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14 | p2p Magaz i ne | Summer 2011 0870 903 9500

REVIEW

ON TEST:

Brother P-touch 2430PC

James Goulding is enormously impressed by Brother’s P-touch 2430 PC labelling machine.

Editor Lite software is as easy-to-use and intuitive as you could hope for.

My frst impression of the Brother P-touch 2430PC labeller is that it comes with an awful lot of paperwork. In the box, there is a product warranty leafet, an additional free three-year warranty fax-back form; a sheet withWEEE recycling information; a separate folded A3 sheet with European product info; a leafet promoting TZ label cassettes; a software installation guide; a user’s guide; and a sheet informing the user that it is not necessary to install the attached CD because the P-touch comes pre-installed with Editor Lite software. It would be nice if all this was collated in a single booklet.

The P-touch itself is an attractive two-tone white and grey, brick-sized box. It has two buttons on top: a power button and a combined feed and cut button. At the back there are slots for an AC adapter and a USB cable – both supplied with the device – and a switch for putting the printer into EL (Editor Lite) or E (Editor) mode. The latter requires P-touch Editor 5.0 labelling software supplied on CD. For this review, I used EL mode only.

Opening up the side with the cartridge viewing window gives access to the interior with slots for the label cassette and six AA batteries. To save energy when powered by battery, the machine turns itself off after 20 minutes of inactivity automatically saving any unsaved labels. If powered by the mains, it stays on until turned off by pressing the power button.

The labeller is supplied with one 24mm, white laminated TZ tape, but batteries are not included. The cassette slots in incredibly easily, and the arrangement of the sprockets means it can’t be inserted incorrectly. Once the cassette is installed, close the cover, turn the machine on and press the feed/cut button to feed the tape into position. Then all you need to do is connect the P-touch 2430PC to your computer via USB. Depending on your PC settings Editor Lite software will either start immediately or you will have to double-click on the P-touch icon.

Operation

Editor Lite software is as easy-to-use and intuitive as you could hope for. So easy in fact that anyone can create and print new labels; save labels to the PC (but not the labeller); add symbols, images or PC screen grabs; and insert additional text boxes. The ability to add extra text boxes is very useful as it lets you combine different elements and line lengths in a single label.

The property toolbar has the usual features including font, font size, style (bold, italic, underline) and text alignment, plus various label-specifc features, such as the ability to set the tape width or length and change the orientation from horizontal to vertical. Just as important as the printer itself are the labels onto which it prints. The P-touch 2430PC takes laminated TZ tape in a choice of six widths from 3.6mm to 24mm. These come in a variety of styles to suit just about every labelling

Conclusion

The P-touch 2430PC is so useful that once you start labelling you won't be able to stop. I have been using it to label fles, folders, DVDs, plug sockets and dozens of USB drives so that I don’t have to insert them into a PC to identify their contents.When I have time, I will label all the extraneous adapters and cables scattered around the offce.

My wife has her own list of labelling tasks, many of which involve some of the more adventurous TZ tape options, such as iron-on fabric labels and extra-strong adhesive labels for marking possessions. The children, too, are itching to get their hands on it. In this context, one of the labeller's great benefts is its plug and play operation and the ease with which it can be shared by multiple PC users. The P-touch 2430PC has its limitations. Battery operation may free you from the need for mains power, but you still need a computer to input data, as there is no keypad on the device itself. If you would like to walk around the offce labelling as you go, try Brother’s PT-1000 handheld or PT-1290DT desktop labeller instead.

Nor, thanks to a maximum label width of 24mm, is the P-touch 2430PC suitable for printing address labels, warning signs or banners. A better option for such tasks is Brother’s QL series of address and label printers featuring a maximum label width of 102mm. But for any small labelling application, the combination of the plug and play P-touch 2430PC and TZ tapes is ideal. Just don't forget to label the printer, because it’s sure to be ‘borrowed’ if you don’t.