workscorp's Full Review: Brother P-Touch® PT-1180 Matrix Label Printer
Why I Purchased This Label Printer
A friend of mine has a Brother label printer that he uses for his home-based business, and one day he showed it to me.
I was amazed at how it spit out labels quickly, quietly, one right after the other.
I had forgotten about it until I was shopping in Sam's Club one day and saw the PT-1180. It was packaged with 2 cassettes of tape and I thought I had to have it.
It was downhill from there. Not because it wasn't a great printer, but because it was so much fun. I labeled file folders, boxes of business records, light switches that I can never remember what they turn on, and every breaker in my 4 breaker boxes.
I wondered how I had ever lived without this little machine.
How This Label Printer Works
Like most label printers, Brother units have a cassette with 3 spools of tape: the foreground color, the background color and the laminate coating. When printing, the Brother infuses color from the foreground tape onto the background tape in the shape of the text you have entered, then covers it with the laminate strip.
Printing is silent except for the quiet motor spinning the cassette.
How To Use This Label Printer
The PT-1180 is very easy to use. Basically, you enter the text you want to print on the typewriter-style keypad, then press Print. Your label then prints on a strip at about an inch per second. When finished, press the cutting bar lever to cut and release the label.
You can change the text size, text style and margins anytime while entering text. However, only 1 text size and style can be used for each label.
For example, you can print:
This is a label
or
This is a label
but not
This is a label
Changing attributes is also fairly simple, although checking the user's guide might be required at first. You press the Function button then use the arrow keys to scroll through the available functions until you reach the one you want to change (such as Style). Then press the Function button again and use the arrow keys to scroll through the various choices (such as Bold, Italic, etc). Press Function a third time and you're all set. Once you get the hang of it, it's easy.
To change to a different cartridge, whether it be size or color, simply open the back, lift out the existing cartridge and snap in the new one.
Features
The PT-1180 accepts 3 tape sizes: 1/4" (6mm), 3/8" (9mm) and 1/2" (12mm).
The following colors are available that fit this printer: black-on-white, black-on-clear, red-on-white and white-on black. Many other colors are available in sizes up to 1 1/2" for larger, more expensive printers.
Cassettes for the PT-1180 average about $12 each and are 26.2 feet long.
There are 5 text sizes from which to choose, plus 9 text styles: normal, outline, bold, shadow, italic, italic outline, italic bold, italic shadow and vertical (vs. the standard horizontal).
The 2 smallest text sizes, when used with 3/8" or 1/2" tape, allow you to print 2 lines on your label.
You can also underline your text or choose from 4 frames which surround it: round (a rounded outline), wooden (looks like it's on an old wooden sign), pointing (a hand pointing to the text with jagged, starburst edges) or candy (text is surrounded by a candy wrapper).
Text can also be printed in a mirror image. Handy when printing on clear background tape that needs to placed on the opposite side of glass. Of course, I found a use for this as well.
You have a choice of margins and can also permanently store up to 9 of your most frequently used labels.
Brother includes a tool to separate the label from its backing to expose the sticky surface. I've found that a thumbnail is just as effective.
How This Label Printer Has Performed
Almost flawlessly.
I purchased my PT-1180 at Sam's Club in a package that also included black-on-white and black-on-clear 1/2" cassettes.
Once early on, when changing to the black-on-white cassette, it jammed and tore the tape when I tried to print the next label.
Upon further investigation of the user's guide, it tells you to advance the tape from the new cassette a bit after installing it. This I did not do.
However, the user's guide also tells you not to return the label printer to the store, but rather call Brother toll-free if there are any problems. I never considered returning it since it was my mistake, but decided to give them a call and tell them what had happened. They promptly sent me a new cassette free of charge. I was amazed at the high level of customer service.
To be honest, I still don't advance the tape after installing a new cassette, but just make sure the leading edge of the tape fits correctly. No more jams.
Other than that, I have had no problems. The unit is now over 8 months old, and the 3 AAA batteries included in the package are still going strong.
What I Don't Like
The maximum length of a label is 55 characters, including spaces. Sometimes I need just a few more to complete a label, and I end up abbreviating. I'd like about 70-75 characters. I'm sure more expensive machines allow more characters.
As stated before, you can't change font sizes or styles within a label.
Overall
For the price, I couldn't ask for a better label printer or a better bargain.
Electronic labeling system with 1-line LCD 1 font in 8 styles and 5 type sizes Mirror and vertical printing 3 available tape sizes Manual tape cutter ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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