Alice
For electricians, there are a lot of things that can go wrong on the job: using inappropriate tools, cutting the wrong wires, making wrong connections and more. Most of these mistakes can be put down to incorrect labelling; if you don’t mark up your job properly, it can lead to a huge amount of issues later on. The most common traditional method of labelling for electricians is handwritten tags, although these have the same margin for error as any other man made item, and can easily come unstuck or be unreadable to others. Therefore, the best investment for electricians and electrical businesses is a reliable thermal label printer machine. This machine needs to be portable, with a backlit display, QWERTY keyboard and sturdy housing in case of drops. It also needs to be technologically advanced, suited to specialist tasks. Lastly, it needs to have a high resolution and good print quality. Here are our recommended top five best label printers for electricians.
Product Comparison Table: Best Label Printer for Electricians
| Title | Price | Rating (Amazon) | Best in class | Buy | |
 | Brother Mobile PTE500 Handheld Labeling Tool | $$$ | 4 stars | Most Versatile | Amazon |
 | Brady BM21-PLUS Handheld Label Printer | $$ | 4.5 stars | Most Durable | Amazon |
 | MarkDomain Portable Handheld Label Printer | $ | 4.5 stars | Best Value | Amazon |
 | DYMO RHINO 5200 Label Printer Kit | $$$$ | 4.5 stars | Best Complete Kit | Amazon |
 | DYMO RHINO 4200 Label Printer | $$$ | 4.5 stars | Best Overall | Amazon |
Brother Mobile PTE500 Handheld Labelling Tool
The Brother Mobile PTE500 Handheld Labelling Tool provides all the best premium features associated with the Brother name, specially reinterpreted for the electrical trade. A USB interface is included for PC compatibility, allowing you to access symbols in the Cable Labelling Wizard. The included P-Touch Editor Software also includes premade Cloud templates and seven multi-purpose layouts, so you can adapt your designs for any project. The data transfer program even lets you copy spreadsheets from your PC to the PTE500, which can then natively generate incremented labels for patch panels and punchdown blocks. The built-in QWERTY keyboard provides single button access to cable wrap, patch panel, even outlet box faceplates. It is powered by a rechargeable Li-on battery, but this can be replaced by AA alkaline batteries or an AC adapter if required.
Pros
- Prints a large variety of formats
- Versatile power options
- USB interface for further customisation
Cons
- No half-cut feature can waste tape
Verdict
The Brother Mobile PTE500 Handheld Labelling Tool is the most versatile label printer we found for the electrical trade, printing a huge range of formats and designs. The included software allows you to perform all the necessary tasks with ease; the USB interface widens the scope of the machine’s abilities far beyond its inbuilt processing power. However, the lack of “half-cut” feature means you can end up wasting tape when printing some formats.
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Brady BM21-PLUS Handheld Label Printer
The Brady BM21-PLUS Handheld Label Printer has a built-in keyboard, with letters from A-Z, numbers from 1-0, and six font sizes ranging from 6 to 4 point. The text displays on a bright, backlit LCD screen as typed, so you can edit as you go; labels made with this machine are notably clear and high quality, even at such small text sizes. It can also handle a variety of formats: customised wire wraps, heat-shrink sleeves, terminal block labels, wire harness ID, fuse box and electrical panel labels. Although long and seemingly cumbersome, this machine is actually very light, and a durable plastic exterior with rubber bumpers makes it solidly drop resistant.
Pros
- Durable construction, drop-proof
- Backlit LCD screen
- Prints a variety of label formats
Cons
- Awkward to hold, not ergonomic
- Limited customisation options
Verdict
Although it may be simple in this function, the Brady BM21-PLUS Handheld Label Printer is as reliable as it is durable. This machine is perfect for contractors that work from house-to-house, who may be in unfamiliar environments where drops are common. However, it can only print in one font, and the label cutter is awkwardly mounted on the back of the machine.
