The SLP 450 boasts a print speed of approximately one second per label and supports 2D barcode printing (which contain more data than conventional one-dimensional barcodes by making use of the vertical dimension to pack in more data). What's more, the SLP 450 sports network connectivity; it can be connected by USB or serial port at an individual user’s desktop or centrally as a network printer, letting multiple users in a large office access the printer without it being tied to a single computer.

With it, you can create labels incorporating text, graphics or barcodes in a wide range of sizes, and in 300 dots per inch resolution. You can import text and graphics from most Mac apps directly onto a variety of adhesive or paper labels up to two-and-one-eighth inches wide for marking items such as envelopes, files, storage boxes, floppy or Zip disks, video cassettes or 35 mm slides. The SLP 450 prints labels that can include patient or customer information, bar codes for storing, shipping or inventory tracking, as well as text and graphics for labeling office files or cabinets. Heck, about the only format it doesn't handle is CD labels, mainly because the SLP 450 isn't big enough to handle 'em.

Let's face it: even when your word processing or database application has the ability to generate labels on the fly, the printing process requires that you change the paper in the printer or fiddle with software settings. The SLP 450 greatly simplifies the process. However, its versatility and convenience costs: the label printer has a street price of around US$189 and uses specialized labels that cost about seven bucks for 130 basic labels.

You'll have to decide whether the price tag justifies the convenience. Among the niceties of the SLP 450 is the fact that in addition to reading a tab-delimited file, you can import addresses from the Mac OS X Address Book or from Entourage. Select a group from Address Book (not a smart group, and click on the check marks to indicate which labels to print and the appropriately prepared labels come zipping out.

Seiko also makes a US$24.99 label tray that allows suppliers, distributors and other business users to print shipping and address labels, inventory tags, business and appointment cards and other kinds of high volume label printing.

The Seiko SLP 450 certainly isn't a must-have device -- unless you print LOTS of labels. However, it's a great "one trick" pony that does one trick extremely well.

Macsimum rating: 7 out of 10

System requirements: Mac OS X 10.2 or higher