DYMO LABEL WRITER MACHINE 450, S0838810

I ordered this in a moment of lockdown weakness. I decided I needed proper labels for one reason or another. I spent more than I wanted but my reasoning was that I could put it to many more applications where a label was required. I ordered a roll of labels with it but it is supplied with a very small roll. They both arrived together the next day. Big box. It's a pucker machine I must say but much bigger than I expected. Having said that it tucks nicely into a space next to the computer. The instruction manual is a bit of a joke and from what I can make out if you followed it you would never plug it in ! I used it to load my new roll of labels but after that I googled installation instructions instead. Easy peasy. Downloaded the DYMO driver and followed the instructions. Within ten minutes I was up and running.What a machine ! Opening the program you are presented with what appears to be a shortened version of Office or something similar. Select the label size that the machine is loaded with. You see a label and a red square on top of it. This is the printing area. Normal icons let you choose the font and size. You can move the text that you have typed in the red square so you can get it how you want it. You can choose how many labels you want it to print. When happy with it, click on the big blue button marked PRINT. The 450 comes to life and prints exactly what you have asked for. There's no need to worry about it running out of ink because it doesn't need any. Don't ask me why. You can store names and addresses in the memory and save labels that you have created.This machine has a capability far in excess of my needs but it will never fall short of my requirements. It is wise to buy a roll of labels when you buy the machine. The roll supplied will not last very long. I used it for practice before loading the 32mm x 57mm (1000) roll. This seems to be a good size for my use. Large enough to print addresses that are easy to read, if I need smaller I just cut it to size.Excellent build quality and easy to use...I love it.

Dymo provides a tiny booklet to help you get set up. It also advises that you download its PDF instruction book. Both books just provide info on how to set up the hardware. Neither contain info about how to operate the software. I have spent the last hour watching amateur videos on YouTube on how to use the software but to no avail. The manufacturer has not provided any official tutorials on software usage. I do not doubt that the device works how it should but how we are supposed to learn how to use it is another argument altogether. I am now considering returning it just because of the lack of instructions.

I really wanted this to work, what a shame the thing failed from the start. Downloaded the software and connected the printer. Downloaded the PDF user manual AND read it as I set up.All seemed ok until I tried to use it in earnest. Firstly it will not connect to google services as advertised nor will the software read correctly a CSV import of an address book without major amounts of time in reformatting it and the only way to use seems to be by typing your addresses into its own software.Then the fun really starts...The printer will not connect correctly to downloaded DYMO software. Some program controls do not work. Text and label orientation do not match with program image. Prints over multiple labels instead of just one.There is more but I expect you get the message and I am fed up with typing now.Please please, don't waste your money.

(-) The quickstart guide is unhelpful and inaccurate. When loading a new label spool it says the printer will automatically feed the first label - it WON'T. You need to use the small lever or one of the buttons (none of which are marked or mentioned in the quickstart guide) to get it in. (lever allows you to manually feed it, one button I think feeds to the first edge, other button I think pulls through 1 blank label. Haven't tried them enough to be certain).(-) The software is a bit of a pain. It looks like you can change the label size in the bottom right, but you cannot (at least not on my computer). You need to create a new label to be able to choose the size.(-) I found any address pasted into an address box will make the printer throw up an error mid-print, and sometimes ruin the print to the point it can't be used. An address pasted into an ordinary text box works fine.(-) Was excited to find I could simply upload a CSV file and automatically print all the address labels I needed. Until it turned out to be a massive headache I spent over 20 minutes trying to figure out, before giving up because it was clearly going to require more work than just copy pasting individual addresses. Unless you use a selling platform or an intermediary step with other software that can generate a CSV file containing only full shipping addresses, not in multiple lines of a spreadsheet, it's not worth it. I'm moderately tech savvy and I couldn't figure out how to stop it generating labels for blank spaces and information I didn't need (using Shopify and Etsy CSVs).(+) HOWEVER I bought this with the expectation that I would individually copy paste addresses and print labels, and once I figured out "address box BAD, text box GOOD", and how to load the labels, it has been smooth sailing and the print quality is great.

This printer was a dream to setup, install the software from the Dymo website, but the label in and print!I was using it to print labels from Ebay and Etsy, and whilst not quite the full size it would've done the job.....right up until you hit the print button and it just printed half a label, tried cleaning as per the technical help line, 3/4 of a label, then it got to the point it would just have a blank strip down the middle which is absolutely useless when printing barcode labels!This got sent back, the tech support was fairly poor and made me go through settings for about half an hour when i clearly told them it was the printer and not settings, i'd tried everything before calling up - they then told me i would need to send it back to them, so in the end just returned it to Amazon, i can't get a product next day and then expect to have to wait 14 days turnaround for a faulty unit to be collected, looked at and then sent back?I love Dymo stuff, and maybe i got a Friday product, but i wont' be buying a replacement, it is a little too small for ebay labels and whilst i could've got by ideally you need the larger 4xl model to make things print the correct size.