Honeywell RP4 Mobile Printer: RP4 and RP4e Receipt and Label Guide

The Honeywell RP4 mobile printer is a 4 inch direct thermal printer that clips to a belt or sits in a vehicle cradle and prints receipts, labels and tags at the point of work, away from a fixed station. It is built for route delivery, field service, retail aisles and warehouse picking, where a worker needs a printed document in hand rather than a trip back to a desk. Honeywell documents the model as the RP4e, part of its RPe (Enhanced) series, and our listing carries one unit named RP4 and one named RP4e.

The question buyers ask first is whether the RP4 is a receipt printer or a label printer. One of our listings calls it a receipt printer and the other calls it a label printer, and the honest answer is that Honeywell describes the family as handling both. This guide explains what that means in practice, what differs between the two units we list, and what to check before you order one printer or a fleet. For the numbers, go straight to the specifications table.

Products in our listing

Both RP4 family printers we list are below, and each card links to the full product page.

HoneywellRP4A00N1B02Honeywell RP4 4-Inch 127 mm/sec (5 in/sec) Mobile Thermal POS Receipt Printer with USB / Bluetooth / Wi-Fi / NFCIn stockView Details →

HoneywellRP4A00N1C22Honeywell RP4e 4-Inch USB / Bluetooth / Wi-Fi / NFC Mobile Thermal Label PrinterIn stockView Details →

Both units shown are refurbished and function-tested, and both carry the 30-Day Tech Seller USA warranty. Browse the full Honeywell printer range.

Honeywell RP4 and RP4e specs in our listing

The table below shows what our product data records for each unit. Values are as recorded in our listings; where a value is missing it is marked Not listed, and where the two listings differ, confirm the exact unit with us before ordering.

Honeywell RP4 receipt printer or RP4e label printer?

Our two listings describe the RP4 differently: RP4A00N1B02 is listed as a mobile POS receipt printer, and RP4A00N1C22 is listed as a mobile label printer. Honeywell's RP2e/RP4e data sheet resolves the question. It lists the supported media types as tags, receipt paper, labels, and linered and linerless labels, with black mark or gap sensing. Linerless labels need a printer with the linerless option.

In practice that means the RP4 family is one printer platform that can run either job, and the media you load decides the output. A delivery driver can print a 4 inch delivery receipt on continuous thermal paper. A warehouse picker can print shipping or pallet labels on gapped label stock. A retail associate can print shelf tags or markdown labels on tag stock with black marks. The printer finds the start of each document using its sensor, so it needs to be set to the media type you use: continuous for receipt rolls, gap for die-cut labels, or black mark for tags and marked stock.

The thing to check is not the word receipt or label in a title. It is the media your workflow uses and whether the unit is configured for it. Our RP4A00N1C22 listing records a linerless platen, which matters if you plan a Honeywell RP4 linerless setup. For standard receipt rolls and linered labels, either unit is the right family, subject to confirming the exact configuration with us. Our guides to receipt paper rolls and linerless labels cover the media side.

RP4, RP4e and the part numbers we list

Honeywell's documentation covers the RP4e as part of the RPe series, where the e stands for Enhanced. Both part numbers in our listing begin with RP4A, and one listing names the model RP4 while the other names it RP4e. We do not decode the remaining characters of the part number, because Honeywell does not publish a decoder we can verify. If you are replacing a unit already in service, read the full part number from the label on the printer, quote it on your order, and we will confirm whether one of our units matches it.

For a fleet, the part number matters for more than the badge. Battery, charger, holster and vehicle cradle accessories need to match across units, and a mixed fleet means a mixed spares shelf. When you buy several, ask us to confirm that every unit is the same configuration.

Who the Honeywell RP4 mobile printer suits

A 4 inch mobile printer is the right size when the document is wider than a 2 or 3 inch receipt can comfortably hold. Typical users are:

• Route delivery and direct store delivery drivers printing invoices, delivery receipts and proof of delivery documents at the customer.
• Field service technicians printing work orders and service receipts on site.
• Warehouse pickers and receivers printing shipping, carton and pallet labels where the work happens, instead of walking to a fixed printer.
• Retail store teams printing shelf labels, price tags and markdown labels in the aisle.

If your documents are narrow, such as small receipts or 2 inch item labels, the 2 inch RP2 family is lighter and easier to carry all shift. Our Honeywell RP2A and RP2F guide covers that family. For the decision between a mobile printer and a fixed one, our POS receipt printer buying guide explains where countertop printers still make more sense.

Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC and USB

Both RP4 units in our listing record USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC. Each connection has a different job.

