What do you use to make those fancy looking heat shrink labels for cables?

[e100]

I looked at the Dymo site but prices seem sky high for a XTL 300 which mentions cable labels. Can the cheaper versions do the same thing or are there fundamental differences between the cheap and expensive models?

[SMTech]

We don't use them but the Brother versions do allegedly work in perfectly affordable printers https://www.labelzone.co.uk/brother/hse-tape but then again I'm not sure the listing is accurate. Do like our P-Touch here tho' for PCB/Assemblies labelling

[ElektroQuark]

I use a DYMO with D1 tapes and shrink tube.
You can see an article in my blog, it's in Spanish but plenty of self explaining images:

https://www.elektroquark.com/wp/2014/10/13/quark-xxxiii-etiquetando-cables/

[Berni]

Yep Brother also sells the heatshrink capable printers at a higher price.

But as far as i can tell that is more of an artificial limitation. At work we have a more expensive model used to print on heatshrink, but we also buy cheap knockoff Chinese tape cartridges for it because they are so much cheaper than original ones. Eventually found out that some of the fake cartridges have the wrong identification holes on them, so the printer detects it as a normal label tape cartridge. They print just fine tho, so i was curious and taken one of those tapes home and tried putting them in my own cheaper model Brother label printer that does not claim to support heatshrink.

The properly identified heatshrink tape as expected refused to print at all, but the incorrectly identified tape printed just fine, the quality looked the same as on the proper heatshrink capable printer at work. So it seams you can get any brother printer to print on heatshrink as long as you can make it think the cartridge is a normal tape. I haven't tried decoding the identification holes but you can just look at an existing normal tape cartridge to see what the identification hole pattern is and just cover up some holes with sticky tape to make the heatshrink cartridge look like a normal tape cartridge.

EDIT: Oh and btw Brother says you should not use the built in cutting blade to cut the heatshrink, but the printer sometimes cuts it anyway as the software is not quite bulletproof. It cuts it just fine tho, the one at work cut many of them and still works. But i guess it decreases the life of the cutting blade.

[e100]

Yep Brother also sells the heatshrink capable printers at a higher price.

But as far as i can tell that is more of an artificial limitation....

Oh  , after some more searching I found this https://hackaday.com/2019/08/14/print-your-own-heat-shrink-labels-for-factory-chic-wire-naming/
Totally depressing that manufacturers would do a miserable trick like this.
The comments at the bottom are gold, seems like Dymo and Brother are battling with each other to see who is the most evil.

[SilverSolder]

I use a DYMO with D1 tapes and shrink tube.
You can see an article in my blog, it's in Spanish but plenty of self explaining images:

https://www.elektroquark.com/wp/2014/10/13/quark-xxxiii-etiquetando-cables/

That's clever, like it!    

Do you take the backing sheet off the labels, or just leave it on?

[SMTech]

I purchased a bunch of knockoff brother labels once and we had real issues, the end of one of the tape parts wasn't attached to its spool in several cassettes and all you got was a tangled mess. Mentioned it to the seller and they sent me a video of how to take apart the cassette and fix it.

However if you think Brother/Dymo are evil have you seen the price of CAB/Brady/Zebra ?

[thm_w]

[e100]

Are these 'Rite and wrap' or RiteOn self laminating labels any good? Does the transparent tail remain stuck down forever or is there a tendency to lift over time and gradually unravel?

[ElektroQuark]

I use a DYMO with D1 tapes and shrink tube.
You can see an article in my blog, it's in Spanish but plenty of self explaining images:

https://www.elektroquark.com/wp/2014/10/13/quark-xxxiii-etiquetando-cables/

That's clever, like it!    

Do you take the backing sheet off the labels, or just leave it on?

I tried both options with no problems.

[GerardG]

I have a P-touch from brother.
For this printer there are shrink-tube cartridges.

https://www.labelzone.co.uk/brother-pt-p750w-desktop-label-printer

Didn't test it.

[S. Petrukhin]

I have been using BIOVIN S700E for more than 3 years.

It is inexpensive for about $550, cartridges are inexpensive for about $7 for 80m ribbon.
Thermal transfer technology is used - very resistant to abrasion, liquids, compression, etc., almost eternal and not damaged.
A cheap conventional shrink tube is suitable for printing. There are white, red and black ribbon colors. It is possible to cut the tubes in half.

I have this printer printed more than 2.5 km tube, now we are using the 4th set of cardridges (10 pieces of 80m).

https://aliexpress.ru/item/2043334555.html
https://aliexpress.ru/item/32337151144.html

[phil from seattle]

Somewhere I saw a video about a guy who uses clear heat shrink tubing and either printed paper labels or hand written ones.  He slides the clear tubing over the labels and the wire and then shrinks it.  Viola.  No special printers needed. No expensive supplies with questionable compatibility.

We will see if it works as well as the video but I am happy to not have one more highly specialized gizmo lying around. I have some clear HS tubing on order.

[SilverSolder]

Somewhere I saw a video about a guy who uses clear heat shrink tubing and either printed paper labels or hand written ones.  He slides the clear tubing over the labels and the wire and then shrinks it.  Viola.  No special printers needed. No expensive supplies with questionable compatibility.

We will see if it works as well as the video but I am happy to not have one more highly specialized gizmo lying around. I have some clear HS tubing on order.

Same here - will be interesting to try!

[uzbek]

I purchased a bunch of knockoff brother labels once and we had real issues, the end of one of the tape parts wasn't attached to its spool in several cassettes and all you got was a tangled mess. Mentioned it to the seller and they sent me a video of how to take apart the cassette and fix it.

However if you think Brother/Dymo are evil have you seen the price of CAB/Brady/Zebra ?

Can you recommend any knockoff labels?

[mansaxel]

Somewhere I saw a video about a guy who uses clear heat shrink tubing and either printed paper labels or hand written ones.  He slides the clear tubing over the labels and the wire and then shrinks it.  Viola.  No special printers needed. No expensive supplies with questionable compatibility.

We will see if it works as well as the video but I am happy to not have one more highly specialized gizmo lying around. I have some clear HS tubing on order.

I do this all the time; 25mm Ø clear heatshrink, and under it company sticker and a colour tape which is code for length, and a serial number,  on XLR connectors.

[S. Petrukhin]

Brady self-laminating marker

[Sepp]

I am just posting here to let more recent internet searchers know - you can print on heatshrink with a 'regular' thermal transfer printer.
(This forum post shows up in google searches in 2024!)

I have a TSC TTP-343 Plus model - which is a 'standard' 4" wide ribbon style thermal transfer printer - typically used for vinyl printing.

I had to make a "hardboard" guide for the heat shrink - and do a bunch of templating in my software (I use AutoCAD).
The results are great for text and numbers.
You have to use a font with enough thickness to print well - so basically trial and error - to get it working.
You can't print near the edge because the heat shrink's edge bend affects the transfer ribbon's pressure against the heat shrink.
However, I can print on 9mm well and 12mm very well.

This prints linearly - so I can print a 12" long piece with multiple impressions. (And then cut them up after)
AS some people note - don't have the printer cut the heat shrink - it's not designed do that.

I have both black and white ribbon - so I can print either color 'ink' on the tubing.

If there is interest in this, I could do a tutorial with a video.

Regards

Sepp.


AND FYI: IF you need vinyl label tapes and supplies - www.precisionlabelproducts.com consistently has the lowest prices and widest range of colors I have ever found. We bought our printer from them, back in 2010, but you can probably find some great deals on Ebay these days.
Thermal Transfer printers are still 'crazy' expensive - I think!