Brother P Touch E550W

[mattg4321]

Bought this a few days ago and I've got to say I've nearly put a hammer through it in frustration already. The templates seem to be poor for consumer units. Not many options for high integrity and that sort of thing.

I've created a template on P Touch Editor on Mac OSX but can't find anyway to transfer it to the damn label machine. Anyone know how to do it? The instructions are a waste of time and I can't find anything helpful online. Keeps talking about some transfer manager that seems to be Windows only.

The phone app is poor too. No option to edit templates that I can see.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Unfortunately the P-Touch editor is Windows based so will be difficult on Mac OSX, can you export it as a Windows document onto your Desktop? Any templates I create in P-Touch I just send them to the E550W to print and they come out as formatted.

 

[mattg4321]

Don’t really want to cart my laptop around to print from there. I don’t have any windows machines.

Can you create basic templates for say a hi integrity consumer unit directly on the e550 itself? I haven’t really looked into this properly yet. The instructions included are very poor though.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I don't think you can directly into the machine, there is a facility on a Mac to run windows, but I use Parallels as I have a lot of Windows programmes I need to run and I understand the Mac facility means logging out and back in to use it?

 

[Zerax]

The software that came with my Brother PT-E550W says that it runs on OSX v10.7-10.9

 

[Mike Johnson]

It also says that some of the facilities are not available.

 

[mattg4321]

So if you don’t have a windows machine how the hell do you print out labels for hi integrity consumer units?

Is it a case of borrowing a windows machine to load the templates on. Once they’re on there then they’re on there for good?

Not impressed for the cost of this thing to be honest.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Can you give me an example of what it is you are trying to print out, I may be able to help?

 

[UNG]

Don’t really want to cart my laptop around to print from there. I don’t have any windows machines.

Can you create basic templates for say a hi integrity consumer unit directly on the e550 itself? I haven’t really looked into this properly yet. The instructions included are very poor though.

Yes you can it took me a while to work it out and I have now got a selection of my own templates saved, I very rarely use the software and only tend to use it if I want more of a custom label

 

[Edtwozeronine]

several mac OS downloads available on their website.

 

[Edtwozeronine]

I'm surprised there's not an "export file to device" option in the software to send the file over USB to the machines memory or something along those lines. Does File/Save option not allow you to find the device as a mounted drive and save files to it?

 

[mattg4321]

It doesn’t seem like you can send the file over usb when using OS X. Pretty poor really.

If you want to create a template then it’s either on the e550w itself or on a windows machine as far as I can tell.

@Mike Johnson i want to create templates for 10 way and 16 way high integrity Hager consumer units as I fairly often use these when not fitting all rcbo boards. Starting from scratch each time would be tedious.

 

[Julie.]

The software is a bit of a letdown to be honest, although most of the stuff I need it for can be done with the android app.

I have created loads of standard labels and templates there, I do find it irritating however that you really need to use the app for certain things, but the windows version for others, such as cu labels.

I am sure you could do much more with the app, and direct on the machine, unfortunately it needs someone with loads of time and hacking type experience to get it done i guess

 

[Zerax]

So if you don’t have a windows machine how the hell do you print out labels for hi integrity consumer units?

Is it a case of borrowing a windows machine to load the templates on. Once they’re on there then they’re on there for good?

Not impressed for the cost of this thing to be honest.

I have the same printer... and I don't use any laptop... you can easily print something like this just from the machine itself... took me 3 or 4 mins to do. (Not my board btw)

 

[kropaske]

I must say it's pretty good printer.
You can do template on the software and transfer it to the device and then edit before printing but is just easy to do it on the machine itself.
For example 5+5 rcd and 2 non rcd circuits.
You click patch panel and set width of your single mcb, set 15 blocks, choose separator, orientation and reverse if needed then toggle advance on, this will allow you to set width of individual modules. Hit OK and you can set width of rcd's and main switch as they are wider. Hit OK and you good to go. Type MS and Rcd's and you can Save it as template. To do that click folder button then local files and save. You can recall it anytime by pressing folder button, local files and then open.
Alse there are few tips that may came handy:

If you have for example 20 fcu to label, instead doing it individually and print one by one you can choose patch panel, choose 20 blocks and hit ok. Then type first one and hit faceplate. Choose width and hit OK. It will create 20 separate labels that you can fill and print in one go.

If you have lot of different labels to print, choose chain printing (option 5 IIRC in cutting menu) this will print and score your label but won't cut it. This is useful as machine waste about 25mm of tape every time you print and cut label.

When labelling consumer units is nice to have MS and Rcd's with larger font and rest smaller and equal. This can be done on software but not on the machine. There is way around it but not perfect. For example if you type "HOB" it will be huge compare to say "IMMERSION HEATER" so the trick is to type in with space or even 2. For example "space HOB space".

I'am sure others will add some other useful tricks.
Enjoy your new machine.