Brother P-Touch QL-550 Quick PC Label Printer

by Brother

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 12 x 10.2 x 7.6 inches ; 2.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002M6M6M
• Item model number: QL-550
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,873 in Office Products (See Top 100 in Office Products)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The QL-550 boasts more of the things that you want from a label printer. More versatility: it prints die-cut labels and durable white paper or film tape. More speed: it churns out up to 50 labels per minute (standard four-line address label, text only). More value: you get a wide feature set at a great price.

It's simple to print quick, beautiful labels from your PC. Print text or graphics on a variety of durable die-cut labels including address, shipping, file folder and CD/DVD sizes. Or, use the wide, 2-3/7-inch durable paper or film tape for wide labels, signs, and banners. Print directly from Microsoft Word, Excel, or Outlook with just a couple of clicks.

With features and functionality that are similar to that of the QL-500, this small top-loading model also features an auto tape cutter for clean label cuts. This machine includes starter rolls of standard address labels and DK-2205 2-3/7-inch continuous paper tape.

Features:

• Fast printing of high-quality labels.
• Prints up to 50 four-line standard address labels per minute, and prints on continuous tape up to 2.3 inches wide for banners and signage.
• Automatic tape cutter automatically feeds and cuts the label after printing.
• Thermal print technology eliminates toner, ink and ribbon costs.
• Connects easily to PCs via a USB port, version 1.1.
• Easy-to-load drop-in supplies.
• Optional print server (PS-9000) for use with a network environment or networked computer.
• Wide selection of label types, perfect for almost any labeling application.
• Compact size - measures only 5.7 by 7.7 by 6 inches.

What's in the Box
Printer, DK 1201 starter roll die-cut address labels, DK 2205 2-3/7-inch starter roll continuous paper tape, USB cable, Quick Start Guide, CD (includes software and user's guide)

Product Description

Low-cost supplies - just pennies per label. No ink, toner, or ribbons, and no wasted label sheets. Print up to 56 labels per minute (for standard, four-line address labels). 300 dpi resolution. Automatic label cutter. Print labels for a variety of healthcare applications - patient records, asset management, name badges, laboratory specimens, blood bags, and more. Easy-to-use P-touch Editor label design software. QL Add-ins for printing directly from MS Word, Excel, and Outlook. P-touch Address Book software. Easy-to-load label rolls. Includes Starter Roll of 100 Labels. Windows and Mac USB interface, serial interface for ESC/P emulation. Black/Silver.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works Great!, May 12, 2006

By 

Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01 (Starship Voyager, Gamma Quadrant) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brother P-Touch QL-550 Quick PC Label Printer (Office Product)

I purchased this because I hate printing labels on a sheet. This works great. I have used it to print labels, name tags, banners so far it is great.

I saw the other reviews. One reviewer loved Dymo. I briefly owned a Dymo(not sure of exact model), it looked like a nice printer. The problems I encountered were with the software, it crashed my system. After no success in getting the software to work I decided to return it to the store. I am comfortable with technology but I am not a "techie" I just want to be able to get something to work with a resonable amount of time and effort. If the Dymo software works for or you have the technical skill to make it work for you then check out Dymo.

When I saw the OL -550 on Amazon I asked a few friends. One friend who works in a school uses this everyday to print lables when sending out applications and loves it. I decied to try it and have been happy with the printer and the software, it is fast. I use the included software to print individual labels and banners. The printer also works well with Outlook and Excel, I use both for bigger jobs. It does not require ink either, no cartridges to buy and learn to install, so that will save you time and money.

In fairness to the reviewer who complained that it only uses Brother labels, I happen to live in an area with many discount office stores and I am always able to purchase labels cheaply. So if this is not an issue for you - this it is a great fast powerhouse label printer.

UPDATE: We got a new computer that runs Vista. I was able to easily get online and update the software and drivers for this printer and it works great. I have been using the printer with the Vista for a couple of months and have had no problems since switching over to Vista compatable software. Brother has the downloads on their web site.
[...]

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Product, March 20, 2006

By 

A. Paulson "alliealia" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brother P-Touch QL-550 Quick PC Label Printer (Office Product)

We looked at both the Dymo and the Brother. There was no contest. We have been using ours for over a year in a busy medical practice and it has worked flawlessly. It doesn't jam or need ribbons or ink so the thermal paper is a little more than just plain labels. The cost is more than justified when you add up printer costs that are avoided by using thermal paper. Plus, the added ease of how nicely this machine works right off the computer makes it really a terrific machine. It has an excellent program that is pre-set to print to the labels or you can print off Excel, Word or other programs directly to the machine. You can also print speciality labels with pictures, etc... and also use larger sized labels for shipping. Probably the best bang for the buck we made capital expenditure wise last year.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars QL-500 and QL-550 next generation Online Postage Printer, June 1, 2006

By 

Far Jangtrakool "dobermanlabel.com" (California, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brother P-Touch QL-550 Quick PC Label Printer (Office Product)

QL-500 and QL-550 Label Printer from Brother is perfect for online seller, especially eBay or any eCommerce store that accept PayPal. Once customer pay it with PayPal, all you have to do is login into you PayPal account and click ship. PayPal will popup a JAVA Web Service and communicate directly with your label printer. You don't have to pay for monthly service and also get a free confirmation from USPS. The Label is very cheap, look for a compatible product from DobermanLabel.com Product code Dober-2205 will save you a lot of money.