shipping labels compatible with all major shipping and eCommerce platforms including UPS, FedEx, USPS, Shipworks, EasyShip, eBay, Shopify and crucially, Etsy. It is compatible with any thermal direct labels (including USPS free postage labels) too. Although it only prints in black like most thermal label printers, it is able to print a hugely impressive 80 labels a minute – that’s more than one a second! This speed is for 4×6 labels specifically, however it can also handle barcode and product labels if necessary. The printer is compatible with all major operating systems such as Mac, Windows and Linux, however it is not compatible with Chromebook. It also doesn’t offer wireless connections, only hardware ones via a USB cable. 

Pros 

  • Compatible with all major shipping platforms
  • Lightning-fast printing speed
  • Can print barcode, shipping and product labels

Cons

  • Not compatible with Chromebook
  • No wireless connection

Verdict

The Tetea shipping label printer is a great choice for Etsy businesses that handle and ship large quantities of stock on a daily basis. With a print speed this fast, you can demolish a big pile of printing in mere minutes, without compromising on print quality. It may not offer a more modern style of wireless connection, but the Tetea does offer the reliability of a USB; when you have an order that needs to go out ASAP, sometimes it’s better to know that your connection can’t drop at random. 

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Phomemo-M110S Thermal Label Maker

The Phomemo-M110S thermal label maker is small enough to fit in your pocket, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it can’t produce impressive results. It is able to print regular paper and transparent labels of widths between 20 and 50mm, making unique product tags perfect for clothing, cables, jewellery and packaging. Plus, the auto-cutter means labels come out the perfect size every time. The machine can even save templates for later use! A roller-stabilised label holder also ensures that labels never print offset. As for connection, the printer is intended to be used primarily in conjunction with Android and iOS devices; it connects via Bluetooth to the Print Master app, maintaining connection within a 33 foot radius and taking only 2 seconds to connect. 

Pros

  • Prints transparent and opaque labels
  • Fast, reliable Bluetooth connection
  • Small and compact design

Cons

  • Can’t print wider than 50mm
  • No USB connection option

Verdict

If you’re selling on Etsy, chances are you want to build a brand. If your business is in products like jewellery, badges or other small boxed items, a thermal product label printer like the Phomemo-M110S can be an easy way to get your brand out there. Although it is not capable of printing full-size labels for shipping, this printer will serve you well by consistently producing high quality labels for boxes and other packaging. 

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PSGLOBAL Thermal Label Printer

The PSGLOBAL Thermal Label Printer retails at a much, much lower price point than any of the other printers we reviewed – especially for a desktop model. Despite this low price, it boasts a lot of commendable features, most notably a print speed of 160 mm/s (60 labels per minute, or one per second). It is able to print any size up to and including 4×6 inches, making it suitable for mainstream shipping labels, QR codes, storage labels, barcodes and electric waybills too. If you want to change label format, simply press the button on the front of the machine; smart label size detection will identify the inserted label size and calibrate the machine to match it. Best of all, intelligent temperature control adapts to your environment to prevent overheating. Plus, a lifetime warranty gets you your money back if you have any major problems. 

Pros

  • Great value low price
  • Very fast printing speed
  • Intelligent temperature control function
  • Lifetime money-back warranty cover

Cons

  • Print quality can be low

Verdict

If you’re just starting out as an Etsy vendor and don’t want to eat into your profits with an expensive printing kit, the PSGLOBAL Thermal Label Printer is the right option for you. With its great value price and range of nifty features, this machine offers efficiency and performance that goes way beyond its ticket cost. Usually, when buying cheaper heated equipment, there can be safety concerns; the lifetime warranty cover and intelligent heat control features mean you won’t have to worry. 

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Phomemo PM246S Label Printer

Like the Phomemo-M110S, the Phomemo PM246S label printer comes in a range of attractive colours – if you’re more into the monochrome look, this one also comes in a cool grey. It performs on function as well as form, printing labels ranging between 1 and 4.6 inches wide at a rate of 60 labels per minute. It prints shipping labels compatible with all major shipping platforms – including Etsy – alongside a range of other label types. Any generic thermal direct label roll is compatible, however Phomemo do offer a great range themselves. Installation is quick and easy with the included Labelife software package, so it shouldn’t take you more than five minutes to get started. This program also allows you to design labels from your computer. Connection is only available via USB, however. 

Pros

  • Attractive, colourful design
  • Prints a range of sticker and label types
  • Easy to setup and design labels

Cons

  • Only connects via USB

Verdict

The Phomemo PM246S thermal label printer prints shipping labels, barcodes, food nutrition labels and circular label stickers, allowing you to create easy merchandising opportunities by dropping a couple of stickers in with each order. This versatility makes it a great fit for Etsy, as you could handle all your shipping, packaging and organisation needs with just this one little machine. You will need a computer with a USB port, however. 

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DYMO LabelWriter 4XL

The DYMO LabelWriter 4XL prints 4×6 shipping labels, barcodes, warehouse labels, organisational labels and a whole lot more, including extra-wide format labels. Your prints will always come out crystal clear, too; with a resolution to 300dpi, this printer operates at a similar level of print quality to most monochrome office printers. It also comes with free DYMO Connect software – featuring customizable text, graphics and over 60 professional templates – so the design of your labels will always be professional and mailing compatible. The print speed is the fastest on this list, at an unbelievable 129 high-capacity 4-line address labels per minute, or 53 standard 4×6. Plus, the unique internal label roll feeding system means there’s no need for an external thermal label holder. However, the machine won’t support generic labels – only authentic DYMO FSC Certified LabelWriter labels will do. 

Pros

  • Superfast printing speed
  • Internal label feeding system
  • High resolution for clear prints
  • Prints a large number of label types
  • Comes with free DYMO Connect software

Cons

  • Only supports DYMO branded labels

Verdict

The DYMO LabelWriter 4XL has everything an eCommerce business could ask for in a thermal label printer, no matter what stage they’re at in their development. Being officially recommended by Etsy adds a level of reassurance for newer businesses, whilst the ability to swiftly print bulk mailing labels makes this machine perfect for larger operations too. The dependence on proprietary labels could push up costs in the long run, however the low initial cost of the machine means they should even out. This is our number one choice for the best overall thermal label printer for Etsy sellers. 

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