What should I know about DYMO labels and tape?
If you are looking for consumables to fit your needs, please consult our article HERE.
If you already own a DYMO device, please consult your device’s User Guide or the consumable’s packaging to find out more about properties and good practices concerning your DYMO consumables. Additionally, you can find more extensive Technical Data Sheets for a number of our products HERE .
Authentic DYMO Consumables
Please ensure that you are using DYMO Authentic consumables, as they are specifically designed to work seamlessly with our devices. Our consumables have undergone thorough testing to deliver the best printing output.
LabelWriter
Embosser
LetraTag
LabelManager & Rhino
XTL
Performance and sustainability
How long your labels will last depends on how the labels are stored and used. DYMO® Labeling Solutions have been developed with specific needs in mind such as Home & Craft, at the office or on the jobsite. All our products exhibit natural wear and tear. Exposure to certain elements, such as friction, temperature, liquids or chemicals will impact this process.
Properties of Direct Thermal labels.
The following information ONLY applies to DYMO label printers that use Direct Thermal printing technology. Currently, this includes all LabelWriter printers and LetraTag series label makers.
When used in an office environment, printed labels will remain legible for over a year. The following conditions may cause labels to darken or the text to fade:
- Exposure to direct sunlight or fluorescent light for an extended period of time
- Exposure to high temperatures for an extended period of time
- Contact with PVC film or vinyl containing plasticizers
Please note: these products are suitable for inside use and will (quickly) fade upon exposure to sun and UV light.
For example, the following information can be found about the LabelWriter labels in your LabelWriter User’s Guide:
In the original packaging, the shelf life for DYMO LW labels is 18 months. When labels are used for short-term applications (envelopes, packages, and so on), fading is not a problem. When labels are used to label files in a file cabinet, fading is very gradual over many years. Labels applied to the edge of a notebook that is then placed on a shelf in the sun will show signs of fading within a few months.
To prolong label life when labels are not in use, store the labels in a cool, dry place and in the black bag in which they were originally packaged.
Properties of the Thermal Transfer labels
The following information ONLY applies to DYMO label printers that use Thermal Transfer printing technology. Currently, this includes all LabelManager, Rhino and XTL series printers and label makers.
When used in an office environment, printed labels will remain legible for over a year. The following conditions may cause labels to darken or the text to fade:
- Exposure to direct sunlight or fluorescent light for an extended period of time
- Exposure to high temperatures for an extended period of time
- Contact with PVC film or vinyl containing plasticizers
Please note: These products are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. The tapes are also UV light, heat, humidity, and near freezing conditions resistant, additionally, they offer some chemical resistance.
Storage
To prolong label life when labels are not in use, store the labels in a cool, dry place away from direct sun and UV light exposure and preferably in their original packaging. Additionally, since we keep developing our products, this may cause incompatibility with older items. Therefor, we recommend to only have a limited inventory of our products that may be used up within the year.
Laminating
We do not advise to laminate our labels.
DYMO LabelWriter labels and DYMO LetraTag labels are heat sensitive as they are made from thermal paper.
The materials used in many laminators often contain chemicals which can adversely affect the print on thermal labels. These chemicals can cause the print to fade or turn the label black. Labels should not come into contact with materials composed of PVC film and vinyl containing plasticizers.
