What kind of printer has your church been using to print the children's ministry stickers for kids and parents? Is it the optimal choice for your ChMS? Stick around and we'll share the best machines based on your top 12 barcode printers for kids' ministry.
When it comes to children’s ministry, it’s crucial to take measures to ensure the safety of each child. One simple step your church can take is to have a label for each child with a unique code on it. This should match with the label you give to the parent or guardian that they must present in order to check out their child, which helps ensure that only the approved individual checks out the right child. Fortunately, most ChMS vendors include this check-in and barcode printing functionality.
If you’re preparing to establish this process, here are our top 12 top barcode printers for kids' ministry supported by church management systems.
Top 12 Barcode Printers
Brother
- Brother 810 (QL-810W) Ultra-Fast Label Printer with Wireless Networking Price: $129.99
- Brother 820 (QL-820NWB) Flexible Label Printer with Multiple Connectivity Options (Wireless, Bluetooth, USB, Networkable) Price: $174.98
Citizen
- Citizen CMP-30 (CMP-30IIBTIUCL) 3-inch Portable Receipt and Label Printer Price: $474.53
DYMO
- DYMO LabelWriter 450 – Price: $75.72
- DYMO LabelWriter 450 Turbo – Price: $117.50
- DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo – Price: $294.88
DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo
Zebra
- ZD420 – Direct thermal/thermal transfer printer. 4” print width. USB connectivity. Price: $349
- ZQ510 – Mobile printer. Up to 3” print width. Wireless with WiFi and Bluetooth connections. Price: $950.
- GX420d – Monochrome Direct Thermal Label Printer. USB and LAN connectivity. Price: $551.25.
- GK420d – Direct thermal printer. USB/serial connectivity and 10/100 Ethernet option. Price: $394
- GK420t – Prints both direct thermal and thermal transfer labels. Price: $559.
- ZD620 – B/W thermal transfer printer. USB 2.0 and LAN connectivity. Price: $649.53.
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Barcode Printers by Software
To further narrow down you choice, find out which printer your ChMS recommends. Each ChMS vendor has different requirements regarding which barcode printers are compatible with their software. The table below depicts which printers work for some of the most popular ChMS companies.
| Printers | Breeze | CCB | Faithlife Equip | Planning Center | Tithe.ly |
| Brother QL810W | X | X | |||
| Brother QL820NWB | X | X | X | ||
| Citizen CMP-30IIBTIUCL | X | X | |||
| DYMO LabelWriter 450 | X | X | |||
| DYMO LabelWriter 450 Turbo | X | X | X | X | |
| DYMO LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo | X | X | X | X | |
| Zebra GX420d | X | ||||
| Zebra GK420d | X | ||||
| Zebra GK420t | X | ||||
| Zebra ZQ510 | X | X | |||
| Zebra ZD420 | X | X | |||
| Zebra ZD620 | X |
Compatible Labels
In addition to the printer, you’ll need labels to print the child’s name, along with allergy information or other notes, as well as the unique code. Based on the printers mentioned above, here are the labels that are suggested for each brand or machine.
Brother QL Printer Labels: 1 roll with 260 labels per roll. Price: $17.99.
Citizen Printer Labels: Case of 20 rolls 3” x 2” direct thermal labels. Price: $79
DYMO LabelWriter Printer Labels: 1 roll with 300 labels per roll. Price: $12.99.
Zebra Printer Labels: Case of 4 rolls 3” x 2” thermal labels. Price: $59
Zebra ZQ510 Mobile Receipt Printer Labels: Case of 36 rolls 2” x 85’. Price: $30
Zebra GK420T: Case of 8 rolls 4” x 2”. Price: $30 per roll
There you have it! Decide which variables impact your choices, like your ChMS or maybe price, and choose your barcode printer from there.
