Description
Print both prime labels and durable labels all in one printer with the Afinia L502. The Afinia L502 Label Printer is the next evolution of Afinia’s popular L501 label printer – which was the first desktop label printer to feature DuraPrime™ Duo Ink Technology, allowing for a quick transition from printing vibrant and colorful prime labels (using aqueous dye-based ink) to ultra-durable industrial labels (using pigment-based ink) with a simple printhead swap. This capability allows companies the flexibility to produce labels for a broader range of applications than was previously possible with a single printer. Furthermore, when printing with pigment inks (and paired with the proper blank label material1), the Afinia L502 Label Printer is capable of printing GHS & BS5609-compliant labels on-demand – making your labels resistant to water, chemicals, sunlight, abrasion, etc.
Receive a $100 discount when you purchase $100+ of blank labels with the purchase of an Afinia L502 Color Label Printer. This discount is automatically applied to your cart once these conditions are met.
The Afinia L502 Color Label Printer features several improvements over the L501 which include an all-steel industrial design, over 2X faster printing, enhanced toolbox functionality, and improved sensors for greater compatibility with specialty media such as reflective metallic label material. Moreover, the Afinia L502’s improved printer toolbox now allows for better control (including ‘Pause’ and ‘Cut’ functionality) and firmware upgrades that can now be performed more easily.
Virtually Two Label Printers in One
Until recently, businesses that required labels for both prime and durable applications would have to purchase two printers or outsource their printing. The Afinia L501 was the first of its kind on the market in that it eliminated this issue that many businesses faced. Now, the Afinia L502 has improved on this unique functionality – making it virtually two printers in one.
Pigment-based Inks vs. Dye-based Inks
Pigment inks offer unparalleled durability with compatible label stocks and are a must-have for applications requiring full-color waterproof or UV-resistant labels. While pigment inks are durable, they are not as naturally vibrant and colorful as dye-based inks.
Dye-based inks are less durable compared to pigment-based inks. However, dye-based inks can achieve a much larger color gamut, allowing for beautifully vibrant, full-color prime labels. As a result, the Afinia L502 Digital Color Label Printer’s compatibility with both pigment-based inks and dye-based inks makes the Afinia L502 one of the most versatile label printers available on the market today. The interchangeability of the two ink types (by changing the printheads) gives users tremendous flexibility by allowing both prime and durable labels to be printed from the same printer.
The Afinia L502 prints on rolls of blank labels (both continuous and die-cut) ranging from 1.0″ to 8.5″ in width and 0.75″ to 48.0″ in length. For blank die-cut media, it utilizes sensors that detect label gaps and black marks. Furthermore, the integrated powered unwinder and an automatic cutter allow for easy removal of printed labels. Moreover, the L502 label printer is capable of printing up to 4800 x 1200 dpi, with print speeds of up to 26 feet per minute.
Optional Afinia L502 Rewinder
The Optional Label Rewinder for the Afinia L502 Label Printer (pictured in image section above) allows for roll-to-roll production by conveniently rewinding your labels right onto a 3″ core, which makes managing your label production easy. This is a recommended accessory for companies that experience high usage, heavy duty jobs or if they must apply labels using an applicator.
The rewinder for the Afinia L502 can handle label sizes up to 8.5″ wide and rolls with up to 8.0″ outside diameter. After printing and rewinding is complete, simply remove the core holder and completed roll.
