You bought a thermal printer to speed up your shipping. Now you need to figure out which one actually works with MyPost Business, prints clean 4x6 labels, and won't cost you a fortune in proprietary label rolls.
This guide compares the most popular thermal printers available in Australia for printing Australia Post shipping labels. No fluff, just specs, real pricing, and the stuff sellers actually care about.
In this article:
- What to look for in a thermal printer for Australia Post
- Dymo LabelWriter 4XL and 5XL
- Zebra ZD421 and ZD220
- Brother QL-1100 and QL-1110NWB
- MUNBYN thermal printers
- Quick comparison table
- The MyPost Business label problem (and how to fix it)
- Which printer should you buy?
What to look for in a thermal printer for Australia Post
Not every thermal printer is a good fit for shipping labels. Before you compare models, here are the specs that matter.
Label size: Australia Post uses 100x150mm (4x6 inch) labels. Your printer needs to handle that width. Anything smaller and your barcodes get squished or cut off.
Direct thermal vs thermal transfer: For shipping labels, you want direct thermal. No ink, no ribbons, no toner. The printer heats the label and the text appears. Thermal transfer printers use ribbons and are overkill for shipping.
Label format: Some printers use rolls (Dymo, Brother). Others use fanfold stacks (most Zebra and MUNBYN models). Fanfold labels are cheaper per label and easier to load. Roll labels take up less desk space.
Connectivity: USB is standard. If you want to print from multiple devices or keep the printer in another room, look for Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Bluetooth is available on some models but can be unreliable for high-volume printing.
Ongoing label cost: This is where most buyers get caught out. The printer might be cheap, but if label rolls cost $60 each, you're paying for it over time.
Dymo LabelWriter 4XL and 5XL
Dymo is the name most eBay sellers hear first. The LabelWriter 4XL was the go-to thermal printer for years, and the 5XL is its replacement.
Dymo 4XL
The 4XL is no longer manufactured, but you can still find them secondhand on eBay and Gumtree. It's a solid printer that does one thing well: prints 4x6 labels.
The biggest advantage of the 4XL is third-party label compatibility. You can buy compatible label rolls from places like Awesome Pack for $6-10 per roll, compared to $55+ for genuine Dymo rolls at Officeworks. That makes a huge difference if you're shipping 20 or more parcels a day.
Specs:
- Print width: up to 104mm (fits 4x6 labels)
- Resolution: 300 DPI
- Speed: up to 53 labels per minute
- Connection: USB only
- Label type: roll-fed
- Price (secondhand): $150-250 AUD
Dymo 5XL
The 5XL launched as the 4XL's replacement with a few upgrades: label counter, automatic label recognition, and a slightly updated design.
Here's the catch. The 5XL uses labels with an embedded chip, which means third-party labels do not work. You're locked into buying Dymo-branded rolls. At around $55-65 per roll of 220 labels, that's roughly 25-30 cents per label. For a high-volume seller, those costs add up fast.
The software also changed. Dymo Connect replaced Dymo Label Software, and reviews are mixed. Copy-paste for custom labels doesn't work the same way, and some sellers find it clunkier.
Specs:
- Print width: up to 104mm
- Resolution: 300 DPI
- Speed: up to 53 labels per minute
- Connection: USB only
- Label type: roll-fed (proprietary)
- Price (new): $350-450 AUD
Verdict on Dymo
If you find a 4XL secondhand in good condition, it's still a great printer with cheap label options. The 5XL is a decent printer locked behind expensive labels. For new buyers, there are better options at the same price point.
Zebra ZD421 and ZD220
Zebra printers are built for commercial environments. You'll find them in warehouses, fulfilment centres, and anywhere that prints hundreds of labels per day.
Zebra ZD421
The ZD421 is Zebra's current desktop model and the successor to the popular GK420d. It's a workhorse. Print quality is sharp, it handles both roll and fanfold labels, and it's built to run all day without issues.
