Afinia L502 Colour Printer – Dye Inkjet Label Printer

This Afinia L501 dye ink color label printer is equipped with the dye printhead and CMYK dye ink cartridges. This L501 setup allows you to print vibrant, high resolution, full color product labels (or “prime” labels as they’re often called). You can also swap out the printhead and inks with the L501 pigment printhead and inks. More on that below

DuraPrime Duo Ink Technology

The L502 is a “Duo Ink” printer. Though this listing is for the Afinia L502 with pigment inks, the printer can be used with dye inks as needed. In order to swap out the pigment inks for dye inks, you will need to purchase the dye printhead and a full set of dye inks (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black). If your initial print jobs call for dye inks, then consider purchasing the Afinia L502 colour label printer with dye inks.

Note that the first set of CMYK pigment inks that ship with the printer will be used to prime the printhead the first time. Thus, it’s smart to order a second set of pigment inks when you order the printer.

Which is better, the L502 with Pigment Inks or with Dye Inks?

This comes down to your application. If you will be printing GHS labels, then the pigment inks are required. Pigment inks produce a much more durable label than dye inks. They do not fade and resist water, abrasions, oil, solvents, and chemicals. When used with BS5609-certified labels, they can withstand long-term exposures to the harshest environmental conditions including long-term immersion in seawater.

Dye inks produce more vibrant colours and are better for labels that won’t be exposed to the elements. Dye inks will not hold up, however, if your label is used outdoors or on surfaces that come into contact with oils or chemicals. There are also certain applications where dye-based printing is the better choice. For example, if you want to print eye-catching graphics or photos or use shiny label stock, dye inks will give you better results.

It comes down to the application and type of environment the labels will be used in. The beauty of Afinia’s Duo Ink Technology is that you can always switch between the pigment and dye inks as needed.

If you’re not sure which ink set is best for your needs, contact us. We can help you understand the differences between dye and pigment inks and recommend a suitable printer and media solution based on your specific needs.

Afinia L502 Features

The Afinia L502 with pigment inks is a high-quality, low-cost GHS colour label printer that prints durable labels that resist fading, water, abrasions, and chemicals.

Notable features include:

• 4800 dpi print resolution
• Fast print speed of up to 5 ips
• Prints labels from 1 to 8.5 inches wide
• Duo Ink Technology uses either pigment or dye inks
• Works with a wide range of media including paper, polypropylene, polyester, and vinyl labels
• Medium cost per label
• Monthly print volume of up to 20,000 labels
• Holds 8″ OD label rolls on a 3-inch core
• All steel industrial design
• BS5609 GHS certified (pigment inks and certified stock required)
• Powered cutter
• 1-year warranty