Brother QL-1110NWB vs Rollo: Why Pirate Ship Recommends Brother

Why does Pirate Ship recommend Brother, and what about Rollo?

Pirate Ship's stated reasons are quality and connection options: its help center describes the Brother QL1110NWB as the highest-quality printer for any shipping situation and says it offers every connection method possible. That recommendations page, dated April 14, 2026, lists two 4x6 label printers, the QL1110NWB and the QL1100, does not mention Rollo, and adds: “Any other printer will work with Pirate Ship, we just don't recommend them.” If you want the printer Pirate Ship lists first, that is the Brother QL-1110NWB (Check the current price of the Brother QL-1110NWB on Amazon). If you would rather use labels from any supplier, or print from a Chromebook (ChromeOS is not on Brother's supported-OS page), the alternative is the Rollo Wireless (X1040).

Updated October 2026

How this comparison was built

We did not test this product ourselves; this review is built from the manufacturer's published specifications and Amazon's product listing. Brother's specs come from its product and support pages for the QL-1110NWB and QL-1100, Rollo's from its Wireless product page and support articles, and the Pirate Ship, Shopify and ShipStation statements from those companies' own help pages. Pirate Ship's recommendation is its own opinion, quoted here as such, and not a benchmark.

Why Pirate Ship recommends the Brother QL1110NWB, in its own words

The article is called Label Printer & Shipping Scale Recommendations. It introduces its picks with “Here are two recommended printers for 4x6" labels,” then gives three reasons for the QL1110NWB:

• Quality. Pirate Ship calls it “the highest-quality printer that can handle any shipping situation.”
• Connections. “The Brother QL1110NWB printer offers every connection method possible, so you can hook it up to Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android via WiFi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, or USB.”
• Placement. “Its wireless connection options are also great, so you can stick it in a corner and it doesn't have to be plugged into anything.” It still needs power: Brother lists an AC adapter in the box.

For the QL1100 the pitch is simpler: “If you don't need the wireless connection options … the Brother QL1100 printer offers the same great functionality as the QL1110NWB,” and “Simply plug the USB cord into your computer and you're ready to print!”

Those are the reasons the page gives. It does not compare Brother with Rollo or explain why Brother beats any named competitor, and it also says “you can technically use ANY printer with Pirate Ship, but some printers aren't as good as others.”

What Pirate Ship says about Rollo

Pirate Ship does cover Rollo in its help center. It has a Mac guide titled Mac: How to print shipping labels with a Rollo Printer, and its label-stock article says any direct thermal 4x6 printer works with Pirate Ship. Its troubleshooting article carries a Rollo-specific note: “If you're using a Rollo printer and notice your labels look pixelated or have darker/larger fonts, this is normal. Rollo printers are designed to work with vector-based images, which Pirate Ship doesn't currently support.” It follows with “Any pixelation or distortion shouldn't prevent carriers from scanning your labels.”

Pirate Ship does not give that note as a reason for preferring Brother, and this page does not either. Treat it as a documented difference in how Rollo output looks inside Pirate Ship, worth knowing before you buy.

Brother QL-1110NWB, Brother QL-1100 and Rollo Wireless side by side

Specs come from Brother's product and support pages and Rollo's Wireless product page; the last two rows come from the Pirate Ship and Shopify help pages.

Print quality and speed

Brother lists the print head as “300 dpi / 1296 dots” and the print resolution as “300 dpi × 300 dpi.” Rollo lists 203 dpi, calls it “carrier-approved resolution,” and says on its support site that “203 dpi is the standard (and maximum) resolution on Rollo printers.” In practice a higher dpi figure means finer detail at the same label size. None of the Brother, Rollo or Pirate Ship pages cited here claims that one printer produces a more scannable shipping label than the other, and Pirate Ship's own note says Rollo's pixelation “shouldn't prevent carriers from scanning your labels.”

Both makers publish a top speed, and the two are not directly comparable. Brother gives “Max. 4.3"/sec. (110 mm/sec.)” with the caveat “Actual print speed varies depending on the conditions,” and ties its “up to 69 standard address labels per minute” figure to “standard address labels, text only, at 300 x 300 dpi.” Rollo gives “150 mm/s = one 4×6 label per second,” and its product page attaches no conditions to that. On paper Rollo's maximum is higher, but treat both as best-case numbers rather than a race result.

Labels: Brother DK rolls against any direct thermal label

This is the cleanest trade-off between the two. Brother's page warns: “It is important to understand that using non-genuine Brother replacement labels may damage the Brother QL-1110NWB label printer and may not be covered under warranty.” Pirate Ship's label-stock article lists the Brother rolls it points 4-inch Brother printers to: continuous “DK-2243 4 in x 100 ft Continuous Length White Paper Tape” and “DK-2246 4.07 in by 100 ft Continuous Length White Paper Tape,” and pre-cut “DK-1241 4 in x 6 in White Paper Labels” and “DK-1247 4.07 in x 6.4 in White Paper Labels.” Brother packs a DK-1247 starter roll of 41 labels and a DK-2205 roll in the box.

