Label printers have come a long way. They aren’t the bulky, costly things of decades-past; now, you can own one for a fraction of what they used to cost. And they can fit almost anywhere.

If that’s not enough to convince you, check out some of our favourite benefits of label printers.

1. Stay organized. Does your filing cabinet look like it’s full of kidnapping notes? Admit it, the hand-written labels on some of your folders are a little less legible than you’d like. Flip through your files with ease and without wondering what, exactly, that word is supposed to be.

2. Keep things civil. If you store personal items in a shared space — the office fridge, for example — mistakes happen. Prevent someone else from drinking your last sparkling water or eating your favourite yogurt with a simple label.

3. Go green. Label printers are our favourite tool for turning recyclable containers into long-term storage. That glass jar that once held soup? Soak off the store label and put on your own. It could be for oats, baking supplies, dried beans and anything else your house loves to eat. Before long, you can have a full pantry of reused, zero-waste storage.

4. Lose less. Are your kids constantly losing things at school or daycare? Label printer, to the rescue! Now, your son’s favourite book won’t be going home in someone else’s backpack.

5. Inventory management. If you’ve got a small business that often needs labels, you’ll find a label printer to be a life saver! Print barcodes and stay on top of your inventory levels at all times.