Epson LabelWorks Safety Kit review

I’ve had the same “Brand B” big-name label maker for nearly 15 years.  Why would I need another one?  Sure, my old one is heavy, hard-to-read, and often frustrating to use… Okay, maybe it’s time to give the Epson LabelWorks Safety Kit a look.

All images can be clicked to view in full size.

From the Epson website:

• Convenient — printing labels that help make your home safer is fast and easy
• Versatile — create personalized labels for every safety measure in the home; choose from a variety of labels available including glow-in-the-dark, reflective and fluorescent
• Stay safe — reflective labels on bikes and strollers; glow-in-the-dark labels for emergency supplies in dark storage rooms
• Clearly communicate — “caution” labels alert others to water, thermostat and heat settings
• Stay organized — clearly label all pill containers and medicine bottles
• Durable — industrial-strength labels you can depend on
• Customize — over 300 symbols let you print exactly what you need
• Full featured — kit includes label printer, 2 tape cartridges for instant, customized labels, and carrying case which also holds 6 AA-sized batteries (not included) and an optional AC adapter (not included)

In the box:

• LW-400 Label Printer
• 12 mm (~½”) Glow-in-the-dark cartridge
• 18 mm (~¾”) Black on Silver (Reflective) cartridge
• User’s Guide

The Epson LW-400 is the printer included in the Safety Kit.

A large, green “cut” button sits on the right to trim the tape.  The round green button on top is the print button.

A quick tip reference guide is printed on the back.

Two tapes are included in the Safety Kit:  An 18mm (3/4″) reflective tape, and a 12mm (1/2″) glow-in-the-dark tape.

To open the LW-400 printer, you press the push tap near the bottom.  The two halves come apart.

The LW-400 takes six AA-size batteries (not included).

A closeup of a tape cartridge in place.  Note the small leader sticking out of the slot.

Cover closed.  A window shows which tape is inserted.

The keyboard reminds me of an old smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard (remember those?)  I noticed there were two shift keys (blue up arrows) on the bottom row, which was a nice touch.

Another nice touch:  The LCD is backlit!  I did not expect this.  You can opt to turn this off under settings.

First, I tried the included reflective tape.  The tape isn’t laminated with a clear film, but the print felt plenty sturdy.  There are some “jaggies” in the text, but you really only notice them if you look up close or print big.

A majority of the functions on the LW-400 printer were pretty standard for a label maker.  You get a bunch of different font styles and effects, memory settings, and so forth.  However, the “flag label” option caught my eye.  Print a wire label?  I had to try this.

This was my first attempt.  A vertical line is printed to indicate the “fold” point.  Peel back the adhesive, and…

Presto!  You’ve got a wire label.  I messed up somewhere on my first try, as the text is more centered towards the cable, not on the edge of the flag, but that’s okay.  You can also print a wrap-around label, also shown here.

The Safety Kit comes with glow-in-the-dark tape, ideal for hunting down cables in the inky shadows behind your desk.

You want symbols?  The LW-400 printer has more symbols than I could possibly describe, so here they are!  I’ll bet you think “Hey, I have a use for a ___ symbol!”

As if pages of icons weren’t enough, you can combine them in pre-programmed “borders”.  I’ve added a reflective label to my coffee container at work.

I’m not a font freak.  The default one is just fine by me.  At least there’s no Comic Sans.

The Epson LabelWorks Safety Kit with the LW-400 printer is a compact yet impressive set.  I kept finding ideas and things I wanted to label.  I liked it so much I insta-ordered a handful of other label cartridges.  In addition to the reflective and glow-in-the-dark, you can get them in Iron-on, Metallic, Strong Adhesive, Pearlized, Tab, Fluorescent and Clear.  The LW-4oo printer is lightweight, very quiet and easy to use, too.

One more thing:  I just HAD to try this with the glow-in-the-dark tape.  This was taken in complete darkness.  The tape glows quite nicely even after being exposed to indirect light, and ducking into a garage or tunnel (shown here).

Update 01/22/15

After a few months, this is still a great label maker. The only thing I’ve noticed is since the labels aren’t laminated, the print can rub off under repeated abrasion/scuffing. Otherwise, I still get a rush of gadget-glee when I need to print something.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Epson. For more info about Epson LabelWorks Safety Kit visit Epson.com