Can Martel Instruments Build a Customised Printing Solution for Your Equipment?

Yes — customisation is a core part of what Martel Instruments does. The company states that its in-house engineers, designers and software developers can build customised solutions for electronic and printed data outputs, tailored to OEM products. That means the answer is generally yes if you are an OEM or equipment builder needing a printer or data-output solution adapted to your product rather than bought off the shelf. The main caveat is that "customised" covers a broad range — from configuration choices on an existing platform to fully bespoke hardware and software — so the right starting point is a direct enquiry describing your equipment, data source and physical constraints.

What Martel Instruments actually offers

Martel Instruments is a UK-based manufacturer of industrial thermal printers, based in Durham. Its stated focus is customisable, industry-grade printing solutions, with manufacturing carried out in the UK.

Its product and service areas relevant to a custom project include:

• Panel printers — durable thermal printers made entirely in the UK, described as suited to integration into industrial and OEM equipment. Available in 2 inch, 3 inch and 4 inch variants, with a range of panel widths, panel depths and connections.
• Portable and handheld printers — mobile thermal printers made in the UK, with various connectivity options and applications including receipt, Bluetooth, ticket, label and wireless handheld printing.
• Bespoke printers — listed as a distinct offering alongside the standard panel and portable ranges.
• Printer consumables — thermographic paper rolls and label rolls in various sizes, stated to be always in stock and available for quick order.
• Electronic data solutions — including Vida LabBox, LabBox Calculator and Vida Connect-It, aimed at electronic data transfer rather than printing alone.

The company also names industry solutions including air conditioning equipment and blood gas applications, which gives a sense of the equipment contexts it works in.

How the customisation capability is described

The key statement on the site is that in-house engineers, designers and software developers can build customised solutions for electronic and printed data outputs, tailored to OEM products. Two things are worth pulling out of that:

1. It is in-house. Engineering, design and software development are not outsourced, which matters when a project needs hardware and firmware/software changes to work together.
2. It covers both printed and electronic data outputs. So if your equipment needs data delivered to paper, to a screen, or to another system, that falls within scope.

The site also frames the team as "a blend of seasoned engineers, expert designers and a world-class factory right here in the UK," positioning UK manufacturing as part of the offer.

What "customised" can mean in practice

Because the site does not publish a fixed specification sheet for bespoke work, it helps to think in tiers when preparing an enquiry:

The site does not state pricing, lead times or minimum order quantities, so those need to be confirmed directly.

How to start a custom or bespoke enquiry

The site provides a contact route rather than a self-service configurator, so the practical path is:

1. Define your requirement first. Note the data you need to output (printed, electronic, or both), the physical space available in your equipment, and the environment it will operate in.
2. Check whether a standard panel or portable printer already fits. If a 2", 3" or 4" panel printer with an existing connection type works, you may not need full bespoke development.
3. Contact Martel Instruments directly. The site lists a phone number (+44 (0)1207 290266), an email address, and a Contact us page, plus separate contact routes for Engineers, Sales/NPD and Distributors.
4. Use the right channel. The site distinguishes between general contact, engineers, sales/new product development, and distributors — if your enquiry is about developing a new product, the Sales/NPD route is the more targeted one.
5. Expect to discuss both hardware and software. Since the stated capability spans engineers, designers and software developers, be ready to talk about firmware, drivers and data protocols, not just the physical printer.

The site also lists a Drivers page and White Papers, which are useful if you want to check existing integration support before raising a custom request.

Practical considerations before you commit

• OEM focus. The customisation message is explicitly aimed at OEM products, so this is a better fit for equipment manufacturers than for one-off end-user purchases.
• UK manufacturing. Panel and portable printers are described as manufactured entirely in the UK, which may matter for supply chain, lead time or compliance reasons depending on your market.
• Consumables continuity. Paper and label rolls are stated to be always in stock with quick ordering, which reduces the risk of a custom printer becoming unusable due to consumable gaps.
• Unpublished details. Pricing, minimum order quantities, development timelines and the exact boundary between "configured" and "bespoke" are not stated on the site and should be confirmed in your enquiry.

If your equipment needs a printer or data-output path that does not exist as a standard product, Martel Instruments is set up to take that on — the next step is a specific, well-scoped conversation through their contact or Sales/NPD channel.