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GoDEX label printers, and how the range splits
GoDEX is a Taiwanese manufacturer that builds barcode and label printers and very little else. POS PLAZA stocks 16 models, from $500.50 to $2123.55 including GST, held in Australia and shipped Australia wide. The range divides cleanly into three series, and knowing which one you are in removes most of the decision.
The DT series is direct thermal desktop: no ribbon, short life labels, lowest running cost. The RT series is desktop machines that print both direct thermal and thermal transfer, which is where most businesses land because one printer then covers both kinds of label. The ZX series is metal bodied industrial, for print rooms and production lines running all day.
DT series, direct thermal desktop
Direct thermal only, so there is no ribbon to buy or load. The print comes from heat reacting with the label stock itself, which suits anything with a short life: shipping labels, picking labels, date coded food labels and visitor passes. Direct thermal fades with heat, sunlight and friction, so it is the wrong choice for an asset tag meant to outlive the year.
| Model | Resolution | Max print width | Max speed | Price inc GST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoDEX DT200+ | 203 dpi | 54 mm | 178 mm/s (7 ips) | $500.50 |
| GoDEX DT230+ | 300 dpi | 56.9 mm | 127 mm/s (5 ips) | $594.88 |
| GoDEX DT4X+ | 203 dpi | 108 mm | 178 mm/s (7 ips) | $536.25 |
Prices shown in this table were correct at the time of writing and include GST. The product page carries the current price.
RT series, desktop thermal transfer and direct thermal
The workhorses. Every RT prints both ways, so one machine covers short life direct thermal labels and long life thermal transfer labels by changing the ribbon and the stock. This is the series most sites end up on, and the span runs from a 2 inch 203 dpi unit to a 600 dpi machine for tiny text and jewellery tags.
| Model | Resolution | Max print width | Max speed | Price inc GST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoDEX RT200 | 203 dpi | 54 mm | 127 mm/s (5 ips) | $536.25 |
| GoDEX RT200i | 203 dpi | 54 mm | 177 mm/s (7 ips) | $815.10 |
| GoDEX RT230 | 300 dpi | 56.9 mm | 102 mm/s (4 ips) | $657.80 |
| GoDEX RT230i | 300 dpi | 56.9 mm | 177 mm/s (7 ips) | $943.80 |
| GoDEX RT700x | 203 dpi | 108 mm | 177 mm/s (7 ips) | $664.95 |
| GoDEX RT700i+ | 203 dpi | 108 mm | 177 mm/s (7 ips) | $865.15 |
| GoDEX RT730 | 300 dpi | 105.7 mm | 102 mm/s (4 ips) | $808.67 |
| GoDEX RT730i+ | 300 dpi | 105.7 mm | 127 mm/s (5 ips) | $1036.75 |
| GoDEX RT863i | 600 dpi | 105.6 mm | 76.2 mm/s (3 ips) | $1937.92 |
Prices shown in this table were correct at the time of writing and include GST. The product page carries the current price.
ZX series, industrial
Metal bodied machines for print rooms and production lines, built for long runs and larger media rolls rather than a counter. The ZX420i+ and ZX430i+ are the light compact pair; the ZX1200Xi and ZX1300Xi are the full industrial units, and the ZX1200Xi is the fastest printer in the range at 14 inches per second.
| Model | Resolution | Max print width | Max speed | Price inc GST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoDEX ZX1200Xi | 203 dpi | 104 mm | 356 mm/s (14 ips) | $1773.20 |
| GoDEX ZX1300Xi | 300 dpi | 104 mm | 254 mm/s (10 ips) | $2123.55 |
| GoDEX ZX420i+ | 203 dpi | 108 mm | 152 mm/s (6 ips) | $1408.55 |
| GoDEX ZX430i+ | 300 dpi | 105.7 mm | 127 mm/s (5 ips) | $1501.50 |
Prices shown in this table were correct at the time of writing and include GST. The product page carries the current price.
Choosing between them
Start with the label, not the printer. If the label is read and thrown away within weeks, direct thermal is cheaper to run and a DT machine will do. If it has to survive a year on a shelf, a cold room, sunlight or handling, you need thermal transfer and therefore an RT or a ZX.
