I also ran into a problem with Bartender UltraLite, the label program iDprt supplies for the printer. An iDprt representative later confirmed that this was expected behavior.
It also turned out to be a lucky choice to run all the tests on the standard driver first, because the Wizard removed the first driver from the system, making it unavailable. I finally got it installed by choosing Other instead of USB for the port, and setting it to USB later. Seagull provides a wizard for installing the driver, but it couldn't get past the step for installing a port, and iDprt's online chat support couldn't suggest any fixes. The Seagull driver, which I installed after finishing all testing on the first driver, was more of a problem. The instructions didn't match the installation screens on the computer, but I was able to work through the installation easily enough, thanks to being familiar with the Windows Add Printer routine. However, neither the User Guide nor the download page mentions the presence of two drivers, or suggests why you would pick one or the other.įor testing, I wanted to try both Windows drivers, so I started with the standard version, which is also the only one the User Guide gives setup instructions for. The second driver is required to use the bundled label program from Seagull, but it also works with most Windows programs, according to iDprt.
These included drivers for macOS and Linux, and two drivers for Windows: a standard driver and a driver from Seagull Scientific. Rather than pick and choose, I stuck with the versions on the disk. However, when I compared the two sets, I found that some matched, some in each set were more recent than the apparently equivalent files in the other set, and each set included some file names I couldn't find a match for in the other set. I downloaded them on the assumption that the online files might be more recent. The printer came with drivers and other files on a disk, but the User Guide said to download files from iDprt's website.
Installing the software can quickly get confusing. However, the printer can use labels from other manufacturers, as I confirmed using both Brother and Dymo labels I had on hand. The only labels iDprt sells are 4-by-6-inch fanfold labels in stacks of 500, for $22.99 per stack, or 4.6 cents per label. Note that the SP420 can hold wider labels than the FreeX model, with support, according to iDprt, for labels from 2 inches to 4.65 inches wide (50mm to 118mm) conversely, the FreeX printer can print on smaller widths than the SP420 can handle. Most label printers either can't hold rolls in that size range or require you to mount them in a separately purchased rear tray.
The printer is roomy enough to hold a 5-inch-diameter roll, and also has rear feed slot for using fanfold paper. It measures 7.8 by 7.1 by 9.5 inches (HWD), or roughly the same size as most of its competition, including the FreeX printer, the iDprt SP410 Printer, the Zebra ZSB-DP14, and the Editors' Choice–winning Arkscan 2054A-LAN Thermal Shipping Label Printer. The top panel includes two status lights along with a feed button on the front left corner and a transparent window so you can see how much paper is left on the current roll. There's a blue release latch on each side to open the top for loading labels. The SP420 is basically a black box, though the slightly bulging sides and top give it a more graceful shape.
It's most likely to be useful to you if you know how to format files for printing, or are willing to learn. Unfortunately, it has some shortcomings that make it impossible to recommend without reservation.
Similar in many ways to the FreeX WiFi Thermal Printer I recently reviewed, it offers fast performance and can use a wide range of labels in various sizes from other manufacturers. The iDprt SP420 (officially $192.99, but often discounted) is aimed at small and home businesses that need an affordable way to print 4-by-6 shipping labels.