Brother P-Touch label maker, puzzling first experience

[Orthoducks]

I found a Brother P-Touch PT-1950/1960 label maker at an estate sale. It had a partial roll of 1/4" black-on-white tape. I tried it out; no problem. It prints black letters on a white background, and it works just as the manual says: I run it through the lettering stick and peel it apart, yielding a top layer with the printing on the front and adhesive on the back, and a layer of backing which I discard.

I bought some 1/2" tape from Amazon. It's a third-party product, but I choose a supplier with lots of sales and good ratings. But the way it's behaving doesn't make any sense.

First, it doesn't always feed properly. The tape often curls up and gets jammed together inside the printer instead of coming out of the side slot.

Second, although it's labeled "BLACK on WHITE tape," it's not. It has three layers. The top layer has black printing on clear ground, and no adhesive. The middle layer has white printing on black ground, with adhesive on the back. The bottom layer is the backing.

I've never used one of these things before, so I have nothing to compare this experience to. Can someone tell me what's happening? Is this normal white-on-black tape except that it's labeled black-on-white and it doesn't feed straight? Or have I misunderstood something about how to use it?

 

[Harald Kapp]

I bought some 1/2" tape from Amazon.

More detail please. What exactly did you buy?

 

[Orthoducks]

I don't understand your question. I already identified what I bought: a Brother P-Touch PT-1950/1960 label maker with a partially used roll of 1/4" tape.

 

[Martaine2005]

I don’t understand how you give imperial measurements when the printer is metric.
Tapes are 6mm, 9mm, 12mm and 18mm.
1/2” is approximately 12.7mm.
If the printer functioned properly with the original tape, buy the same. Sometimes, using third party items can be challenging and no guarantees are given that it will work. It could also be a bad batch. Try another tape.

 

[Harald Kapp]

I don't understand your question.

But which tape did you buy? See post #2.

 

[bertus]

Hello,

From the manual:

Keyboard - 51 keys
10 characters × 2 lines
20 indicators (including Alt and Caps)
Pressure-sensitive, Adhesive-based
26’ 3” (8 m) long
Four widths available:
1/4” (6 mm)
3/8” (9 mm)
1/2” (12 mm)
3/4” (18 mm)
Six AA alkaline batteries (AM3, LR6) or AC adaptor (model AD-24)
112 dot / 180 dpi
7.1” (W) × 9.2” (D) × 2.4” (H) (181.4 × 232.5 × 61.4 mm)
1.68 lbs (760 g) (without a tape cassette and batteries installed)

So tape measurements are in imperial and metric given.

Has the tape you bought the TZ mark?
Use only Brother TZ tapes with this machine to avoid damage.
Do not use tapes that do not have the TZ mark.
Brother cannot be held responsible for trouble or damage by the use of unauthorized supplies.

Bertus

 

[Delta Prime]

I bought some 1/2" tape from Amazon. It's a third-party product, but I choose a supplier with lots of sales and good ratings. But the way it's behaving doesn't make any sense

The way it’s behaving. Is it’s “characteristics” when used with your unit.
Empirically; you have shown (you have witnessed it ) the supplier with a lot of sales & good ratings? a third-party product? Does not work properly with your unit, simple as that…