What’s in the Box
- Afinia L502 Label Printer
- Power Cable
- Power Supply
- USB-A Printer Cable
- USB-C Maintenance Cable
- Afinia L502 Printhead with full set of CMYK Dye Ink Cartridges and/or Afinia L502 Printhead with full set of CMYK Pigment Ink Cartridges (depending on Version Type purchased – Both are included with the Afinia L502 Dye & Pigment Ink Bundle)
- Quick Setup Guide
- Short Sample Label Roll
- Includes Integrated Powered Unwinder
- Four Replacement Ink Absorber Pads
Compatible Accessories & Supplies
- L502 Rewinder (31336)
- L502 Printhead with Dye Inks (30986)
- L502 Printhead with Pigment Inks (30993)
- L502 Black Dye Ink Cartridge (30657)
- L502 Cyan Dye Ink Cartridge (30636)
- L502 Magenta Dye Ink Cartridge (30643)
- L502 Yellow Dye Ink Cartridge (30650)
- L502 Black Pigment Ink Cartridge (30685)
- L502 Cyan Pigment Ink Cartridge (30664)
- L502 Magenta Pigment Ink Cartridge (30671)
- L502 Yellow Pigment Ink Cartridge (30678)
Important: This product is not eligible for return once the manufacturer’s original packaging has been opened, thus making it important that you review our return policy prior to purchasing. We recommend that all prospective buyers request free printed sample labels to ensure that the print quality of the labels printed by this printer meets their expectations. Products are still fully covered under the manufacturer’s warranty should there be an issue with the product itself.
1 Afinia L502 Label Printer must use pigment inks paired with BS5609-certified blank label media in order for it to be BS5609-compliant. Please contact us for a list of BS5609-certified blank label media.
Theodore F –
My review is for the AMAZING service before the sale. Rich answered all my questions for my small company, got the samples out quickly and was a TRUE professional. In today’s high speed- immediate gratification society, it was truly remarkable that I could talk to someone in a language I recognize that was competent, helpful and patient. I know where I am going for my next printer order.
Joe B –
Purchased L501 printer in hopes it would be best printer for our business. It is not a BAD printer but i would not say it is worth the price. Plastic construction, slowish printing speed, no pause feature, and random errors here and there which makes it feel rushed / incomplete. It prints in good quality and the ink is reasonable in terms of price.
Texas Label Printers LLC –
Hi Joe,
Thank you for your honest feedback about the Afinia L501. The criticisms that you provided about the L501 have now been resolved in Afinia’s new L502. The L501’s plastic body/casing has now been replaced with an all-steel casing on the L502, print speed has increased, and the ability to ‘pause’ and ‘cut’ has now been added too. In regards to the random errors that you are referring to, I would recommend contacting Afinia Technical Support if you haven’t already (their contact information can be found here: afinialabel.com/support/). Alternatively, you can also call us and speak to one of our in-house technicians at 888-420-6857 (select option “2” for “Support”), however Afinia might be a slightly better/faster resource when diagnosing random errors or codes.
Catherine T –
We really like the new metal casing compared to the plastic casing that was used on the L501. It also seems faster than the L501 that we saw a demonstration of a couple months before this L502 was announced. We are glad we waited for the L502. The fact that we have control over our labels and can now print them whenever we need them is such a relief. We have both the pigment and dye inks but have only been using the pigment ink because most of our labels need to be durable and not fade outside, and so far everything is great! Thank you Texas Label for your help with helping us choose the right printer for our business and for shipping this to us so quickly!
Lexi H –
We needed a color label printer that can print both durable GHS labels for chemicals and occasionally print prime labels for a few of our products. This seems to be the only printer that can do both and the printheads are easy to switch out. It’s not the fastest printer (the print width affects the speed when we print labels that are 6 to 8.5 inches wide) but we only print about 2,000 labels total per month and its easy enough for us to use. Free shipping was faster than expected – thanks!
Texas Label Printers LLC –
Thank you Lexi for your review. One thing that I’d like to point out is that Afinia recently updated the firmware for this printer so that it prints 40% faster in the higher resolution modes that most people use. If you haven’t already, I would suggest updating the firmware and you will certainly see an improvement in overall print speed. Furthermore, the L501 (Pigment Ink Edition) is now BS5609-certified when paired with Brandywine’s Poly-Twin® EP (Inkjet) blank labels. Thank you again for choosing Texas Label Printers!