Labels cost around $25 per cartridge and each cartridge may contain anywhere from 200 to 1,000 labels. Like most label printers, the ZSB uses a thermal printing mechanism so there’s no need to buy any ink. Barcodes can be added to label designs along with other fields like time and date stamps. The system offers compatibility with a wide range of barcodes plus QR codes. The Zebra design portal offers a selection of popular label templates plus the option to create custom labels using design tools that can add text boxes, shapes, lines and barcodes. As a Mac user, I think it’s fair to say that integration with Windows is a bit more advanced than macOS. Once the printer driver is installed on the user’s computer, it’s possible to print to the Zebra ZSB using almost any software, although you might have to fiddle a bit to get the right size setup. data files so that labels can be printed for mailing runs for newsletters or magazines. The web portal that's used to create labels to print on the Zebra ZSB label printer can also handle. I’d say that was excellent customer service. One of the cartridges I was sent to test had its chip missing but I contacted Zebra’s support service via the web portal’s online chat function and received a new set of labels the next day. The chip on the cartridge also stops the user from loading third-party labels and if the chip is missing the cartridge is rendered unusable. The cartridge system makes it easy to load labels and makes it far less likely that the printer will jam. The chip also keeps track of the number of labels used as well showing how many are left. On the base of the cartridge there’s a tiny chip that the printer reads to discover the type of label cartridge installed. The cartridges look a little like an egg box and can be recycled or composted once finished. ZSB printers can only accept Zebra labels and they are packaged in special cartridges made from biodegradable potato starch. The Zebra portal also provides a convenient way to order extra labels when needed. It’s a flexible labeling system that can use custom designs from third parties and companies. Designs can also be shared more widely with other Zebra users. Users can create their own label templates which are stored in the cloud and available to anyone who shares the printer.

There’s a choice of popular label templates that can be accessed online and even downloaded for offline use. Once that’s done, the ZSB Portal can be accessed where all the design tools are. Before accessing the Zebra printer tools and web portal, the user must first set up a Zebra account and register the printer online.

Zebra label designer online