What are TSC printers?

What it is

Like other label printers, a TSC printer feeds a roll of labels past a heated print head. It can print by direct thermal, which uses coated labels and no ribbon, or by thermal transfer, which uses a ribbon for longer-lasting print. Desktop units fit counters and benches, and industrial units handle heavier daily volume.

TSPL is TSC's printer language. Software sends short text commands that set the label size and place text and barcodes, and the printer draws the result. Emulation means a printer can also accept jobs written for a different language, so software built for another brand may still print. Support varies by model. Compare with Zebra printers and read the general guide to label printers.

Why it matters to a business

• Mixed equipment: emulation can let one application print to printers from more than one maker.
• Standard supplies: TSC printers take ordinary label rolls and ribbons, so you are not tied to one supplier.
• Scale to the site: a desktop model can serve one counter while an industrial model serves a production area.
• Printing from your own software: TSPL gives developers a direct way to print labels without a design program.

How KawaConnect works with TSC printers

If a business already owns TSC printers, we install and support them. A frequent problem is a mismatch between the language the printer is set to and the language the software sends, which produces blank labels or strings of odd characters. We check that setting first.

Web applications reach the printers through PrintNode or QZ Tray. Where the site allows, each printer gets a cable and a fixed address. Our product Tagestry prints Metrc-compliant labels on thermal label printers.

Learn more

• TSC Auto ID websiteThe maker's site, useful for finding printer families, drivers and manuals.
• Label printer on WikipediaA general reference on label printing for readers new to the topic.