Suggestions on a Label Maker?

Sun Nov 19 09:17:04 PST 2006

On Wed, Nov 15, 2006 at 10:10:47PM -0800, Mark Stenstadvold wrote:
> I've been tasked to find a handheld label maker and a desktop label 
> maker, both with the capabilities of printing labels for cables.  I'm 
> currently looking at the Dymo and K-Sun lines.
> 
> Does anyone have any experience with these lines and can comment on 
> them?  Do you have any suggestions for any other label maker?  What sort 
> of labels do you use for labeling cables?
> 
> Thanks!
> --Mark.

I have to admit that while I happily own a small Dymo of the sort that
prints flat-ink labels (not the daisywheel kind) for general purpose, that
on light colored "made to length" cables I darn near as always use a
Sharpie.  

When I am labelling cable instead of flat edges with the Dymo Tag I use the
paper tape rather than glossy, make sure it's completely debubbled as I go.
If I think the environment will be nasty to it I can seal it in with a
straight length of the right kind of packing tape - but the kind of nasty
environments that paper labels don't like, electrical stuff tends not to
like either.

Though it can be noted that I write things in sharpie much more neatly than
some of my colleagues.  

Specifically I write the length it was measured to, and the purpose it was
for, which might be a hostname, but might be something like "Dealers Room
run".  Label both ends;  if it's long enough that there's a notable middle,
and this being especially true of draggly cords behind racks, label the
middle.

When labelling really fast and a lot of cables are the same, I color tag
them with patterns, like archers do their arrows.   white white red.  ah
here's the other end of that..  saves changing the label when the generic
cord's purpose changes again.

  . | .    Heather Stern          |     (408) 374-7623 land
--->*<---  star at starshine.org   - * -   (408) 761-4912 cell
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