Printers
Mostly for shipping labels, invoices and the occasional thing that must be on paper.
What actually matters
- If you print labels regularly, a dedicated thermal label printer is a different and better answer than a paper printer.
- The running cost is the ink, not the printer. Check the cartridge price before the machine price.
- Duplex printing saves paper and a lot of small irritation.
- A printer that prints reliably over Wi-Fi from a phone is worth more than extra features you will not use.
Picks
No specific picks in here yet — I only list things once I've actually formed an opinion about them. The points above are what I'd go on in the meantime.
Also in paper, print and post
- Label makersFor shipping, for stock, and for the cables under your desk.
- Paper cutters & trimmersIf you sell anything printed, this is the difference between a product and a craft project.
- Shipping suppliesThe unglamorous things that decide how long packing takes.
- Packaging & presentationWhat the customer opens. The last thing you control before they judge you.
Kit is the easy part. The awkward part is usually the process.
Buying a label printer fixes an afternoon. If the thing eating your week is the admin around the orders rather than the packing itself, that's the part I build.
Tell me what's eating the week