The most impressive aspect of the models Pro 200 and Pro 300 printer is their versatility. They will do most regular printing jobs straight out of the box, but if you take the trouble to understand their anatomy, such as the purpose of the two optical sensors, you’ll find yourself in possession of a printer which can be coaxed into doing just about any print job. The kind of printing skills that will impress your colleagues can be acquired in a matter of minutes with the help of the accompanying CD. As for which model of LabelStation you need, roughly speaking it goes like this: To label roadside power poles the Pro 200 would most certainly suffice (probably printing on vinyl using industrial ribbon), whereas to produce a part number sticker for a microchip would require the extra resolution of the Pro 300, especially if a company logo or graphic is involved.

The Pro 200 works handsomely for most regular jobs, however. Unlike cartridge printers which are foolproof but inflexible and tend to use more expensive consumables, just one Pro 200 or Pro300 printer can equate to several dedicated machines and will often come to the rescue when an unexpected new printing requirement arises. Like all machines these printers do have their limits but they are very forgiving when pushed beyond them, tending to perform less well rather than simply failing to cooperate once the line is crossed. A typical example of this is the maximum label thickness of 0.19mm, which I have often exceeded without repercussions.

On the subject of limitations, it should be noted that whilst these printers reproduce solid lines very well they do not excel at half-tones (shades of grey). In other words, to guarantee good results when printing a picture file you have to make sure that the graphic it contains consists only of solid black-and-white areas with, at best, cross-hatching to approximate half-tones. The LabelDirect labelling software supplied with the printer is an excellent choice for the ordinary user as it is not over-complicated by the inclusion of features which interest largely only developers.