Guess Who Wins: DuraLabel 2000 vs. Brady HandiMark

The DuraLabel 2000 Handheld Label Printer is here. And it's better than ever. Today I'd like to break down the main features and capabilities of the DuraLabel 2000, comparing it with the Brady HandiMark. And if by chance you are saying, "Well, what is the DuraLabel 2000; I have never heard of it" then you have been hibernating in a cave for way too long. But I digress. By witnessing these comparisons, you certainly won't forget it now:

Brady HandiMark (BHM) vs. DuraLabel 2000 (DL2000)

Maximum Label Length
BHM: 5 ft.
DL2000: 30 ft. (6x longer)

Cool-down Time Required
BHM: 60 minutes
DL2000: 0 min. (Never overheats)

Battery Life
BHM: 25’ of labels or 30 min.
DL2000: 100’ of labels or 120 min.

Screen Size
BHM: 2 lines
DL2000: 5 lines

Text & Images
BHM: Manual Guess & Check
DL2000: Auto-size

Safety Hand Strap
BHM: No
DL2000: Yes

Pre-installed Safety Symbols
BHM: 113
DL2000: 122 (updated to latest ANSI standards)

Avg. Cost to Create 2” x 10” Pipemarker
BHM: $1.50
BHM: $1.06

Clear winner through eight key categories: the new DuraLabel 2000 Handheld Label Printer.

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Two New Labeling Supplies!

Announcing two new label supplies available from Graphic Products: Embossable Poly Supply (Metallized) and Nylon Label Supply. Each of these supplies works excellently with four printers: DuraLabel PRO, DuraLabel PRO 300, DuraLabel 7000, and the DuraLabel 4TTP.

Embossable Poly Supply (Metallized)

Designed with a 6.0-mil silver metallized film coating, Embossable Poly Supply provides durable texture and professional appearance. With Embossable Label Supply, there are two options for including printed material on your labels. One, print the label's template using your DuraLabel printer. Then simply use a standard ballpoint pen and write personalized or updated information right onto the supply. Because of its unique engineering, information written onto the supply using a ballpoint pen creates and maintains an impression to prevent labels from being easily altered. Two, create completed labels entirely using your DuraLabel. Since Embossable Poly Supply is shipped blank in metallized silver, all of the label's information—the template and the personalized information like name and date—can easily be printed directly onto the supply. In other words, the example to the right shows the inspection label's template is both printed and handwritten. The name "FRED G." could have be printed straight from a DuraLabel. It's a matter of preference and depends on if you're ready to use the labels right away or not.

Some good uses for Embossable Supply? Try using it to pen information on inspection labels or security labels. Within industries, Embossable Poly Label Supply is recognized as a popular form of inspection labels. So take advantage of it!

TIP: If you use a ballpoint pen to include personal information on Embossable Label Supply, write it with the backing is still on the supply prior to applying the label. Using a pen, it is much easier to write on a hard, flat surface than it is an irregular surface!

Nylon Label Supply

This flexible supply takes on the bendy, wrinkly surfaces fantastically. Nylon labels are made to stay attached! Label information printed on Nylon Label Supply will not become so easily distorted, and its special characteristics helps protect the topcoat from cracking.

Some good uses for Nylon Label Supply? Try using it for wiring projects in industrial settings. Wires can bend when subjected to rough handling, maintenance, or other natural or unnatural causes, and the flexibility of Nylon Label Supply adapts well to wire surfaces. Other uses include garment care and rubber moldings. Most uneven and difficult surfaces are no problem because Nylon Label Supply will conform to it. So what if surfaces don't hold their shape, because now there is a solution!

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Continuous Vinyl - Custom Colors

When it comes to the bold statement about offering the widest variety of label supply anywhere, Graphic Products was not kidding. Continuous vinyl is now available in a full spectrum of colors!

Let me supply (pun intended) you with an easy analogy. Think of it this way: you need a specific color of paint for the interior walls of your home to complement the colors of your carpet, furniture, etc., so what do you do? Why, you head to the paint department in a home improvement store, of course. There, a paint and color expert mixes some paint. The result? Exactly the color of paint you wanted!

