Brother QL-810W Label Printer
The Brother QL-810W is a WiFi thermal label printer that Brother POS can drive directly from the POS app — no separate bridge PC, no static-IP network printer, and no Avery sheets. It is a good fit for counter-only or mobile setups where you want to tap Print Labels and have a label come out a second later.
Brother label printing is part of the optional Label Printing feature — enable it under Settings > Edit Settings > Hardware & System before you configure a printer.
The QL-810W is supported on every version of the POS: the iPad app and the Android app print to it directly over WiFi, and from a desktop browser it prints through the Printer Bridge. Pick whichever you run — the setup below is the same.
When to Choose the QL-810W
Brother POS gives you several ways to produce product labels. Pick based on how you work:
| Option | Hardware | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Brother QL-810W | WiFi label printer + iPad/Android app | Direct printing from the app with no bridge PC. Counter or mobile setups. |
| Brother QL-820NWB | WiFi / Ethernet / USB label printer | The most-connected QL — prints from the app over WiFi like the QL-810W, can be wired via Ethernet, or used over USB through the bridge. Supports black/red. |
| Brother QL-800 | USB label printer + bridge PC | The QL-810W's USB-only sibling — same DK rolls, no WiFi. Prints through the Printer Bridge on a PC. |
| Network ZPL/EPL printer (Zebra, Munbyn) | Ethernet/WiFi label printer | Stores with a wired back office; high-volume label runs. See Label Printers. |
| USB printer via bridge | Any USB label printer + Windows/Linux PC | Reusing an existing USB printer through the Printer Bridge. |
| Avery label sheets | Any office printer | Occasional labels with no thermal printer at all. See Barcode Labels. |
The QL-810W discovers and prints over WiFi, so the app talks to it directly — there is no Printer Bridge to install and no static-IP setup on a network printer. That makes it the lowest-friction option for a single-counter dispensary running the POS app.
How it differs from ZPL/EPL printers
Brother QL printers print the label as a picture rather than as printer commands. Brother POS turns your label into a crisp image and sends that to the printer. The result looks the same as the labels you'd print on a Zebra or Munbyn — it just arrives as an image. You don't need to do anything differently.
Supported Connections
| Connection | QL-810W | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WiFi (network) | Yes | The QL-810W is WiFi-only. The iPad and Android apps find it on your WiFi automatically. This is the usual setup. |
| USB / network (via bridge) | Yes | From a desktop browser, labels go through the Printer Bridge and print over USB or network. |
| Bluetooth | No | The QL-810W has no Bluetooth — use WiFi. |
The Brother PT-D610BT (a Bluetooth tape printer) was assessed and not adopted — it uses tape rather than die-cut/continuous label stock and was iOS-only over Bluetooth. The QL-810W is the supported Brother model.
The QL-810W is the recommended model, but two siblings work too — same DK rolls, same auto-cut, same DK-2251 black/red:
- QL-820NWB — the fully-connected model: USB, WiFi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth, plus an on-printer display. Because it has WiFi/Ethernet, the iPad and Android apps print to it directly just like the QL-810W, and a desktop browser prints to it through the bridge. Supported on every version.
- QL-800 — USB-only (no WiFi). It works on a PC setup through the Printer Bridge: plug it into the bridge PC by USB and point the POS at the bridge PC.
In printer settings, just set the model to match your printer (QL-810W, QL-820NWB, or QL-800). See Printing from Windows or a browser for the bridge path.
Direct WiFi discovery and printing happen in the iPad or Android app. From a desktop browser there's no direct connection, so Brother printing routes through the Printer Bridge — see Printing via the bridge below.
Setup (iPad or Android App)
You configure the Brother printer in the POS printer settings. The selected printer (model + IP), the loaded label stock, and the auto-cut choice are saved on the device — each device keeps its own Brother printer setting.
Step 1: Put the QL-810W on your WiFi
- Power on the QL-810W and connect it to the same WiFi network as your POS device. Follow Brother's setup utility or WPS instructions to join the network.
- Load a roll of label stock (see Label Sizes and Media).
Step 2: Open Printer Settings
- In the POS, tap your user avatar > Printer Settings (admins can also open Admin > Settings > Hardware).
- Under Label Printer, set the printer type to Brother.
Step 3: Find and select the printer
- Tap Find Brother Printers. The app scans the network for a few seconds.
- When the QL-810W appears in the list, tap it to select it.
- If discovery can't reach the printer, use the manual entry fields instead: type the model (
QL-810W) and the printer's IP address, then tap Save Printer.
Once saved, the printer shows as Configured.
Step 4: Choose the loaded label stock
Set Loaded label stock to match the roll currently in the printer (for example, 62mm continuous (DK-2205 / DK-22205)). This must match the physical media or the label will be sized wrong or rejected. Then choose an Auto-cut option for how the roll is sliced — see Auto-Cut.
Step 5: Test Label
- Tap Test Label.
- The printer should produce a sample price label with a name, price, weight, and a scannable Code 128 barcode.
- If it prints cleanly, the printer is ready. Use Forget to clear the saved printer and start over.