Setup is more involved than a Dymo. You'll need to install Zebra's drivers, configure label calibration, and set up media detection. Once it's configured, it runs with very little maintenance.
The ZD421 supports USB, Ethernet, and optional Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. If you're running a small warehouse with multiple workstations, the network options make it practical to share one printer across your team.
Specs:
- Print width: up to 104mm
- Resolution: 203 DPI (300 DPI model available)
- Speed: up to 152mm per second
- Connection: USB, Ethernet, optional Wi-Fi/Bluetooth
- Label type: roll or fanfold
- Price (new): $450-650 AUD
Zebra ZD220
The ZD220 is Zebra's entry-level option. It replaced the discontinued GC420d and covers the basics without the extra features.
It's USB only, has lower print resolution, and doesn't support Zebra's Link-OS remote management. But for a small seller who just needs reliable labels, it does the job at a lower price than the ZD421.
Specs:
- Print width: up to 104mm
- Resolution: 203 DPI
- Speed: up to 102mm per second
- Connection: USB only
- Label type: roll or fanfold
- Price (new): $250-350 AUD
Verdict on Zebra
If you're printing 50+ labels a day, a Zebra is hard to beat for reliability. The ZD421 with Ethernet is ideal for shared setups. For lower volumes, the ZD220 does the job without the premium price. Both use cheap generic fanfold labels.
If you already have one on your bench, follow the Zebra printer Australia Post setup guide for driver, calibration, and MyPost Business print settings.
Brother QL-1100 and QL-1110NWB
Brother is well known in Australian offices, and their QL series label printers are popular with sellers who want wireless printing.
Brother QL-1100
The QL-1100 is Brother's wired wide-format label printer. It prints labels up to 103mm wide at 300 DPI, which means sharp barcodes and clear text. Setup is straightforward with Brother's P-touch Editor software.
Like Dymo, Brother uses proprietary label rolls. The DK-11241 shipping label rolls are around $25-35 for 200 labels. That's cheaper than Dymo 5XL labels, but more expensive than generic fanfold labels used with Zebra and MUNBYN printers.
Third-party compatible rolls are available for Brother printers and generally work well, bringing the cost per label down to around 8-12 cents.
Specs:
- Print width: up to 103mm
- Resolution: 300 DPI
- Speed: up to 110mm per second
- Connection: USB only
- Label type: roll-fed (DK series)
- Price (new): $200-280 AUD
Brother QL-1110NWB
The QL-1110NWB adds Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth to the QL-1100's feature set. If you want to print labels from your phone or a shared network, this is the model to look at.
It works with Apple AirPrint and has Brother's iPrint&Label app for mobile printing. The networking features make it practical for setups where the printer sits in a packing area away from your computer.
Specs:
- Print width: up to 103mm
- Resolution: 300 DPI
- Speed: up to 110mm per second
- Connection: USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth
- Label type: roll-fed (DK series)
- Price (new): $350-450 AUD
Verdict on Brother
The QL-1100 is good value for a wired setup with sharp print quality. The QL-1110NWB is worth the extra money if you need wireless printing. Label costs sit between Dymo and generic fanfold options.
For model-specific settings, see the Brother label printer MyPost Business setup guide before printing your first batch.
MUNBYN thermal printers
MUNBYN is a newer brand that's become popular with eBay and Etsy sellers. They offer budget-friendly 4x6 thermal printers that use generic fanfold labels.
The MUNBYN RealWriter series (including the 941AP and 402B) prints 100x150mm shipping labels at 203 or 300 DPI. Setup is simple: plug in USB, install drivers, and you're printing. Newer models like the 402B also have Bluetooth.
The real selling point is label cost. MUNBYN printers use generic fanfold labels that cost around $10-15 for 500 labels on Amazon AU or eBay. That's roughly 2-3 cents per label, which is the cheapest ongoing cost of any printer on this list.
Build quality is decent for the price. These printers won't last as long as a Zebra in a high-volume warehouse, but for a home-based seller doing 5-50 orders a day, they handle the workload.
