The Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 is a revelation. This is not your usual label printer that can get bogged down in tapes, functions and fiddly controls, or limited designs and finishes. The LW-C610 does most of what you'll need for labelling craft and art supplies to everyday stickering, and it does it all with ease.
The headline features include support for tapes 4 to 24 mm wide and these come in all manner of finishes, from metallics to matts (I particularly like the matt black tape and foil gold finish). Inside the box you get a 4mm tape to get labelling immediately, as well as the AC adapter and setup instructions. The Epson Label Editor app is free and available for iOS and Android.
Below I'll go into a little more detail about the design, app and how the Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 is to use. If you want to see how it stacks up to the competition read our guide to the best label makers and best thermal printers.
The Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 design
The Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 is a classy little gadget that measures 5.5 x 14.6 x 13.3 cm and weighs just 470 grams. I find it very light and easy to hold and carry, but this is largely because it's powered by an included AC adapter and not batteries. (You can slip open a panel at the bottom of the printer to slot in batteries if you wish to go completely mobile.) Despite the wired connection the Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 can still be easily carried and used at a friend's house, studio or convention.
The printer itself is about the size of an average person's handspan and is largely devoid of any detail or design flourishes. This is a smart and neatly designed printer with one slit that feeds out the printed tape and a small on/off button at the top. Below are small rubber feet to ensure it sits securely on your desk or table. Overall, the Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 is quite elegant.
What I love about the design of the Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 is how easy it is to change tape cartridges. You simply pop open the side panel and slip in the cart, and that's it. After you slide the panel back on and press print the device automatically aligns the tape, trims the edge and cuts the end edge when finished.
Overall the Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 is a sophisticated thermal printer that is easy to set up and use. My only reservation, and it's a very personal one, is the Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 comes in a two-tone beige colour-way that brings back memories of ‘80s and ‘90s computing. These retro tones are on-trend, but not a personal colour I like in 2023.
How is the Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 to use?
The Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 is incredibly easy to use and you'll be printing off new designs in minutes. This small label maker uses thermal technology to print cost-effective and quality labels. It prints at a crisp 360dpi resolution onto a mix of 50 tape finishes. I printed in black ink onto matt blue sticker paper for this review, and the results are excellent. If you're making money from Etsy and need to add a little finish to the package, this is a good device. (Read our tips for how to sell on Etsy for more ideas.)
The tape quality is good enough to be used professionally if you need to label craft products but equally good for stickering household items or those pots and jars we all use to store art supplies. The only downside to the tape I tested was the sticky back of the tape can be tricky to remove and peel off, but it's not terrible. Print speed is around 10-12 mm per second (I counted) and, as mentioned, the Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 features a handy auto-cutter for trimming tape before and after a job, for a clean result.
What I like about the app is how everything, from fonts to images and symbols, can be adjusted with ease
The real secret to the Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 is just how easy it is to use; there's only one button on the device itself and everything is handled in the Epson Label Editor app. Open up the app and connect to the printer via Bluetooth or wireless, it's very simple. The app itself is a complete design software with many fonts of various types as well as around 870 symbols and graphics to use. Frames and shapes give each label a unique look.
What I like about the app is how everything, from fonts to images and symbols, can be adjusted with ease, whether that's using simple alignment tools or manually adjusting images and font sizes using toggles. The app can create QR codes and barcodes as well as import images and new fonts to expand the base for designs.
Should you buy a Epson LabelWorks LW-C610?
The Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 is one of the more costly small thermal label printers around, so expect to pay $89 / £100 for this device from most online stores. But the price represents the quality of the printed labels and variety of finishes and designs you can achieve. For example, the Epson LabelWorks LW-C410 is half the price at $40 / £50 but also a fraction of the print resolution, it prints at 180dpi as opposed to the LW-C610's far better 360dpi.
The upshot is, you can buy sticker and label printers for less but few will offer the same print quality, variety of tape sizes and finishes. The flexible design options offered by the Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 are excellent for creating unique labels. If you're looking for a label maker that will last and do everything you may need, the Epson LabelWorks LW-C610 is a clever choice.
Read more:
- Polono PL60 review
- The best portable printers
- These are the best art printers
