GODEX G500 LABEL PRINTER

Description

The Godex G500 label printer is a robust desktop printer, well suited to small and medium runs. It works by thermal transfer at 203 dpi, with a 104 mm print width and a speed of 127 mm/s. It succeeds the Godex 1100, for a long time the manufacturer’s flagship model.

What a desktop thermal transfer label printer is used for

This is the printer for the station that prints labels every day but not at industrial volume: product labels, batch and date labels, price labels, warehouse labels. Being thermal transfer, the print it produces is built to last rather than to be read for a few days.

• Back rooms and food processing: batch, date and traceability labels.
• Retail: product and price labelling.
• Warehouses: identifying locations and cases.
• Workshops and laboratories: durable identification labels.
• Technical offices: short runs with barcodes.

Technical specifications

Brand and model	Godex G500
Technology	Thermal transfer
Resolution	203 dpi
Print width	104 mm
Speed	127 mm/s
Processor	32-bit CPU
RAM	8 MB
Sensor	Adjustable
Interfaces	USB, Ethernet and RS-232
Software included	Qlabel IV
Options	Cutter or label dispenser

Thermal transfer versus direct thermal

This is the first decision when choosing a printer and the one that shapes the result most. In direct thermal, the printhead heats a coated paper that darkens: there is no ink consumable, but the print degrades with heat, light and abrasion, and in time it yellows and becomes unreadable. In thermal transfer — the system used by this G500 — the printhead melts ink from a ribbon onto the label, giving a print far more resistant to rubbing, moisture and time.

The practical rule: direct thermal for short-life labels — today’s order, the counter, the shipment going out this week; thermal transfer when the label has to stay readable months later, goes into a cold store or a freezer, or will rub inside a case.

What’s included

• One Godex G500 thermal transfer label printer.
• Qlabel IV software.
• Bernad® advice on the right label format and ribbon for your application.

Frequently asked questions

What label width does it take?

The print width is 104 mm, and that is the figure to work to when choosing rolls. Always check that the label does not exceed that usable width, because anything beyond it simply will not print.

Does it have to use a ribbon?

Being a thermal transfer printer, yes: the ribbon is its ink consumable. That is the price of a print that survives abrasion and time, as against direct thermal, which needs no consumable but degrades.

What is the difference between a wax and a resin ribbon?

It is the make-up of the ink. Wax is the cheapest and performs well on paper in normal conditions. Resin stands up far better to abrasion, moisture and chemicals, and is what you use on synthetic facestock or on labels going into cold storage. Wax-resin sits between the two.

Can it be used without a computer?

The G500 is designed to run connected, with the Qlabel IV software included, and it offers USB, Ethernet and RS-232. If you need to print standalone with a keyboard, other models in the range are built specifically for that.

What are the cutter and the dispenser for?

The cutter separates the label or the printed section, useful on continuous stock or on runs delivered in batches. The dispenser peels the label off its liner as it exits, so the operator picks it up ready to apply. Both are optional.

Other printers and equipment

• Godex EZ2250i label printer: faster, with standalone operation.
• Godex RT700 label printer: with a real-time clock.
• Godex ZX420i printer: touchscreen panel and more memory.
• T10 label rewinder: tidy take-up of the printed run.