By Thermal Printer Supplies  |  Brady Printers  |  S3700 vs. i5300 Buyer's Guide

We have a separate overview covering the full Brady printer lineup. This guide is specifically for buyers who have landed on one or both of these models and want to understand which one fits their application before ordering. The answer comes down to what you're labeling and what the label needs to do after it's applied.

The Brady S3700: Color, Cut, and Facility Labeling

What is the S3700 actually designed for?

The Brady S3700 is a multicolor sign and label printer with a built-in XY plotter cutter. That combination, color printing plus shape cutting, puts it in a completely different category from a standard thermal transfer label printer. It's designed for safety labeling, facility identification, Lean manufacturing visuals, lockout/tagout tags, pipe markers, and any application where the label needs to be a specific shape rather than a standard rectangle and needs color to communicate meaning visually.

The built-in cutter slices straight lines, curves, and tight connection points, which means the S3700 can produce custom shapes on demand without die cutting or pre-cut label stock for every shape you need. It can stack pipe markers, produce arrow-shaped labels, and cut out irregularly shaped signs from a single ribbon and material pass. For a facility that needs custom safety signage, pipe markers, LOTO tags, and Lean visual labels all from one printer, the S3700 is the tool that eliminates outsourcing those jobs to a sign shop.

The onboard template library covers 600-plus barcodes and symbols and includes pre-programmed templates for common safety and facility labeling formats, which means workers can walk up and print standard labels without going through the PC software for every job. The mobile app adds the ability to initiate print jobs from a phone or tablet. Print speed is up to 5 inches per second and material changeovers take 20 seconds, consistent with the rest of the Brady industrial lineup.

Who needs the S3700?

Operations that need on-demand color safety labels, Lean visuals, pipe markers, or LOTO tags and are currently either outsourcing that work to a sign vendor or using a basic black-and-white printer that requires pre-cut label stock for each shape. Manufacturing facilities implementing 5S or Lean programs that need consistent color-coded visual management labels. Facilities managers responsible for safety compliance who need to produce OSHA-compliant safety labels, equipment warnings, and facility signage on demand. Maintenance and EHS teams handling lockout/tagout programs where LOTO tags and energy source labels need to be printed as procedures are created.

The Brady i5300: Precision Small Label Printing at Industrial Volume

What is the i5300 actually designed for?

The i5300 is a precision industrial label printer built for high-mix, high-volume applications where accuracy on small labels is the primary requirement. It prints labels as small as 0.20 inches in length at 300 or 600 DPI, which covers circuit board labeling, component marking, small specimen ID, wire and cable marking, and any application where the label is tiny and the print needs to be sharp enough to read or scan reliably at small scale.

The i5300 uses Brady's smart cell technology in its consumables. When Brady media is loaded, the printer automatically reads the media's specifications and configures print speed, heat, and label size without any manual calibration or test labels. The result is zero setup waste, which matters significantly in high-mix operations where media changes between different label types happen frequently throughout the day. Changeovers take 20 seconds and require no sensor adjustment.

The i5300 has a rugged all-metal frame and is designed to print thousands of labels per day without performance degradation. The 7-inch color touchscreen shows installed part numbers, remaining supply levels, print job status, and label previews, which simplifies operation for production floor workers who aren't label printing experts. USB, Ethernet, and optional Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity cover most production environment integration requirements.

Who needs the i5300?

Electronics manufacturers labeling circuit boards and small components at production volumes. Laboratories producing specimen ID labels, vial labels, and sample tracking labels where minimum label size and barcode readability at small scale matter. Operations marking wires and cables at high volume with self-laminating or heat-shrink labels. Any environment where the labeling requirement is high-mix across many small label types and Brady's smart cell auto-calibration eliminates the setup overhead that would otherwise make high-mix printing slow and wasteful.

The Decision at a Glance

Quick Questions

Can the S3700 print small labels like the i5300?

The S3700 is designed for larger sign and label formats, not precision small label printing at 0.20-inch minimum label lengths. If your application involves very small labels for components, specimens, or wires, the i5300 is the right tool. The S3700's strength is color, shape cutting, and facility signage scale, not microscopic precision on tiny labels.

Can the i5300 print color labels like the S3700?

No. The i5300 is a monochrome thermal transfer printer. It prints in black and white only, or in whatever single ribbon color is loaded. If color is a requirement for your labels, specifically multi-color output from a single print pass, the S3700 is the printer that does that. The i5300's precision and small label capability are its strengths, not color output.

We need both safety labeling and small component labels. Do we need both printers?

Possibly. These are genuinely different tools for different workflows. Some operations run both, one S3700 in the EHS or facilities area for safety and Lean labeling, and one or more i5300s on the production floor for component and wire marking. If your budget or space requires choosing one, the decision should follow whichever application type represents the higher daily volume and the higher cost of not having the right tool. Tell us your application split and we can help you figure out which one to prioritize.

If you're not sure which Brady printer fits your specific application or want to confirm the right software kit configuration before ordering, fill out the form below. We can usually get to a clear recommendation quickly once we understand what you're labeling and what the label needs to do.