Plan the tape your labels consume
Tape-use and cost estimator
Compare separate jobs with grouped printing using your own lengths and cassette price. Every starting figure is illustrative, including the 2 mm and 20 mm allowances; they are not settings or measured waste figures for a Brother model.
Your length-based estimate
Estimated tape and allocated cost
Costs allocate the cassette price by length used. They are separate from the cash cost of buying whole cassettes.
| Part of the strip | Tape length |
|---|
| Print jobs | Total tape | Allocated cost | Tape saved versus one job per label |
|---|
Fewer jobs save tape here only through the per-job allowance. They do not remove the finished margins or per-label trimming you entered. A single job is a comparison scenario, not a promise that your printer can complete that many labels in one run.
See how fewer jobs change a fictional batch
Suppose a cassette is 8 m long and costs £15 delivered. You need 20 finished labels averaging 40 mm long, with another 2 mm discarded per label and 20 mm discarded per print job. These are illustrative inputs, not an Amazon price or a model-specific feed requirement.
| Same 20 labels | One job per label | Two grouped jobs | One grouped job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finished strips kept | 800 mm | 800 mm | 800 mm |
| Extra per-label loss | 40 mm | 40 mm | 40 mm |
| Per-job feed/trim loss | 400 mm | 40 mm | 20 mm |
| Total tape | 1.240 m | 0.880 m | 0.860 m |
| Allocated tape cost | £2.33 | £1.65 | £1.61 |
Two grouped jobs use 360 mm less tape than 20 separate jobs under these assumptions. At £15 for 8 m, that length is worth £0.675, displayed as £0.68. Each cost and saving is rounded independently after calculation, so rounded costs may differ by a penny when subtracted. The estimator leaves the finished margins and per-label loss unchanged; only the repeated job allowance falls. A single-job scenario is useful for comparison, but your printer, copy limit or label workflow may require more runs.
Check the lengths and assumptions behind the estimate
- Total tape in millimetres = labels × (finished label length + extra loss per label) + separate jobs × feed/trim loss per job.
- Allocated tape cost = total tape ÷ (cassette metres × 1,000) × delivered cassette price.
- Cost per finished label = allocated tape cost ÷ labels required.
- Saving against separate jobs = (labels − grouped jobs) × the per-job allowance, converted to cost with the same cassette price per millimetre.
Finished length is the complete strip you apply, including its end margins, rather than just the printed word. Count each discarded section once. If labels differ, use their average finished length and an average extra loss per label. If print jobs have different feed losses, enter their average allowance. Only compare job counts that can use those same assumptions.
Use the stated length of the cassette you are costing, including a shorter starter cassette where relevant. The result allocates stock cost by length consumed. It does not quote a purchase price or count whole cassettes to buy. Set-up labels, spoiled prints, unusable cassette tails and extra feeds when changing a cassette are excluded unless you have included them in the allowances. When a run exceeds one cassette, plan for those additional losses. Labour, electricity and the printer purchase are excluded.
Brother documents a first-label allowance on the PT-H110 and explains how continuous printing can avoid repeating it on subsequent labels. Its P-touch Editor guidance also requires the final feed before cutting a chain, with controls varying by model. Neither gives one universal allowance for every printer and setting. Use the instructions below and your own lengths instead of treating the starting 20 mm as a Brother specification.
Look at where the spare tape appears
Print one short label on the tape you usually use and look at the strip before trimming it. A blank section before the first label, space beside the printed text and space left by a fixed label length have different causes. Start with the check that matches what you see.
