Get the Brother printer that sets on your desk and hooks to your computer. Then you can use the mouse to stretch or shrink the label size, the entire label appears on the monitor as it will be in the finished product. Then when you are ready to make a label you just hit print and like any printer it spits out the printed page, in this case a label. I use a refurbished (½ price, on the Brother refurbished website) P-Touch PRO DX 9200. It was quite a bit more but it precuts the tapes, makes duplicates easily and takes up to 1½ inch tapes. I bought it only for daylilies but have found many other uses for it. They don't make this model anymore but any of them that are only a printer without the keyboard or screen will be cheaper, easier to use, faster, and more accurate and less wasteful because you use the compter software, which by the way, can easily be updated free from the Brother website.

one note: I'm good on the advice to buy the cheapest one that does the job you want done... but make sure you don't go cheaper and lose something you want. For example, I want to be able to use the wide it's 1 inch, right?, laminated tape. I like how it looks on the metal plant marker. (Mine are from Eon...) As the price of the machine goes up, so does the size of tape it can handle. About the handheld ones and taking them into the garden... I like the idea but think this might encourage a costly bad habit. If you want the markers to last a really long time, there is a step you shouldn't skip. The manufacturing of metal often leaves some surface deposit - often a very little bit of oil. If you want the best adhearance, you should wipe the metal plate with alcohol to remove any residue before putting your label on. I have never had a label fall off... I think my oldest are probably 15 years or more old... unless it was bent or damaged. The sticky on the tape has never failed on its own... we attribute this to the clean surface. I think I'd do the same if the markers were plastic. I think color of print and tape is a personal taste issue. We started with black print on white background - it is, I think, the easiest to read. On the other hand, the white tags really stand out in the garden - for good and for ill. We have switched to black print on clear. It is still quite readable on the aluminum markers, but not quite as attention-getting as the white ones. the reason I bring this up is a person should think about the look they want before they buy a labeler and tape - so you can avoid our situation with two different types of labels in the same gardens. Somebody complained about losing the print off the tape - I assume they were using a tape that isn't laminated with the print literally on the inside. Not all p-touch tapes are created equal - you want the laminated tape. Mine is a computer printer. I like the aforementioned advantages - being able to chose any font on the computer, visualizing the print on the screen and optimizing the looks... but on the other hand, mine is set up for my old Mac II - a computer most of you are too young to remember much less own. Every year I set it up, hook up the printer, and spend one delightful evening printing labels. Then we put it away. Then we spend the rest of the summer making lists of all the plants we forgot to label. Then we lose the list during the winter. Then we start all over in the spring. Some folks use a 3/4" tape and find it sufficient

link to best deal on tape the best machine is the cheapest machine.. that will do what you want... mine has so many bells and whistles.. heck i dont even know why ... i do NOT know what the large eon label is .. perhaps a link would give me a better idea ... there are 854 links on the GW search engine ... but i am glad you asked here.. but if you dont get a good answer.. doubt it... check there.. ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

the problem is getting under the chemical resistant plastic .. to get to the glue .. i used a heat gun .. from my old paint removal days... and heated it just enough.. to grab and peel a corner ... then the goo gone.. or some variation ... just enough heat.. is when the label starts to bubble a bit.. today i was wondering if a hair dryer would generate enough heat ... i might trust don with a flaming torch.. but i am not sure about the rest of you ... lol ... you will not have to worry about the labels.. should you burn down the garage in the meantime.. lol ... especially if you mix high powered chemical removers with the flaming part .... BTW.. i did this on some heavy duty stainless steel labels i had.. i dont know if i would bother on replaceable zinc coated plates .... ken