FAQ: How do I minimise tape wastage with my Brother P-touch?

Due to the design and construction of the tape mechanism, it is essential to feed a certain amount of tape through the machine before printing the first label.

There is approximately one inch (25.4mm) of space between the print head and the cutter blade within the P-touch label printer. The three layers of material that make up all P-touch labels must pass over this space in order to be sealed correctly, see below illustration.

However, you can minimize the amount of blank tape initially fed by choosing a different Tape Cutting Option from the list below.

Note: Available features, settings and margin sizing can vary by model, therefore please visit our global support website to locate specific instructions related to your exact model.

Click links below for detailed descriptions of each option.

Small Margin
Chain
No Cut
Special Tape
Large Margin (default)

1. SMALL MARGIN

A margin 22.5mm is printed first and then the label is printed leaving a margin of 4mm on each side of the printed text.

Note: During printing, the machine may prompt you with the message 'Cut tape or press enter to continue' once 0.89' (22.5mm) of tape has passed thru the machine. Press the Tape Cutter Lever to cut the tape when prompted which will leave a 0.16' (4mm) left margin. After printing has completed, press the Tape Cutter Lever again which will leave a 0.16' (4mm) margin on the right side.

2. CHAIN

A margin of 22.5mm is printed first and then each label is printed leaving a margin of 4mm on each side of the printed text.

Select this setting when printing several labels with minimum margins.

NOTE: After the printing of the final label has been completed, feed the tape before using the cutter. If not, a part of the text of the last label may be cut off. Do not try to pull the tape since this may damage the tape cassette.

3. NO CUT

A margin of 23.9mm is printed first and then each label is printed leaving a margin of 4mm on each side of the printed text.

Select this setting when printing multiple copies of a label or when using Fabric Iron- On Tapes or other special tapes that cannot be cut by the tape cutter of the P-touch labeller.

NOTE: When using the special tapes that cannot be cut by the tape cutter, remove the tape cassette from the labeler and use scissors to cut the tape.

4. SPECIAL TAPE

Select this setting when using special tapes such as Fabric Iron- On Tapes or Heat Shrink Tube.

After printing has completed, remove the tape cassette from the P-touch labeller and use scissors to cut the tape.

5. LARGE MARGIN (default)

Each label is printed leaving a margin of 23.9mm of tape on each side of the printed text.

This is the default setting for your machine and has the largest margin settings.