Then the width. The 2 inch machines print to about 54 to 57 mm, which covers shelf tickets, small product labels and jewellery tags. The 4 inch machines print to 104 to 108 mm, which is the standard shipping and carton label size in Australia.
Then the volume. A desktop unit is sized for hundreds of labels a day. If a bench is producing thousands, or a line never stops, the metal bodied ZX machines take larger media rolls and are built to keep going, which is what you are paying for rather than raw speed.
Warranty and consumables
Every GoDEX printer on this page carries a 24 Months Return to Base warranty. Return to base means a failed printer comes back to us, we assess it, and it is repaired or replaced in Australia rather than through an overseas returns process.
Consumable parts are excluded, which on a thermal printer means the thermal print head and the platen roller. Both are wear items consumed by use rather than components that fail, and no manufacturer covers them. A print head that has run millions of labels is a maintenance item, and we stock replacements along with the labels and thermal transfer ribbons to suit every machine on this page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between direct thermal and thermal transfer?
Direct thermal prints by heating the label stock itself, so there is no ribbon to buy, but the image fades with heat, sunlight and rubbing. It suits labels with a short life: shipping, picking, date coding, visitor passes. Thermal transfer melts ink from a ribbon onto the label, which costs more per label and needs a ribbon loaded, but the result lasts for years. Use it for asset tags, compliance labels, chemical drums and anything that has to survive storage. The GoDEX DT series prints direct thermal only. Every RT and ZX prints both.
Do I need 203 dpi or 300 dpi?
203 dpi is right for the overwhelming majority of labels: product barcodes, shipping labels, shelf tickets and anything with text at normal reading size. Step up to 300 dpi when the label is small and crowded, when you print 2D codes at tiny sizes, or when fine print has to stay legible, which is the usual case in pharmacy, pathology and electronics. 600 dpi, which is the RT863i only, exists for jewellery tags and very small dense codes.
What do the i and the plus mean in a GoDEX model number?
They are different machines, not trim levels, and they are ordered separately. Across the models stocked here, an i adds a faster print engine and a USB host port that takes a keyboard, a scanner or a USB stick so the printer can run standalone. A plus adds substantially more memory: 128 MB flash and 128 MB SDRAM against the 8 MB and 16 MB of the base machine, which matters for stored label formats, fonts and long jobs. An RT700x and an RT700i+ are not the same printer.
Which GoDEX suits a 4 inch shipping label?
For direct thermal shipping labels, the DT4X+ at 108 mm wide and 7 inches per second. If you also need long life labels from the same machine, move to the RT700i+, which prints the same 4 inch width both ways. For a production line pushing volume all day, the ZX1200Xi runs to 14 inches per second.
What warranty do GoDEX printers carry?
24 Months Return to Base across the whole range, which means a failed printer comes back to us, is assessed, and is repaired or replaced in Australia. Consumable parts are excluded, which on a thermal printer means the thermal print head and the platen roller. Both are wear items consumed by use rather than components that fail, and no manufacturer covers them.
Can a GoDEX printer run without a computer?
On the models with a USB host port, yes. Plug a keyboard or a barcode scanner into the printer, store the label format on the machine, and an operator can call up a format and print without a PC in front of them. That covers the i models and the larger plus and industrial units. It is the usual answer for a packing bench or a production line where a computer is in the way.
What software do I use to design labels?
GoDEX ships GoLabel, its own free label design software, and the printers also speak EZPL so they can be driven directly from an ERP or warehouse system. Windows drivers are available, and the printers work with the common third party label packages. Tell us what system has to produce the label and we will confirm the path before you order.
Are GoDEX printers supported in Australia?
Yes. POS PLAZA stocks the range in Australia, ships Australia wide, and warranty work is handled here on a return to base basis rather than through an overseas repair process. Labels and thermal transfer ribbons to suit every machine on this page are stocked as well, so the consumables do not become a separate sourcing problem.
Send us a sample of the label you need to print, tell us roughly how many a day and whether it has to last, and we will tell you which machine suits and which is more than you need. Call POS PLAZA on 1300 115 808.