Similarly, Graphic Products will do the same service for its customers in need of label supply. You want a certain color on the spectrum? They'll provide it to you in the form of custom color continuous vinyl. Not to say that you'll need custom colors for complementing your interior decorated office or warehouse (although, that is an idea for you aesthetically-minded people out there); rather, for color-coding inventory and standardizing work areas. And outside of OSHA and ANSI requirements, which should always be followed, you are free to put custom color continuous vinyl wherever you need it.

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Introducing... Custom Label Service

There is another way to design and order quality DuraLabel signs and labels, and now you can do it directly online. In a move that has already generated a lot of buzz, Graphic Products has created a new website to help you design and order the labels you want--all with just a few clicks of the mouse.

To learn more about this exciting new service, read the official press release for the Custom Label Service.

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Laboratory Labels

Although often used for industrial applications and in industrial facilities, the versatile DuraLabel PRO can be utilized for a wide range of labeling tasks. One recommended use is to complete labeling tasks in the laboratory.

Whatever type of laboratory in which you work, you'll find that the DuraLabel PRO printer is fit to handle most labeling jobs. This is due mostly to the supplies that the DuraLabel PRO uses. DuraLabel supplies stand up to laboratory conditions extremely well. DuraLabel ribbon and vinyl are highly resistant to low and high temperatures. This is an important characteristic because many laboratories keep samples in cold temperatures where some adhesives simply fail. Another scenario is the thermal transfer ribbon resin melting off in a hot environment, such as hot water baths. However, this is unlikely to happen with DuraLabel supplies.

In addition to resisting a wide range in temperature, DuraLabel supplies are also quite resistant to chemicals. Since laboratories use many types of chemicals and solvents, it is wise to create labels capable of resisting a wide range of substances.

As you can see, the DuraLabel PRO isn't just for industrial purposes. It is designed to assist with essential laboratory labeling. So go with a name you can trust and service you can count on: DuraLabel.

New Specialty Supply: UV Watermarking Supply

We've all experienced the security checkpoint line at the airport. We hand over our boarding pass and driver's license to a TSA employee, she marks the boarding pass with a pen or marker, and then she shines this cool light onto our driver's license. What the TSA employee is doing is verifying a certain seal or symbol especially visible in UV light. A new specialty supply for use with DuraLabel PRO label printers provides a similar benefit of security to those who use it on labeling applications. It is called UV Watermarking Supply.

Labels can be printed to include fluorescing ink that hides graphic images and text until exposed to UV light (black light), which then tells you that the label is genuine and not a counterfeit.

How do you get your hands (and your UV light) on this UV Watermarking Supply, you ask? The answer is simple: Graphic Products offers a convenient service for its customers to receive exactly what they need. Simply provide Graphic Products an electronic image (you may also provide a sketch on paper) of your company logo, text, or other graphic that you would like to have appear in fluorescing ink. Supply specialists will then prepare your UV Watermarking Supply and ship it to you in only a matter of days. Upon receipt of the supply, load it into your DuraLabel PRO printer and print as normal (barcode labels, product part number labels, etc.). Exposure to a UV light, showing your fluorescing image or text, verifies your labeled product, part, or area is authentic.

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Eye Safety in the Workplace

When it comes to safety in the workplace, it is easy to see how proper safety preparedness can aid in eliminating hazards. Without proper safety preparedness, however, it might not be easy to see. Literally.

An article in Facility Safety Management magazine discusses workplace eye safety requirements as they relate to the responsibilities of both employers and employees. Follow this link to read the entire article on workplace eye safety requirements.


The article references OSHA's General Industry Standard 29 CFR [1910.132(f)], which says that for each employee required to use PPE, employers must provide appropriate training. Occasions also arise where retraining is necessary. This occurs when employers believe affected employees do not have the understanding and skill required for their job responsibilities. Written certification is required to verify each affected employee has been trained adequately.

Another highlight of the article includes a discussion of proper procedures to be taken for handling eye injuries, including posting labels and signs to alert the employee of eye wash station locations and instructions for using it. ANSI Z87 standards are cited as important references relating to eye and face protection.

The article moves on to describe PPE maintenance and care, methods for cleaning it, and recommendations from OSHA to employers and employees.

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