Niimbot B21 Pro: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Niimbot B21 Pro right for you?

The B21 Pro is NIIMBOT's 2025 upgrade of the B21, the retro-styled label maker that already has a page here. The headline change is resolution: the Pro prints at 300 dpi instead of 203 dpi, so small text, barcodes and QR codes come out sharper, and it doubles as a sticker printer for simple graphics. It sold for $69.99 at launch, and NIIMBOT also offers a variant that prints in red and black on special dual-color labels. It is a thermal printer, so there is no ink; it prints on heat-sensitive label rolls. It suits home organizers, crafters and small sellers labeling jars, bins, cables and product packaging.

Best for: Home organizers and small sellers who want sharper labels than the B21

Setting up the Niimbot B21 Pro

Charge the printer, then install the NIIMBOT app and pair from inside the app rather than from your phone's Bluetooth settings. Load a genuine NIIMBOT roll with the printable side facing the print head so the app can recognize the roll and set the label size automatically. If text lands across the gap between labels, run the calibration in the app. For the red and black version, use the dual-color rolls; standard rolls print in black only. Keep rolls away from heat and sunlight, which darken thermal paper.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the ink cartridges, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use NIIMBOT's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Niimbot B21 Pro uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• NIIMBOT thermal label rolls for the B21 series
• Red and black dual-color rolls (dual-color variant only)

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications