An Introduction To Label And Barcode Printing

Using a dedicated label printer

The majority of label printers work either in thermal (sometimes called thermal direct) or thermal transfer mode.

A thermal direct printer has a printhead that applies heat to specially coated, thermal paper. This paper changes its color to black when it is heated. The same principle applies to a fax machine with thermal paper. If you ever used such a fax you may have noticed that the paper gets yellowish or even brown after laying around for some time. That's because exposure to sunlight or any other source of bright light has the same effect on the paper as heating it during the print process.

Obviously, you will only want to use a thermal direct printer if you need labels that must at most be legitable for a few days or weeks. A typical application would be an address label. Also, grocery stores use this type of printing for labeling of vegetables or other short lived goods. Thermal direct printers have the big advantage that only one type of consumable is needed, the above mentioned thermal paper.

Thermal transfer printers on the other hand print on labels made of plain or normal paper. The printhead is the same as above but a thermal transfer ribbon or sheet sits between the head and the paper. Heating the ribbon causes ink to transfer from the ribbon to the paper, hence the name. Thermal transfer printing will lead to labels that can last for years. If you had to put labels on shelves that are supposed to last for some time you would use a thermal transfer printer.

It's noteworthy that any thermal transfer printer can also print thermal direct (simply leave out the ribbon and use thermal direct paper) but usually not the other way round because the cheaper thermal direct printers often lack the gear to attach a thermal transfer ribbon. Thermal transfer printers with about 200-300 dpi (which is enough for most purposes) start at about USD 500 and, depending on the volume and speed they deliver, can get very expensive.

Generally speaking, buying a dedicated label printer makes sense if you regularly have to print more than, say, 100-200 labels a day. It really depends on your application. Some advice: Always make sure that the printer comes with appropriate Windows (or Mac) drivers. This will allow you to use any Windows (or Mac) software for label printing, the alternative being that you have to use the printer's manufacturers proprietary (and usually expensive) software.

Using an every day ink jet or laser printer

With regards to print quality or durability, any modern ink jet or laser printer will easily print even the most demanding 2D barcodes in good quality. Therefore, if, for example, your application is to print lists of barcodes on plain paper there's no point in buying a dedicated printer for barcode printing.

However, if you have to print labels on a regular basis, the story is different. For once, these printers won't be able to deliver a single label like a dedicated label printer, instead they consume at least a full sheet of paper, no matter how many labels you need. Of course you could put the sheet back into the printer after peeling the label off but next time you would have to tell the label printing software to skip the used labels. Also after two or three trips through the paper feeding mechanism labels tend to get loose and block the paper path.

Bear also in mind that (on a per label basis) ink jet or laser labels are far more expensive then labels for thermal or thermal transfer printers. It's my experience that people try to cope with this for some time but finally give in and buy a dedicated label printer.
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Bar Codes Faxing Improve Business Document WorkFlow

Reliably integrating important electronic and paper documents received by fax such as invoices, expense reports, purchase orders, employment applications, claims and legal contracts into the daily business workflow is a common challenge. These documents are critical to many revenue related business processes and yet they are commonly misplaced, lost or misfiled in a never-ending row of filing cabinets.

In addition, the reproduction of these paper documents decrease productivity and increase daily soft costs such as manual labor burden, fax retransmission, paper, toner, and printer wear and tear.

Incorporating bar code faxing into an organization will improve the business document workflow and mission critical data access to the following departments in your organization:

• Human Resource Departments
• Accounts Payable
• Accounts Receivables
• Sales
• Marketing
• Legal Departments
• Production
• Manufacturing

Bar code faxing will also help eliminate the need to purchase or develop special forms applications and processing procedures, minimize lost documents and help with any eDocument initiatives your organization may have.

 

What is bar code faxing?

Bar code faxing is a computer based fax methodology in which commonly faxed documents are given bar codes for identification, routing, metadata and indexing purposes. Bar code faxing is simple to implement, reliable and depending on the bar code symbology used, very secure. Bar code symbologies used in bar code faxing include 1D and 2D bar codes, most commonly referred to as Code 39, Code 128, PDF417 and DataMatrix. Code 39 and 128 are the most inexpensive and easiest to implement because applications like Microsoft Word support bar code fonts. Code 39 and 128 fonts are readily available on the internet free of charge. PDF417 and DataMatrix bar codes can hold larger amounts of data, support Check Sum and various types of encryption. In some cases, implementation of these PDF417 or DataMatrix is more expensive due to proprietary application requirements.