| What the strip looks like | What to check on the PT-H110 |
|---|---|
| A long blank lead before the first label | Expect a start allowance. Check for the trim dots and group labels if you are printing several. |
| More space than you want at both ends of the finished label | Compare the Full, Half and Narrow margin settings. |
| A short word on a consistently long strip | Check whether Label Length is fixed. Use Auto if the strips can vary in length. |
| A long lead repeated when you print one job at a time | Select several copies together or print different labels in one chain. |
| Letters are missing at the cut | If using Chain Print, complete the final feed before using the cutter. |
Brother attributes the first leading strip to the layout of the mechanism. The tape has to travel from the printhead to the cutter. A shorter design can reduce the length of the finished strip. The advance before the first print is a separate part of the tape path. Brother PT-H110 guidance on using less tape
Set Narrow margins for one finished label
On the PT-H110, press Menu, use the arrows to find Margin, then press OK. Select Narrow and confirm. The UK manual shows 25 mm at each end for Full, 12 mm for Half and 4 mm for Narrow on the finished label. For Half and Narrow, the measurement displayed is from the printed trim dots to the end of the label. Use scissors at those dots after the printer has released the cut strip.
Check Menu → Label Length as well. Use Auto if you want the strip to follow the wording. A fixed length is useful for a row of matching drawer labels, but a short word then uses the same length as its neighbours. Review the preview before printing several labels, especially if you have changed the text size or chosen a frame. PT-H110 UK manual, Printing Labels and Setting Margin
Group identical copies or chain different labels
For identical labels, Brother’s PT-H110 manual recommends Narrow and a single job with the number of copies you need. Press Print, enter the copy count and confirm with OK. The machine supports up to nine copies per run. Printing a fresh job for every copy repeats the start of the print workflow.
For different labels, choose Menu → Margin → Chain Print. Type the first label and print it. At Feed OK?, press Esc if you have another label to enter. Clear the previous text, type the next label and print it. Keep the chain attached while repeating these steps. At the prompt after the last label, press OK to feed the tape. Wait until it stops and use the cutter lever. Separate the labels after taking the chain out.
If a cut goes through part of the text in Chain Print, check whether you fed the last label. The text can be partly inside the machine when printing stops. Use the prompt to advance it before the final cut. Brother support on text cut off in Chain Print
Use the controls for your exact Brother app and model
If you use a phone-controlled CUBE, start with its app rather than the handheld menu. In iPrint&Label, Brother documents a Chain Printing control under Cut Options on the editing screen for supported models. It has separate guidance for Design&Print 2. Check the current instructions for the app you use and follow the model’s documented final feed or cut action. Brother iPrint&Label margin guidance · Brother Design&Print 2 tape use guidance
On supported computer-connected models, P-touch Editor 6 lists Chain Print under the print dialogue’s cut options. The same menu can include Auto Cut, Cut at End and Half Cut. Cut at End determines when the machine cuts. Half Cut leaves the backing intact. For Chain Print, follow your printer’s final feed instructions before cutting. Available controls depend on the printer and tape. P-touch Editor 6 cut options
Compare tape consumed with the finished label length
Measure a short example with the margins you usually use. Then print the same wording using Narrow or print a small chain of your usual labels. Count the entire strip that came out, including the first trimmed piece and gaps, and divide it by the number of labels you can apply. That gives you a better estimate of tape use than measuring only the part you stick on a folder.
Use the shorter setting for everyday jobs and keep a fixed length where matching strips matter. For repeated labelling, write out several names before you start so you can print them in the same chain and check the labels before separating them.
Brother instructions
Common questions
Can I remove all the blank tape before the first PT-H110 label?
Brother says the mechanism needs a leading allowance before the first label. Use narrower finished margins and group print jobs to avoid repeating that allowance where the model supports it.
Why does my PT-H110 still leave a long front strip on Narrow?
The front strip includes the allowance that advances the tape through the printer. The printed dots mark the trim line. Use scissors on the strip after cutting it free.
When do I press OK at Feed OK on the PT-H110?
Press Esc at that prompt when you want to enter the next label in the chain. Press OK after the last label to feed the tape, then use the cutter when movement stops.
What is the difference between Half margin and Half Cut?
Half is a PT-H110 margin setting. On supported connected models, Half Cut cuts the face layer while leaving the backing together. Check the settings and cutter capabilities for your exact model.
How do I estimate the cost of each finished tape label?
Add the length kept on each label, extra trimming per label and the feed allowance for each separate job. Divide that total length by the cassette length and multiply by its delivered price. Divide the result by the finished label count. The estimator separates these allowances to avoid counting a margin twice.