Bluetooth pairs the printer with the handheld or mobile computer the worker carries, which is the usual setup for one worker and one printer. Honeywell lists Bluetooth 4.0 with LE in dual radio mode on the RP4e. Wi-Fi puts the printer on the site network, so a host system or several devices can print to it. Honeywell lists 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. Make sure your access points cover the areas where printing happens, and our guide on warehouse Wi-Fi for scanners and mobile computers covers the common gaps. NFC is for tap to pair and, according to Honeywell, for retrieving configuration and diagnostic information. USB is for charging, configuration and wired printing, and Honeywell notes USB On-The-Go support for scanner, scale and keyboard input.

For pairing, test the full chain with the handheld you actually use, such as a Honeywell CT45 or CN80, before you roll out a fleet. Our printer connectivity guide explains the wider tradeoffs.

Command languages and app compatibility

Honeywell's data sheet lists Line Printer mode, Easy Print, DPL, ZPL II, CPCL, IPL and limited XML for the RP4e. That list matters because mobile apps and route accounting systems are often written for a specific printer language. An app that sends ZPL or CPCL to an existing fleet of mobile printers may be able to print to an RP4e without rework, and an app that sends plain text can use Line Printer mode.

Do not assume, though. Print your real documents from your real app before you commit to a fleet, and check fonts, logos, barcodes and the end of each receipt. Emulation covers the common commands and can differ on edge cases. Our explainer on printer command languages covers why receipt apps and label apps often speak different languages.

Battery, ruggedness and daily handling

A mobile printer lives or dies on its battery. Our RP4A00N1B02 listing records a 5200 mAh rechargeable smart battery, hot-swappable, with about 7 hours of charge time. The battery is not listed on RP4A00N1C22. Honeywell lists the RP4e with a 7.2 V lithium-ion battery with a battery age indicator. Hot-swapping lets a worker change to a charged battery mid-shift instead of docking the printer.

Plan for spare batteries on a fleet, especially for two-shift operations, and keep charging and storage practices consistent. Our guide on device battery safety, storage and shipping covers the handling side. For ruggedness, our RP4A00N1B02 listing records IP54 sealing and an operating range of -4 to 131 F, and Honeywell lists the RP4e with a 2 m (6.6 ft) drop rating. That suits work in vans, on loading docks and outdoors in changeable weather, but no mobile printer is immune to repeated drops onto concrete, so a holster or belt clip is worth using.

Media and print quality

The RP4 family is a direct thermal printer, so it needs heat-sensitive receipt paper, labels or tags and no ribbon. Direct thermal output fades with heat, light and abrasion, which is fine for receipts and shipping labels read within days or weeks. It is the wrong choice for labels that must stay readable for years, which need a thermal transfer printer. Our guide on direct thermal versus thermal transfer printing explains where the line falls.

Our RP4A00N1B02 listing records a media width of 2.00 to 4.4 inches and a maximum print width of 4.1 inches, which matches Honeywell's figures for the RP4e. Both listings record 203 dpi, which is enough for readable text and standard barcodes on receipts and shipping labels. Keep the printhead clean, because a mobile printer in a van picks up dust quickly, and dust on the head shows as thin streaks through the print. Our thermal printer maintenance guide covers the cleaning routine.

How the RP4 compares with other 4 inch mobile printers

The Honeywell RP4 mobile printer sits in the same class as other 4 inch rugged mobile printers. If you are comparing across brands, our guides to the Zebra ZQ630 and the SATO PW4NX cover two common alternatives. The deciding factors are usually the language your app already speaks, the accessories your fleet already owns, and whether you need linerless support. If your drivers already carry chargers and holsters for one brand, staying with it keeps the spares shelf simple.

Buying a refurbished RP4: what to check

Both RP4 family units we list are refurbished. Mobile printers refurbish well, and most of the wear is in parts you can check.

The battery is the first thing to plan for. Battery capacity drops with age and charge cycles, so on a fleet, budget for spare batteries rather than assuming every battery will last a full shift. The printhead is the most expensive consumable part. A failing head prints a thin white line through every document, and cleaning will not fix burnt elements. See printhead failure diagnosis and replacement. The platen roller wears and picks up adhesive from label stock, which causes feed and darkness problems. Accessories such as the charger, belt clip or holster should be confirmed before ordering, because a printer without a working charging setup is not a working printer on a route. Our refurbished hardware grading guide sets out what our condition terms mean.

Full RP4 range in our listing

Both RP4 family part numbers we currently list are below. Select a part number to open its product page.

Ordering

Send us the full part number you are replacing, the media you print on (receipt paper, linered labels, linerless labels or tags), the handheld or app that prints to it, and how many units you need. We will confirm the Honeywell RP4 mobile printer configuration before you order. Browse the printers range or the Honeywell range.

Common questions