Abstract: An intelligent, portable printer having a microprocessor controller, a printing mechanism and a web feed mechanism is integrated into an assembly which, together with a battery pack, may weigh about 2 pounds and be about 80 cubic inches in volume. The web has removable, adhesively attached labels which may be printed with bar codes, graphics, text or lines. Because the printer is so small and light in weight, it may be used at any site where labels are required. By labels is meant any tickets, stickers, or other patches of the type which are removably attachable to a carrier (so-called "label-stock"). The controller includes a microprocessor which communicates interactively with a terminal, which may contain a host computer, and which supplies data representing the material to be printed. The controller in the printer converts such data into the bar codes, graphics, text (in various fonts) or lines for operating the printing mechanism.