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System Requirements
- PC running Windows 2000, XP, or Vista, with CD drive and USB port
- Mac OS 10.2.8 or higher, with CD drive and USB port
- Internet access for DYMO Stamps
There's nothing particularly noteworthy about the requirements. All of these should be met by any home or business computer made within nearly the past decade.
Installation
The installation must start by installing the drivers, as several stickers on the CD and cables indicate. During the installation, a pop-up window asks you to connect the printer itself with cables provided. After connecting the printer, the installation completes and it's time to set up the printer itself.
As is hopefully obvious, it is necessary to load the desired labels into the label printer. We used the Starter Rolls
included in the box, the postage stamp labels, and white address labels. To install the rolls, you have to open up the top of the LabelWriter and take out one of the spindles, which slide up and out from the rail. One of the sides of the spindle is fixed and the other is adjustable, which you remove to put the label roll on the spindle following the guide arrow. After re-attaching the adjustable side, make sure it tightly encloses the label roll so there is no space for it to tilt or shift.
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| Spindle | Spindle Locked in | Inside the printer |
The dangling end of the label roll goes into the printing slot. Directions to find the slot are conveniently provided on the bottom of the printer, so it's easy for a first-time user to accomplish. When the printer is turned off, you can use the manual feed trigger to pull the roll inside; if the printer is on it will automatically do so. In case you are not satisfied with the way roll is situated, there is an eject button that will release the roll from the printing slot.
Software
The included software is called DYMO Label.
The first time it is run, the software will ask if you want to register the product, which is optional. Next, a pop-up window will ask you to enter your return address. If you are planning on printing labels for letters or packages, we suggest doing that right away. In case you made a mistake or did not set the return address it can be changed in Edit-> Preferences.
Overall, the program is very user-friendly, and at the same time, there are many options to accomplish a variety of tasks. For this review, we will only cover the creation of address labels and postage stamps, since these happen to be the most common needs for TechwareLabs, and these label types were conveniently included in the box. (Perhaps we're not the only ones who think these are the most common uses for the device?) The address book on the bottom left provides many samples to choose from and allows you to make your own contacts. Once you create an address label, you can press Correct an address using Address Fixer,
which will check your input against the USPS database in order to correct the format and complete the 9 digit postal code (zip+4). It won't read your mind, but in our tests, it was almost always able to find the right address format when provided with reasonable input. At the very least, it helps to follow the sample outline to enter correct information in appropriate lines.
Next, on the top right, you choose the type of label roll; in this case, it's address labels marked Address (30252, 30320, 30572),
and on which side of the printer the roll is installed. From here, just choose the address you want from the address book or go to the top and press Address Book
and then Insert Default Return Address
for your default return address.
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| DYMO Label |
For the postage stamps, you will need to register a new account with DYMO. At the top of the DYMO Label program, there is a button to Launch DYMO Stamps.
This will take you to the DYMO Stamps web page, from which you can register an account and download the program. (Note that you will have to enter your full address and credit card number or checking account during registration.) The installation process is very simple and all you have to do is follow the directions. As with the DYMO Label software discussed above, DYMO succeeded in creating an efficient, user-friendly program. Upon opening the program, you're asked if you want to add money to your account. Once you do this and buy postage stamps (which vary depending on the size, type, weigh etc. of your parcel), your stamp is just one click away. The software has plenty of utilities and options that should satisfy most users ranging from a single person to small businesses.
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| DYMO Stamps |
REALTIME PRICING ON THE DYMO LABELWRITER TWIN TURBO