Label printers are such a useful tool for organising your stuff and getting creative. If you’ve been thinking about buying one, Phomemo are one of the most popular brands and they kindly sent me 2 of their portable printers to try out. I’ll compare them below so you can see which would suit you best and we’ll have another post soon with more ways to use them.
The two printers I received are a pink D30 Label Printer and a blue M02Pro Pocket Printer. They’re both hand/palm-sized so definitely portable and easy to pop in a drawer when not in use. They’re both thermal printers, which means they don’t need ink but instead use special labels. They can only print in black, blue or greyscale but there are lots of colourful labels to make things more fun.
As you can see, everything comes packaged really nicely. Each printer comes in a box with charging cable, instruction booklet and a single roll of blank labels to start you off. Phomemo also sent an assortment of labels for me to try.
D30 Label Printer
Let’s start with the pink D30 Label Printer. Setting up this printer was just a matter of charging it up with the cable, installing an app on my iPad and using Bluetooth to connect the printer. The labels are already set up inside but it’s simple to switch in a different roll.
Now you can have some fun! You start by choosing the correct label from a list and then it will show a mockup label so you can add your text in the correct place. You can type directly with a choice of fonts or add a date or time in various formats, plus there’s simple illustrations to cute it up.
If you only have plain labels, you can browse their design templates with frames, borders and cartoon designs. Once you’re happy, just press the Print button and the label will roll out of the top of the machine, where there’s also a tear off cutter. The first label will likely be misaligned but just print again and it will adjust automatically.
The D30 can only print these small labels so would be best for simple labelling and organising projects at home, for schoolwork or for setting up a journal. There are colourful designs available with studying, food, space and animal themes, plus solid colours, mermaid swirls, clear labels and more. Some of these have a glossy finish so should be quite hard-wearing, though I will need to test that more thoroughly.
M02Pro Pocket Printer
On to the M02Pro Pocket Printer. As the name suggests, this is a more professional printer that can print labels in lots of different sizes and has a higher resolution for better quality printing. It uses a long wide tape with no set divisions so you can print at any height, from a thin label to square or as tall as you need. That makes it much more versatile for journaling, organising, creative projects and even shipping labels.
This printer works in exactly the same way as the D30 though I was initially confused as to why it wouldn’t connect to the app. I eventually realised that there are 2 Phomemo apps for different models so do read the instructions! It’s a little bit annoying trying to remember which app is for which printer but most people will only own one and won’t have this issue. This app is much more modern and user-friendly and includes lots of cute templates including frames, to-do lists and business cards, plus you can you import your own photos and illustrations.
It’s a little trickier to figure out all the different options but I was able to create lots of cute things quickly including stickers with my own Bunny, Panda and Happy Mail illustrations. I also really like the to do lists and the animal labels! Unfortunately, some of the cutest template designs had weird display issues so couldn’t be used – hopefully that will be fixed with a future app update. I was able to play with some coloured labels and clear labels, but you can also buy lots more colours, patterns and even sparkly metallics.
Which Printer To Buy?
Overall, these are both great little printers that are easy to set up and fun to use with lots of labels and designs to choose from. I love how versatile the M02Pro Pocket Printer is and being able to print my own designs at any size on lots of different types of labels (plus blue ink too) makes it my personal recommendation. However, it is a bit of an investment so if you’re on a budget the D30 Label Printer is still a great option – the labels are good quality and very cute so I will probably get just as much use out of it.
The D30 Label Printer costs approximately £36/$50 and the labels cost around £10/$14 for a pack of 3 rolls. The M02Pro Pocket Printer costs approximately £65/$90 and the labels cost around £9/$12 – £23/$32 for a pack of 3 rolls including mixed packs. There are also other models and colours to choose from and currently there is a sale on with about 30% off printers and labels. You can order directly from Phomemo with shipping available worldwide, or via Amazon (UK – D30 & M02Pro / US – D30 & M02Pro).
I’ll be back with another post in a few weeks with some tips and ideas for making the most of your Phomemo printer (you can now read it here!). I’m itching to start labelling everything in my home! Let me know if there’s anything you want to me cover in that.
(Products were provided by Phomemo for review but all words, photographs and opinions are my own.)
Marceline is the co-founder and editor of Super Cute Kawaii and the author of The Super Cute Book of Kawaii. She lives by the seaside in Scotland in a flat full of kawaii, creating cute character goods as Asking For Trouble, working on endless craft projects and playing Nintendo.
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