BrotherP-Touch PC Connectable Label Maker (PT-P700),White

I bought this PC USB connected label printer to replace a handheld brother label maker. The handheld unit worked nicely but I found the small display to be very difficult to read, and the operation to be a bit difficult.This PC version is so much easier to use, has more capability, uses the same excellent TZ style tape and can be battery powered for easy movement between computers. No software install is required, the device appears on the computer as a disk drive that contains the label making editor (lite version) program. Super easy, works really well, and making the labels on screen with a real keyboard is just so much easier than fussing with the handheld unit. If you want to make more complicated labels you have the option of installing the full version of the label editing software on your computer, but so far I have found the light version which requires no install to be perfectly adequate for my needs.This unit has made making labels fast and easy, and I recommend it highly.

There are some reviews here that look at this thing as incredibly complicated or a pain to set up. It is neither of these, and was actually quite easy to set up.Using my Windows 10 machine, I first went to the Brother P-Touch website and downloaded the full software drivers and installation package. When I ran the setup, it instructed me to plug in the printer at the correct time it needed it. The setup went flawlessly. I ran the software updater tool which updated the firmware on my PT-700, including the express software on the included partition. Super easy.The P-Touch Editor 5.2 software is fairly straightforward to use. There's a lot of options available. I would say it is not naturally intuitive. You can pick up any Brother P-Touch standalone label maker and understand how to use it fairly easily. The software here takes a little bit of time to learn. In the Express mode, you click on the paper settings to specify the tape width, length (or auto), margins, and orientation. You then click the large A to enter text mode, and a text box is automatically created on the label. Enter what you want, press Enter for new lines. The software will let you add infinite lines, but your practical limit based on printer resolution is really 7-10 lines at 3.5 pt font each. You can then select the Frame option, pick whatever frames you want (including specialty ones). You might have to go back and adjust label width if a frame doesn't fit. You can also add clip art or images to your label. I took the profile picture of my significant other, made it into a label with hearts on it as a gift. The Layout option lets you change where object boxes line up on the screen. You have to click the frame of that object to get it to accept those commands.The benefit of an object box editor like this is that it makes things easier when you're doing database connections. Brother has a good video detailing how to do this on their Youtube page. Basically, you can connect any database or CSV file and link fields on the form to specific object boxes, and line those up wherever is needed on the label. You could automate mailing address labels this way, or name and ID labels for sign in sheets or something. The possibilities are endless.Also, with this printer sitting on my desk, I have to say this is one of the sexiest office appliances I've owned yet. The white and black contrast looks great. The unit is weighted well so it doesn't fall over. And you can add batteries which stabilize it even more and provide some backup power.The printer does spit out a 1 inch segment before printing to ensure that the tape is properly fed before printing. It's an unavoidable part of the design, and only wastes like 3 cents. Not a big deal.The only problem I have with the printer is putting new cartridges in and out requires opening the side, like an old Walkman cassette player. But that's an unavoidable problem considering the form factor.Overall, this is a great printer, and I have no regrets buying it for $30 used after someone returned it who hated it. Great buy!

A month ago I bought Brother's PDT220 label printer. I fell in love with its TZe tapes, but found that the printer had unacceptable fonts and was very difficult to operate. So I bought this printer instead, and I wish I had started with it in the first place. It is really, really easy to get started: I just plugged it in and turned it on, connected it to my windows computer, and opened the file manager, looked for USB devices, found the printer, clicked on it, and viola! the software loaded and started running. No drivers, no complex installation, it just worked. The software is easy to use; it can use any of my fonts; and when I wanted more sophistication I found I could use my existing P-Touch editor (after downloading a driver).If you have a computer, don't bother with a manual label printer; and just go directly to this one.

Good label maker with a flaw. The device cuts off a square from the tape every time it prints a label. It's wasteful. The printing software is basic but usable.