Poke around simplify 101 just a tiny bit, and you’ll quickly pick up on the fact that I’m a huge fan of labels. I even have labels in my fridge. I know it sounds a bit crazy, but it does make me happy and helps keep my refrigerator organized.

Use a lazy Susan and labels in your refrigerator

Before I had a label maker (years ago, as you can imagine) I wondered if it was really worth the investment. The label maker itself doesn’t have to break the bank, but the cost of label tape can add up quickly. I can tell you this—for me, the finished look a label maker label gives a space is well worth the investment. It gives your space a polished feel, which gives you an extra bit of motivation to keep your space organized going forward.

I’m often asked in my online classes for my opinions on label makers. Which ones are the best? Which ones are most worth the investment? While I haven’t tried every label maker on the market, I have been using two models for years. The first is the DYMO Letra Tag 2000. This is an older model (they have newer ones on the market right now like the Dymo LetraTag Plus LT-100H Personal Label Maker) but I like it. I have two of these—one I keep in my organizer bag that I take to clients and the other one is just inches away from where I sit at my desk so I can easily label file folders anytime I need one.

A Professional Organizer Shares How to Choose a Label Maker

This label maker has just one font (it looks like Arial) but you can print in a few different sizes. This means you can print small labels for binder tabs, and larger, bolder labels for storage bins or your refrigerator doors and shelves. The label tape is relatively inexpensive and available at office supply stores, Target and Wal-Mart. You can often find these label makers on sale during (or right after) back-to-school time. I love the portability of this labeler. It is small, lightweight and easy to use.

My other labeler is a Brother P-touch PT-1230PC. (Update:  Brother now has a new model the Brother PT-2430PC which has an auto-cutter. And an even newer model the Brother PT-P700 PC Connectable Label Maker which is compatible with both Macs and PCs. This one would be perfect for me!) Anyway, this cute, little labeler plugs right into the USB port in your computer and instantly a screen pops up where you can type in your labels. It’s that simple. You plug it in. You type. You click print. And out comes your label! This labeler allows you to use any font on your computer to make your labels—which is super fun. And you can also add small graphics, wing dings or swirls, if that makes you happy. (Which if it does, believe me, I get it. I have labels in my fridge, remember?) One downside is that this labeler leaves a long trail of blank label tape before and after each label (which can make you a bit nutty), but you can solve that by printing several labels back to back, and then use scissors to separate them and save label tape.

Label Maker Reviews from a Professional Organizer

So, the Brother labeler offers more font and design options, but the DYMO is more portable and uses less expensive label tape. I love them both, and use them for different things. I use the Brother for labels I will see a lot (like the ones in my fridge) and where I want to use fun fonts. For file folders and client projects, I use the DYMO due to its portability and the affordability of the label tape.

There are many good label makers on the market today. Simply choose one that offers the functions you care most about at a price point that fits your budget.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you use a labeler or are you on the fence about getting one? And tell me about your refrigerator—labels or no labels? I’m dying to know. Thanks for sharing!

Aby

Quick + Simple Clutter Control workshop

P.S. Quick + Simple Clutter Control is now available as an self-paced class that you can start any time you’d like. Learn more here. 🙂