Rollo takes the opposite stance: “Rollo does not require proprietary labels. You can use any compatible direct thermal labels with your Rollo printer. However, please note that the performance of third-party labels cannot be guaranteed.” Its product page adds “For best results, use Rollo labels.”

The printer is a one-time purchase and labels are the running cost, so compare the price per label of the rolls you would actually buy for each printer before you commit. This page prints no prices; Amazon shows the current ones.

Connections and devices

Brother's QL-1110NWB lists USB, USB Host, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and Bluetooth; the QL-1100 lists USB and USB Host. Brother's supported-OS page for the QL-1110NWB covers Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS and Android, and the QL-1100's list has no iOS. Rollo's Wireless page lists “Mac, Windows, Chromebook, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android” and says the printer is AirPrint certified.

ChromeOS does not appear on Brother's supported-OS page, in Pirate Ship's QL1110NWB description or in Shopify's table row for it. Not listed is not the same as unsupported, so ask Brother if a Chromebook is your only computer. Rollo names Chromebook for the Wireless model.

Neither is plug-and-forget. Shopify's Brother page says “you need to download the label printer software from the Brother's website, and then install the software to your computer,” and Pirate Ship warns “You may experience connection issues with the QL1100 printer if the current drivers for your Mac or Windows operating system are not installed.” Rollo sets the Wireless up with its phone app over Bluetooth and then Wi-Fi, and Rollo's own pages disagree on whether Windows and Mac still need its driver.

If you also sell on Shopify or ShipStation

Shopify's supported-printer table lists the QL-1110NWB with “Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS” but not the QL-1100, and its one Rollo entry is the USB X1038, not the X1040. Shopify's Brother page adds a caution for barcode work: “The Brother QL printer isn't recommended for barcode label printing. For barcode printing, use supported barcode printers such as DYMO or Zebra models.” The Amazon title for the QL-1110NWB says “Postage and Barcode,” so weigh that against Shopify's caution if product barcodes are part of your job.

ShipStation's Printing Basics article draws a similar line. It names DYMO, Zebra and Brother as thermal label printer brands that work well with it, without naming a Brother model, and it lists “Rollo label printers” among the printers not supported when printing through ShipStation Connect. It adds that “You may still use the Download PDF or Browser Print method to print documents to these printers from your ShipStation account.”

Which one should you buy?

• Brother QL-1110NWB is the printer Pirate Ship lists first. It suits you if you want Ethernet or Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi and USB, 300 dpi output and a built-in automatic cutter, and you are fine buying DK rolls.
• Brother QL-1100 is the USB-only version. Pirate Ship's pitch is that if you do not need the wireless options it offers the same functionality, so it fits a single Windows or Mac computer on a desk.
• Rollo Wireless (X1040) suits you if you want to buy labels from any supplier, print from a Chromebook (Rollo names it; Brother's supported-OS page does not), or print over AirPrint from Apple devices. Keep Pirate Ship's pixelation note in mind.

Where to buy: Check the current price of the Brother QL-1110NWB on Amazon, check the current price of the Brother QL-1100 on Amazon or check the current price of the Rollo Wireless (X1040) on Amazon.

Sources

Checked October 2026.

• Pirate Ship Help Center – Label Printer & Shipping Scale Recommendations (page dated April 14, 2026)
• Pirate Ship Help Center – What size of printer labels do I need to buy?
• Pirate Ship Help Center – Why doesn't my label print correctly?
• Pirate Ship Help Center – Mac: How to print shipping labels with a Rollo Printer
• Brother USA – QL-1110NWB Wide Format Professional Label Printer (product page)
• Brother Support – QL-1110NWB / 1110NWBc Specifications and Supported OS
• Brother USA – QL-1100 Wide Format Professional Label Printer (product page)
• Brother Support – QL-1100 / 1100c Specifications and Supported OS
• Rollo – Rollo Wireless Label Printer (product page, rollo.com)
• Rollo Support – Rollo Printer Specs FAQ: Print Resolution, Printer Lifespan, and Color Printing
• Rollo Support – Setup Wireless Rollo for First Use
• Rollo Support – Rollo Printer, Rollo Ship Compatibility FAQ: Platforms, Marketplaces, and Operating Systems
• Shopify Help Center – Shopify-supported label printers
• Shopify Help Center – Brother QL label printer
• ShipStation Help – ShipStation Printing Basics
• Amazon product listings for the Brother QL-1110NWB, Brother QL-1100 and Rollo Wireless Shipping Label Printer

Choose the rest of your setup

Use the printer connection checklist to match the machine to your devices, then check roll versus fanfold labels before buying supplies. If you are starting a shop, the first-shipment checklist helps you buy only what the workflow needs.