One of our favorite color label printers has come to its end of life. The Primera LX900 has been a solid, entry-level label printer since its introduction back in January 2010. What made it so special? Let’s count the ways…
- It was fast — When it debuted, the Primera LX900 was one of the fastest desktop label printers you could buy with a print speed of 0.8 inches per second at 4800 dpi print resolution. That was like printing ten labels (4â€x3â€) per minute. Its speed was much faster than its predecessor, the LX810.
- It was affordable — The Primera LX900 delivered a tremendous value at a price of less than $3,000 USD.
- It printed gorgeous, high resolution color labels on demand — With a print resolution of 4800 dpi, the Primera LX900 made it possible for small businesses to print their own professional-quality product labels in small batches on demand.
- It used dye-based inks — Dye-based inks produce the most vibrant colors and are ideal for printing “prime†product labels.
- It was perfect for small businesses with low volume requirements – Great small business desktop label printer for businesses that needed to print between 500 to 3,000 labels per month. Like most of Primera Technology’s color label printers (LX400, LX500, LX900, LX1000, LX2000), if you start printing more than 3,000 labels per month, the ink cost per label gets a bit high when compared to other printers in the market like the Epson TM-C7500G or Afinia L801. When you combine ink cost and print speeds, you can save lots of money with printers like the Epson TM-C7500G or Afinia L801.
Though the color label printer market soon caught up with the Primera LX900 in terms of print speed and value-added features, few could compare with its 4800dpi print quality and low purchase price. For the small business market, the Primera LX900 had found the sweet spot between quality, speed, and price. It was, and still is, ideal for printing small batches of prime product labels on demand.
Now that the LX900 has been discontinued, the only other entry-level desktop printers with dye-based inks are the Afinia L301, Afinia L501 and VIPColor VP485. The Afinia L501, which is priced at $3595 USD, will be available in early 2018 and will also ship with four CMYK dye ink cartridges. It will print the same print quality but at a faster print speed and with a lower ink cost than the LX900. The Afinia L501 uses one of the newest HP print engines whereas the Primera LX2000 uses an older HP print engine and only uses HP pigment inks. The VIPColor VP485 is comparably priced, with a four cartridge (CMYK) at $2995 USD. The Afinia L301 is a fantastic bargain and uses a 2-cartridge system for only $1595 USD. The Afinia L301 was recently launched in Feb 2017 and is becoming a popular choice for small businesses due to its low cost and high print quality.
Primera Technology usually supports and services its discontinued products for as long as parts last. Consumables will be available for a minimum of three years from the Primera LX900’s end of life date — if not longer, depending on demand. So, if you own a Primera LX900, you should be able to continue using it to print your own full color labels for many years to come. DuraFast Label Company will continue to stock LX900 labels and Primera LX900 inks for as long as they’re available for customers in the USA and Canada.
What to Buy Now
If you’ve been thinking of buying the Primera LX900, you may want to move quickly since we have some stock left. Once it’s gone, there will be no more. After our current stock is depleted, then your alternative dye-based inkjet label printers will be the Afinia L301, Afinia L501 and the VIPColor VP485. If you have a larger budget, closer to $8000 USD, then you still have the choice of the Afinia L801 or the Epson TM-C7500G. These two printers are high speed, high print resolution color label printers designed for businesses that need to print over 3,000 labels per month. If you prefer the vibrant colors of dye-based inks, then the VP485 is a good alternative, and the Afinia L301and L501 will be the most affordable small business color label printers. If you like the 4800dpi print resolution of the Primera LX900 label printer, then the L301and L501 from Afinia are the leading contenders.