This Thermal Sticker Printer Is My Best Tech Upgrade of the Year.

You have no idea how many times over the past few years I’ve seen miniature thermal printers , considered buying one, and then decided: no, they’re too silly and I’ll never use them. Friends, I’ve finally given in, and my only regret is not buying one sooner. I’ve only had this tiny gadget for about a month, but I use it daily. In the run-up to Christmas, I use it to print gift tags and labels. I use homemade stickers to create charts in my workout log, and it’s even become the centerpiece of Elf on the Shelf interactions with my daughter. (Yes, she still claims to believe it, probably just for fun, to see what I can come up with next —desperation is the mother of creativity.)

I’m one of those people who loves physical things, especially paper and notebooks, but somehow I always find myself glued to my phone. Printing something keeps me grounded in the real world, especially if I can create something on paper (or a sticky note), which I usually do with an app.

What is a thermal sticker printer?

You’ve probably seen something like this before, even if you don’t realize it. Receipts at most grocery stores and other large retail outlets are printed using thermal printers; the same goes for the many barcodes and ingredient labels that might be found on, say, a rotisserie chicken or a box of cookies.

These receipts and labels are printed using thermal printing, meaning no ink is used. Instead, they are made from coated paper that darkens when exposed to heat. The printer only heats the appropriate areas of the paper as it exits the machine.

Stores love these printers because the technology is old and cheap, the paper is cheap, the ink doesn’t need refilling, and receipts and labels print quickly. It doesn’t matter that the print is black and white and low-resolution; we don’t use them for printing artwork.

I also like these features about my mini version. The printer itself was only $25 on Black Friday, and the paper rolls last a very long time and only cost about a dollar each . In contrast, I have a full-color mini photo printer that uses Zink paper , and it’s the opposite: expensive paper, slow printing, and terrible battery life. The prints are pretty good, but because of these shortcomings, I almost never use it. I use my thermal printer all the time, though.

What is its use?

First of all, I’m finally putting proper labels on the candies I give for Christmas, listing the ingredients and everything. In previous years, I wanted to do this, but then I had to figure out how to design the label, what to print it on, and then have my child cut them out and tape or tie them—no big deal, but still a lot of work. This year, I’ll just print the label in an app and send it out.

The printer app, called Phomemo , is easy to use, though it lacks many premium features. You can quickly print any text, any photo from your camera roll, or choose from a library of clip art and templates. Once I’ve decided what I want to print, I can create a label and start printing in seconds.

So I use the printer all the time for anything that’s a little more complicated than writing a few words with a marker, but doesn’t require the whole process of buying or making special labels or information sheets.

For example, I printed out a knitting needle size chart and taped it to the knitting needle case. I also printed out a 2×10 grid to track my workout, which consists of 10 sets of two exercises. (I glue it into my training journal and mark off the completed sets. I used to draw the squares by hand, but I once ended a workout early because I miscounted. The sticker helps me stay on track.)

Sure, I could find a knitting needle size chart or store my workout data in an app. But having that information in paper form distracts me from my phone precisely when I’m trying to unplug.

How fun is this?

That’s where the kids come in. Or more precisely, my youngest daughter, who immediately printed out stickers for herself and her friends. (Since the paper is so cheap, I don’t mind letting her access them via Bluetooth from her own device—let her do whatever she wants.)

This is the same girl who insists on believing in the Elf on the Shelf every year, even though she knows I’m Santa Claus. You might remember that I refuse to let the elf “get into trouble” and “make a mess,” instead seeking out neater, less-fussy antics. It was always fun when the elf wrote notes to my daughter, so last December I wrote tiny notes with a tiny pen and then hid my supplies. This year, she came up with the idea of ​​using the printer to write a note to the elf, and then I had to come up with a story about the elf having a secret phone number she could use to contact him and print out replies.

This way, I can handle all the elf’s nighttime antics in a matter of minutes. I turn on the printer, print out a note, and (if necessary) move the elf to another shelf or somewhere else. My daughter and the elf have organized treasure hunts, drawn pictures for each other, and tonight they’ll be writing poems to each other. I love their creativity, and she keeps all the notes. There’s something special about having a physical reminder of something ephemeral.

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