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MarkDomain Portable Handheld Label Printer
The MarkDomain Portable Handheld Label Printer is perfect for printing warning signs, electrical cord labels, and asset marking labels that are always clear and easy to read. With over 940 inbuilt symbols, 4 frames and margin options accessible via a sensitive QWERTY keyboard, it’s easy to create labels that transmit information instantly. Having 22 accessible languages also means you can comply with the language rules on some contracted jobs. Although an AZe-FX231 water, UV, oil and fade resistant tape is included on purchase, you can also use Brother TZe tapes if you prefer. These are available in a huge range of colours and finishes. The tape-saving functions are incredibly fiddly, however, as you may have to switch the auto-cutter to manual if you want to print repeats. The batteries are also not included, and the screen isn’t backlit.
Pros
- Great value low price
- Range of symbols, margins and frames
- Supports multiple brands of tape
Cons
- Batteries not included
- Fiddly auto-cutter function
- Screen has no backlight
Verdict
Of all the label printers on this list, the MarkDomain Portable Handheld Label Printer has the largest range of key-in symbol options – an underrated benefit for electrical work. Yet, it’s also the cheapest option by far out of any of the label printers on this list, retailing at half (or sometimes a quarter) of the price of its competitors. If you’re new to the trade and don’t have a lot of money to spare, this is the choice for you.
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DYMO RHINO 5200 Label Printer Kit
The DYMO RHINO 5200 Label Printer Kit comes with a DYMO RHINO 5200 printer runit, a case, a CD-ROM for manual software download, AC adapter, battery, and two extra rolls of vinyl labels. One-touch hot keys allow you to automatically format label text for electrical and patch panels, terminal and 110 blocks, wire and cable flags, horizontal and vertical wraps, and fixed-length applications. DYMO also claims the machine is 77% faster than competing models (including the aforementioned Brady and Brother machines) when printing patch panel, wire and faceplate labels, so you won’t be stuck holding cables while you wait for prints. Best of all, the machine is certified as compliant with ANSI, TIA/EIA-696-A industry standards.
Pros
- Hot keys format automatically
- Certified industry standard compliant
- Prints faster than competitors
Cons
- Only supports DYMO branded industrial labels
Verdict
It might seem like a complete set would be designed with rookies in mind; however, the DYMO RHINO 5200 Label Printer Kit has enough features and specs to satisfy even the most seasoned professional electricians. DYMO are without doubt the industry leaders for trade label machines, and the 5200 is no exception. However, the kit is very expensive, and the high-cost branded labels could continue to cost you over time.
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DYMO RHINO 4200 Label Printer
The DYMO RHINO 4200 Label Printer is undeniably built with the electrical industry in mind, as evidenced by the 150+ electrical symbols and terms immediately accessible through the QWERTY keyboard and hot keys. These patented hot keys provide shortcuts for creating and formatting wire/cable wraps, flags, Code 39 and Code 128 barcodes, fixed-length, general and module labels. This machine – like its cousin the DYMO RHINO 5200 – is also certified as compliant with ANSI, TIA/EIA-696-A industry labelling standards. Best of all, you can register your own custom hot keys with the “Favourites” function, allowing single-key access to all your most used label designs, terms and symbols. Only DYMO branded labels are compatible, however these do come in 6-19mm widths, are industrial strength, and have a huge variety of colours and finishes. You can even print directly onto heat-shrink tubes!
Pros
- 150+ industry-specific symbols
- One-touch keys and Memory Recall
- Prints a huge variety of labels and formats
- Compact, portable and durable design
Cons
- Only supports DYMO branded labels
Verdict
The DYMO RHINO 4200 Label Printer is durable, efficient, customisable and reliable – everything you need in a label printer for electrical work. The industry compliance certifications, ability to print on heat shrink tubes, electrical symbols and unique hotkeys make this one of the most popular label printers in the electrical trade. Although it only supports proprietary label rolls, these are incredibly good quality and can provide pretty much any finish you need. All these reasons and more mark the DYMO RHINO 4200 Label Printer out as our number one best label maker for electricians in 2022.
I advise against using label makers with inferior tapes. You’ll be forced to continue using the tape’s bad performance if it’s that kind. If you can exchange with other brands of tapes with long-lasting laminates, you’re lucky.