Label Sizes and Media
The QL-810W uses Brother DK rolls — either continuous (you choose where it cuts) or die-cut (pre-sized labels). Choose the stock that matches your loaded roll in the Loaded label stock picker:
| Stock | Type | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 62mm continuous (DK-2205 / DK-22205) | Continuous | General-purpose product labels (default) |
| 62mm continuous black/red (DK-2251) | Continuous | Two-colour labels — see Black & Red Labels |
| 29mm continuous (DK-2210 / DK-22210) | Continuous | Narrow labels |
| 38mm continuous (DK-2225 / DK-22225) | Continuous | Medium labels |
| 54mm continuous (DK-N5224 / DK-N55224) | Continuous | Wide continuous |
| 29 × 90mm address (DK-1201 / DK-11201) | Die-cut | Address-style / tall labels |
| 62 × 100mm shipping (DK-1202 / DK-11202) | Die-cut | Shipping / large labels |
| 62 × 29mm (DK-1209 / DK-11209) | Die-cut | Small product labels |
| 17 × 54mm (DK-1204 / DK-11204) | Die-cut | Small narrow labels |
Each entry lists both the North American (e.g. DK-2205) and European (e.g. DK-22205) part number for the same media — buy whichever your supplier stocks.
Brother validates label dimensions strictly. If the Loaded label stock setting doesn't match the roll actually in the printer, the print can be resized incorrectly or fail outright. Update the picker whenever you swap rolls.
Auto-Cut
Use the Auto-cut setting (next to Loaded label stock) to control when the printer slices the roll:
| Setting | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cut after each label | Slices between every label. | Continuous rolls — you get separate labels (default). |
| Cut once at end of batch | Prints the whole run, then cuts once at the end. | Printing a batch you'll separate yourself. |
| No auto-cut (tear/peel) | Never cuts; you tear or peel by hand. | Die-cut rolls and peel-and-stick stock. |
Black & Red Labels (DK-2251)
The QL-810W can print two-colour (black and red) labels on Brother's DK-2251 roll — handy for sale tags, warnings, or highlighting a price.
- Load the DK-2251 roll and set Loaded label stock to 62mm continuous black/red (DK-2251).
- In your label template, set individual elements (text, a border, a shape) to print in red instead of black. Everything else stays black.
The printer detects a black/red roll and will reject a job sent with a plain 62mm setting. Always pick the DK-2251 stock option when that roll is loaded, and a plain 62mm option for a normal roll.
How Product Labels Are Sent
When you trigger a label print — from the Products list, Quick Add, or a product detail view — Brother POS:
- Builds the label as a crisp image. If you've assigned a synced label template, it's rendered faithfully (your elements, image, and border). Otherwise a clean built-in price label is drawn: product name, weight, a large price, and a scannable Code 128 barcode.
- Sends the label to the printer:
- On the iPad app, it goes straight to the QL-810W over WiFi.
- On Windows or a browser, it goes through the Printer Bridge and prints over USB or network.
The barcode on the label encodes the product's SKU, so make sure every product has a unique SKU before printing — that's what the scanner reads at the register.
Printing from Windows or a browser (bridge)
If you're not on the iPad or Android app — or you're using a USB-only Brother model like the QL-800 — Brother printing routes through the Printer Bridge:
- Plug the printer into the bridge PC (USB), or put it on the same network, and run the Printer Bridge on that PC.
- In Printer Settings, set the label printer type to Brother, enter the printer model (for example
QL-810W, orQL-800for the USB model), and pick the Loaded label stock. - In the printer IP field, enter the bridge PC's address. A USB QL-800 has no address of its own — the bridge prints to it locally, so you point the POS at the bridge, not the printer.
On Windows, labels print through the Brother driver you've already installed — there's nothing extra to set up.
Troubleshooting
No printers found when scanning
- Confirm the QL-810W and the iPad are on the same WiFi network.
- Make sure the printer is powered on and finished booting, then tap Find Brother Printers again.
- If discovery still fails, enter the printer's IP address manually under "enter the printer manually."
Test label is blank, cut off, or rejected
- Check that Loaded label stock matches the roll physically in the printer.
- Confirm the label roll is seated correctly and the cover is fully closed.
- Reload the roll and feed a label or two before retrying.
Labels print from the iPad but not from a browser/PC
The browser/desktop path needs the Printer Bridge running, with the bridge/printer IP and port set in the printer fields. Direct WiFi discovery only works in the native iPad app.
Barcode won't scan
- Make sure the product has a SKU assigned — the barcode encodes the SKU.
- Faded or streaked output won't scan; clean the print head and reprint.
Best Practices
- Keep one roll type per station. Update the Loaded label stock picker whenever you change rolls so the rendered size always matches.
- Assign SKUs first. Labels are only useful for scanning if every product has a unique SKU.
- Use a label template when you want a consistent branded layout across all your printers — the same template renders identically on Brother, Zebra, and Munbyn.
- Prefer the iPad WiFi path for the simplest setup; fall back to the bridge only when you must print from a PC or browser.
What's Next?
- Label Printers — Network ZPL/EPL label printers and Bluetooth Zebra setup.
- Printer Bridge — Bridge USB/local printers for browser and Windows printing.
- Barcode Labels — Avery-sheet label printing with no thermal printer.
- Label Templates — Design the label layout used across all printers.
- Receipt Printers — Set up your receipt printer.