Afinia F502 Fanfolded Colour Label Printer with Cutter and Dye Inks (CMYK)

Rugged Fanfold Colour Label Printer for On-Demand, Full-Colour Production

The Afinia F502 fanfold colour label printer is built for businesses that need durable, professional labels printed on-demand—without the hassle of ordering pre-printed inventory. With an industrial all-steel design, enhanced sensors for broader media compatibility, and a compact footprint, the F502 is an excellent fit for short- to mid-sized print runs where you want the flexibility to update label designs, SKUs, barcodes, and compliance details quickly.

Powered by HP dye inkjet technology, the F502 produces vibrant, eye-catching prime labels at up to 4800 dpi. It also includes a powered cutter for clean, consistent finishing—ideal when you’re printing fanfold media and want neatly cut label stacks ready for packing or application.

Print Technology & Media Flexibility

The Afinia F502 uses dye-based CMYK inks to produce rich colour output on a wide range of label materials. The printer supports gap, black mark, and continuous media, with auto calibration and auto detection to help simplify setup and switching between label stocks. Improved sensing also increases compatibility with specialty materials, including reflective metallic media.

Compatible F502 Label Materials

• Paper labels: matte paper, glossy paper and other inkjet-coated paper stocks
• Synthetic labels: polyester, polypropylene, and vinyl label stocks
• Media formats supported: fanfold labels (carton-fed), including gap, black mark, and continuous

Popular Applications

• Product labels: food, beverage, cosmetics, health & wellness, and retail packaging
• Barcodes & SKU labels: inventory, warehousing, and logistics labelling
• Promotional labels: seasonal branding, limited runs, and variable information
• Industrial & identification labels: durable colour labels for in-plant use (material dependent)

Key Features

• Vibrant colour output: prints prime labels using dye-based inks
• Industrial steel construction: rugged housing with a window for print-bed visibility
• Flexible, on-demand printing: change label content and designs quickly as needs evolve
• Best for short- to mid-sized runs: reduce pre-printed label inventory and waste
• Powered cutter: clean label cutting for efficient handling and packing

Afinia F502 Specifications

• Print Technology: Dye Inkjet technology from HP
• Print Resolution: Up to 4800 dpi
• Ink Type: Dye inks (CMYK) — Individual Cyan, Magenta, Yellow (26 mL each), Individual Black (78.4 mL)
• Optional Inks: Pigment inks available (requires pigment printhead and pigment inks)
• Media Format: Fanfold
• Media Types: Paper, polyester, polypropylene, vinyl (supports gap, black mark, continuous)
• Media Sensing: Auto calibration + auto detection of gap and black mark
• Label Width: 1.0" – 8.5" (25.4 mm – 215.9 mm)
• Label Length: 0.75" – 48" (19 mm – 1219.2 mm)
• Media/Liner Width: 1.5" – 8.65" (38.1 mm – 219.7 mm)
• Cutter: Powered cutter
• Connectivity: USB 2.0 and 10/100 Base-Tx Ethernet
• Operating Systems: Windows 7, 8, 10 (32/64 bit)
• Dimensions: 20" W x 23.5" D x 9.75" H (511 mm x 596 mm x 248 mm)
• Warranty: 1-year Afinia depot warranty

Dye Inks vs. Pigment Inks: Which F502 Should You Choose?

Dye inks are designed to produce vibrant colour and are an excellent choice for everyday product labelling on common label materials such as matte paper, high gloss paper, and standard synthetic stocks like matte polypropylene, glossy polypropylene, and inkjet polyester labels (including white polyester and silver polyester). If your priority is bright colour and sharp image quality for retail and consumer packaging, the Afinia F502 with dye inks is a strong fit.

Pigment inks are built for durability and are best for applications where labels must stand up to tougher environments, including chemical exposure. If you need to produce GHS BS5609 compliant labels, pigment ink is the recommended option and must be used with DuraFast Chemical labels. The F502 can also be configured with pigment inks (with the appropriate pigment printhead), giving you a path to higher durability when compliance and chemical resistance are required.

FAQ

Why buy the fanfolded Afinia F502 versus the roll-fed Afinia L502?

The Afinia L502 is designed for labels on rolls and includes an unwinder to hold roll media (up to an 8" roll diameter). Roll labels are especially helpful when you plan to use a label applicator, because you can print roll-to-roll for streamlined application. The Afinia F502, on the other hand, is built for fanfolded labels—and because it does not use a roll unwinder, it offers a smaller footprint. If you print the same label size consistently, DuraFast Label Company can supply fanfolded labels in a carton so you can run more labels before reloading. The label carton can also sit behind your desk or on the floor, helping reduce the table space you need.

Should I buy the F502 dye or F502 pigment inks with my printer?

The Afinia F502 is available with either dye or pigment ink configurations. Dye inks are ideal for standard paper labels (matte paper, high gloss paper) and common synthetic stocks such as matte/glossy polypropylene and inkjet polyester labels (including white and silver polyester). Pigment inks are best when you need added durability—especially for GHS BS5609 compliant chemical labels. To produce BS5609 compliant labels, you need pigment ink with DuraFast Chemical labels (chemical labels can only be printed with pigment inks). If your requirements change over time, you can also switch between dye and pigment setups with the Afinia F502 by using the appropriate printhead and ink set.

What is the difference between the Afinia F502 and Epson CW-C6500 colour label printers?

The Afinia F502 and Epson CW-C6500 are similar in that both use inkjet technology to print high-quality colour labels. The Epson CW-C6500 is a pigment-ink-only platform, while the F502 gives you the flexibility to use dye inks or pigment inks depending on your label material and durability requirements. The F502 is designed for fanfolded labels; if you need roll labels, the Afinia L502 is the comparable model that includes the roll unwinder. In print resolution, the F502/L502 print up to 4800 dpi, while the Epson CW-C6500 prints at up to 1200 dpi.

How many ink cartridges does the Afinia F502 use?

The Afinia F502 uses four individual ink cartridges: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. There are separate ink and printhead configurations for dye versus pigment—meaning a dye printhead + dye inks for dye printing, and a pigment printhead + pigment inks for pigment printing.