Brother®P-touch® PT-1230PC PC Connectable Label Maker

Great Printer Although Tape Is Pricey

If you're looking for a simple and reliable "specialty" label printing solution I can highly recommend the PT-1230PC. Setup couldn't be easier. Simply install 6 AAA batteries (not included...Read complete review

If you're looking for a simple and reliable "specialty" label printing solution I can highly recommend the PT-1230PC. Setup couldn't be easier. Simply install 6 AAA batteries (not included), snap in the included tape cassette, close the lid and connect to an available USB port (cable is supplied). When you press the Power button (located on the top of the printer), the built-in printing software automatically launches and the unit is ready to use. Next, just type your text in the box and click the Print button. The manual cutter button works very well. If desired, you can easily edit the font (and it's various attributes), add boxes, insert images, change orientation (landscape, portrait, direction of text) and other details before printing. You can also save labels that you might want to reprint in the future. Brother offers an "advanced" editor that can be downloaded at no charge however for this type of printing I can't imagine the need for any features beyond those are included in the built-in version. That said, I believe the "advanced" version includes some pre-designed templates for users who want to add a more artistic touch to their labels.

Changing tape cassettes takes less than half a minute so using different tape sizes and color combinations isn't at all difficult.

Just keep in mind that the tape is rather costly and the maximum label width is 1/2 an inch. This being the case, I recommend using the labels for things like jars, small boxes, bags, file folders, electronic equipment, cables, bar codes, etc., rather than for addressing envelopes, packages and the like.

I noticed the ad stated "AC Adapter Included" however this is incorrect. Some of the more expensive models DO include the adapter however for occasional use I expect the AAA batteries will last for quite a long time and it's one less "wall-wort" sucking up electricity 24 hours a day. In any case, the printer will launch a "Continue" box after a few minutes of inactivity. If you don't select this, the unit turns itself off to save batteries.

So all things considered, if you can afford the somewhat costly "TZ Series" label refills this unit is well suited for home and small/home office use.