Brother PT-9800PCN Desktop Network Thermal Label and Barcode Printer

Really nice label printer. The laminated labels produced are very robust and do not fade (unlike thermal printers for shipping/receipt labels).The network function works well enough for sharing without a server to control the queue. Mac OS X software (P-Touch Editor) s OK for home use, but missing lots of useful features that the Windows version. The most painful omissions for me have been the inferior barcode library (the Windows version can print more compact barcodes), and lack of template uploading (must use Windows-only app for this). Unfortunately the firmware is not compatible with the Brother mobile apps, though there is nothing preventing this from being added though a future firmware update (unlikely, but possible; they don't advertise it as being mobile-enabled, so I suppose this is just a nice-to-have).I've never managed to upload templates or firmware via TFTP/FTP, though the BRAdmin Pro software and web "console" command line suggest this is possible. Both functions work fine from Windows with a USB cable. Firmware has been solid since 2011 (no updates), so new units will probably have it already.Printer's ability to auto-populate templates based on serial/USB input is a key feature for me. I use it to print custom cable wraps and labels using a barcode scanner connected to the USB port, which is a really slick solution in the field (faster than handheld label printer-- just scan the right barcode on a job sheet and the scanner will print custom serial number "plates", cable wraps, and patch/faceplate labels). Printer can even generate 1D and 2D barcodes based on serial input (e.g. DataMatrix, QR, PDF417). Manual says that Symbol LS2208 (1D) and DS6707 (2D) USB scanners are compatible, and I can confirm this is the case. Pro tip: Scan the "I 2 of 5 - Any Length" configuration barcode to allow either scanner to read the "ITF 2 of 5" barcodes this printer produces (default scanner configuration will not recognize the generated ITF barcodes otherwise). Another note: scanner generated barcodes seem identical to Windows-generated barcodes (good/best) rather than the Mac OS X barcodes (wider).Driver software allows distribution of big print jobs between several of these printers.PT-9800PCN is very convenient for home use, and works really well for PC, network, and barcode enabled workflows

My company was looking to invest in a bar code printer to make product labels in house to save money.1) If you're looking to make a good label for product serial number that will go on an actual product or SKU label for packaging this is not it. First the Matter silver is tape is thin and there's no protective layer so for example you put it on a table or touch it with you finger nail and it scratches up. Not professional or durable enough.2) If looking for a quick way to make box labels it also doesn't work. The white tape, unlike the matter silver tape, is shiny, whereas we need flat.Also, the good tape (HGe) is only available in 5 packs for $100-$250 each. It's crazy (but obvious why) they don't them in singles or pairs.

Works great, but the software could use some work. It is somewhat difficult to make exactly the label you want because of the clunky interface. The printer itself has been great, and setting it up on the network was a piece of cake.

Awesome product. And, well, honestly, it had better be, for this price. I bought this to use it with labeling my Lego collection (which is pretty massive) in plastic drawer systems like the ones from Akro Mills. This printer is total overkill for that, though, and it's far more capable than I need it for.The Brother PTouch software isn't hard to use, though I sometimes wish that it was better for managing large collections of labels (for my needs, obviously). It just starts to get slow with large label files.Mine came in a box that was previously opened and the printer appeared to be used. While this is seriously a business-grade device, and I'm sure it will never have any problems because it was built for workloads that I, as a single person, will *never* put at it, it's still sad to know that something being labeled as new shows up used. I'm not even sure it would've affected my purchasing decision, but it'd be nice to know if this might happen.

We've been using this weekly for the last few months and have been very happy. We are primarily using Macs and love the P-Touch software, it's super easy to use to make labels and barcodes. We are attaching this directly to our network via Cat 6 and have no problems accessing the printer on all of our computers. The only issue we have is the labels are expensive, but the quality is great. I guess you get what you pay for.

This labeler has been working well for us. It produces a wide variety of labels and keeps on chugging even on long print chains. The autocutter is good but I wish it provided a slightly better "crack and peel" cut method.

Brother does a great job of providing current software drivers for both Mac and Windows.This printer was purchased to do high-quality serialized bar-code labels for a startup business, from a Mac OSX platform.Printing on the matte silver tape renders some incredibly high quality results, and makes for professionally produced barcode labels at very low cost, with no need to go out to a specialty manufacturer.The printer can be equipped with a laser barcode scanner to initiate printing in sequence, re-printing the scanned code into a specific format, or even database prints, which means you can easily output barcodes on order sheets from any software, scan that barcode, and have the printer produce product-formatted labels to be applied to your products.Overall, a great purchase.

I never thought I'd be overly impressed with a label printer, but really it does work amazingly well. You can change cartridges (tape size, colour etc) so quickly and easily without wasting hardly tape and with minimal effort. The software is extremely versatile and easy to use (if slightly quirky). It prints much faster than anyone could stick the labels, and the print quality is excellent. I highly recommend it.