Specs (RealWriter 941AP):
- Print width: up to 104mm
- Resolution: 203 DPI
- Speed: up to 150mm per second
- Connection: USB
- Label type: fanfold or roll
- Price (new): $100-170 AUD
Verdict on MUNBYN
Best value for money if you're starting out or running a small operation. The low printer cost combined with cheap generic labels makes it the most affordable option overall. Print quality is good enough for Australia Post labels.
Quick comparison table
Here's how the main options stack up:
Dymo 4XL (secondhand $150-250) - 300 DPI, USB, roll labels, third-party labels from $6/roll. Great if you can find one.
Dymo 5XL ($350-450) - 300 DPI, USB, roll labels, proprietary only at $55+/roll. Expensive to run.
Zebra ZD220 ($250-350) - 203 DPI, USB, fanfold/roll, generic labels from $10/500. Reliable and affordable to run.
Zebra ZD421 ($450-650) - 203-300 DPI, USB/Ethernet/Wi-Fi, fanfold/roll, generic labels. Best for high volume and shared setups.
Brother QL-1100 ($200-280) - 300 DPI, USB, roll labels, DK rolls from $25/200. Good print quality for the price.
Brother QL-1110NWB ($350-450) - 300 DPI, USB/Wi-Fi/Ethernet/Bluetooth, roll labels. Best wireless option.
MUNBYN RealWriter ($100-170) - 203 DPI, USB, fanfold/roll, generic labels from $10/500. Cheapest to buy and run.
The MyPost Business label problem (and how to fix it)
Whichever printer you choose, you'll run into the same issue with MyPost Business: it exports labels as A4 PDFs.
Your thermal printer expects a 4x6 label. Send it an A4 PDF and you'll get a tiny label in one corner, a blank page, or an error. This is the number one frustration for Australian sellers switching to thermal printing.
There are a few ways to fix this:
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Change your MyPost Business settings. Go to Settings, then Carriers, then MyPost Business, then Print Settings. Switch the label format to A6 (1 per page). This gives you a single label per PDF instead of the A4 default. We covered this in detail in our guide to printing MyPost Business labels on a thermal printer.
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Manually crop the label. Open the PDF, use the snapshot tool in Adobe Reader, and print just the label area. This works but takes 3-5 minutes per label. Our A4 to 4x6 cropping guide walks through the manual methods.
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Use LabelChop. If you want it automated, LabelChop watches your Downloads folder, detects MyPost Business label PDFs, crops them to 4x6, and sends them straight to your thermal printer. No manual steps. It works with every printer on this list.
If you're connecting eBay or Shopify orders through MyPost Business, our MyPost Business setup guide for eBay and Shopify covers the full configuration from connecting your store to printing your first label.
Which printer should you buy?
It depends on your volume and budget.
Under 10 orders per day on a tight budget: Go with a MUNBYN. Low upfront cost, cheap labels, and good enough print quality for shipping. You can always upgrade later if your volume grows.
10-50 orders per day: The Zebra ZD220 or Brother QL-1100 both work well here. The Zebra uses cheaper fanfold labels. The Brother has higher print resolution. Pick based on whether you prioritise ongoing cost or print sharpness.
50+ orders per day or shared setup: The Zebra ZD421 with Ethernet is the clear winner. Built for volume, supports network sharing, and uses the cheapest labels available.
Need wireless printing: The Brother QL-1110NWB is the best option with Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth built in.
Already have a Dymo 4XL: Keep it. Third-party labels are cheap and it prints well. No reason to replace it until it dies.
Considering a Dymo 5XL: Think carefully about the locked-in label costs. For the same money, a Zebra ZD421 or Brother QL-1110NWB gives you more features and cheaper labels.
Whichever printer you pick, make sure your MyPost Business settings are configured for 4x6 output. Check our FAQ for common setup questions, or try LabelChop free for 14 days to automate the whole process.