This guide to the best still-current label printers we've tested in recent years, along with our label-printer buying advice, should go a long way toward helping you make a good buying decision. Keep in mind, however, that general-use printers can also print sheets of paper labels, and are a viable alternative for that task, particularly if you need to print a stack of address labels for a mass mailing. For a look at our top picks, check out our roundup of overall best printers, as well as picks for the best inkjet and laser printers you can buy right now.

An important factor in choosing a labeler is deciding how and where you'll use it. Some label printers today work strictly as standalone devices, requiring that you enter label text and commands on a tiny attached keyboard. However, most recent models either add the option to print from a computing device (whether a PC or a mobile device) or are limited to printing only that way. Adding a PC to the mix provides the easiest and most versatile platform for creating labels, thanks in part to label-printing apps and to the ability to use a full-size keyboard to enter label content.

Mobile devices can offer equally versatile print features, but without a proper keyboard. That said, printing using a mobile device or a standalone printer can be more convenient for printing labels as you need them, whether labeling cables, say, in a data communications center or just in your family room. So be sure to pick a printer that offers the combination of standalone printing and printing from a PC or mobile device that best fits your needs.

In most cases, when using a label printer app, the printer tells the software what type of label roll is loaded. In turn, the software displays predesigned templates for several different label types. You can then fill in the blanks as-is, redesign the template, or start fresh and create your own custom labels.

In many cases, in addition to using the symbols, borders, and other design options built into the software, you can also import clip art and sometimes even photos (which print in monochrome on monochrome printers, of course) into your label layouts. For more details on any bundled software for a given model, look at authoritative label printer reviews. (Hint: We have lots of them.)

Another important factor in choosing a labeler is knowing how and where you'll use it, which helps determine the type of connection you need. Many label printers support multiple connection types, but some support only one, with USB being the most common. Not only is it used for connecting to your computer, but it's also one of the more common ways to recharge the many labelers that come with internal batteries.

The problem with USB is that the labeler must always be tethered to another device, making it more difficult to move the printer around. In addition, printing devices that connect solely via USB generally limit you to printing from only the one PC they're connected to, unless you take the time to set up something to act as a print server. (You can set Windows, for example, to share any USB-connected printer, so other PCs on the network can use it.)

Bluetooth is also supported by many label printers, as is Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct. Ethernet and Wi-Fi, of course, make the printer available on your network, so any computer or mobile devices on the network can send it a print job—assuming the proper software is installed. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct create peer-to-peer connections between the printer and a mobile device or PC.

If you plan to print a large number of labels, another critical factor is the total cost of ownership, which is the initial cost of the printer plus the running cost, or the cost of all the labels you'll use over the printer's lifetime. This is hard to calculate with plastic-label printers because many of them support dozens of label types with different widths, roll lengths, colors, and material types. And the pricing of this stock can range just as wildly.

The key to comparing running costs between different printers is to pick out the label types you want to use and compare prices for just those rolls. For die-cut labels (like address labels), you can calculate the cost per label by dividing the cost of the roll by the number of labels in the roll. For continuous rolls, you can calculate a price per inch by dividing the cost by the number of inches. If you have a sense of how long your labels will be on average, you can also divide the result in inches by the average inches per label, to convert the number of inches into the number of labels.

In either case, once you've calculated the cost per label or per inch for each of two printers, you can immediately see which has the lower running cost. If that model also has the lower initial price, it will obviously have the lower total cost of ownership. If the lower running cost is for the more expensive printer, subtract its cost per inch or label from the other printer's cost per inch or label, then divide that savings (per inch or label) by the price difference between the two printers. The result will tell you how many inches or labels you'll need to print before the more expensive printer gives you a lower total cost of ownership.

If you need more than one type of label, you'll also need to guess how much of each type you'll use. But the basic approach remains the same.