Bar code faxing can be accomplished with the actual document itself or with a bar code fax cover page. The bar code is computer generated and added to the actual document/cover page. Another method of adding a bar code is with a hand held bar code printer or bar code label maker. The bar code can be placed and easily identified in the one of the four corners of the document. It is recommended to use slightly larger font sizes when using bar code faxing because fax documents shrink slightly during actual fax transmission. The use of intelligent fax hardware minimizes the shrinking and provides the highest quality fax images. Information captured in a bar code will vary depending on the document type. For invoices the bar code may contain the invoice number, customer name, and account number. It may also contain the name of the department it is being routed. For expense reports the bar code may contain the employee ID number, month of report, total amount due etc. Employment applications may contain phone number, social security number, position applying. The information that can be contained within a bar code is unlimited.

Once the fax with the bar code is received, the fax server software has the ability to read the bar code and extract the information or metadata. This metadata is then used to a) Identify, b) Route, c) Store & Deliver and d) Retrieve documents efficiently and effectively.

Summary

The use of bar code faxing isn’t new by any means. In the past several years however it has gained traction and acceptance in the fax server, scanning, document management, content management and imaging industries due to the introduction of the multi-function devices (scanner, fax, printer, copier), better imaging technologies, more robust computers, operating systems, intelligent fax boards and the need to resolve compliance and regulatory issues.

Document Imaging - Chris Norwood has been in this industry for over 13 years and is currently the Business Development Manager for One Touch Global Technologies. One Touch Global Technologies is a Platinum Solution Provider, Specialized Software Developer and Systems Integrator for several of the leading fax server and document management technologies on the market. Chris may be reached directly at cnorwood@otgt.com www.onetouchgt.com

Printing Bar Codes

 

There are two main considerations in bar code printing for small businesses, first the printers the software works with and secondly the print quality. Most software can send print commands to Windows based printers, including ink jet, laser and dot matrix. Of course they are also compatible with popular thermal printers. But what is the difference? And what works the best?

Inkjet
Inkjet printers are cheap and adequate for some uses, but not bar code printing. Scanners require a high level of quality and these types of printers cannot provide consistent quality.

Laser
Laser printers can work for bar code printing, however may not be suitable for mass production. Generally, laser printers print bar codes on common sticker types like Avery, which can be purchased anywhere. So this is a good choice for a small company that only needs a limited number of stickers or it is a good choice to use as a back up, like for printing replacement stickers.

Dot Matrix
Dot matrix printers are impact type printers and are still used for things like forms with multiple copies. But they can also be used for jobs that do not require color and do not require high quality. In some rare cases they are used to print receipts that have bar codes on them, but the quality is not dependable.

Thermal Printers
Thermal transfer or label specific printers, use a thermal printhead that applies to marked heat surfaces and they are fast. Thermal printers are the best choice for high-quality label printing. Thermal printers can produce exact bar widths, which bar code scanners require.

Keep in mind that it is much easier, in most cases, to replace a printer than an enterprise version of bar code and label software. So it is a good idea to choose your printer based on your software preference to ensure compatibility.

Pamela Stevens

Pamela Stevens writes for TopTenREVIEWS.com, a review site that publishes technology and entertainment reviews.

Custom Bar Code Labels

An establishment that does not have its own bar coding equipment, but still wishes to have its own design for a bar code, can think of customizing bar code labels. Many companies specialize in designing custom bar code labels that depend on the requirements of their clients. They can produce bar codes in any number, big or small.

Manufacturers of custom bar codes use bar code software to design unique labels based on specifications from the ordering company. The ordering company decides the size of the bar code label. The bar code manufacturer can give some color options that will be finalized by the ordering company. The same is done with the material of the bar code label. Plastic, paper, laminates and aluminum are some of the options given by bar code label manufacturers.

After this, bar code software is used to make the actual format of the bar code label, which is also called a template. This template will have all the details given by the ordering company. Some companies insist their company names be printed on each bar code label. Other information that can be filled in is the name of the item that will be affixed.

Many security measures can be provided by companies to their bar code labels. The material of the bar code can be metal or vinyl, both resistant to chemicals and heavy pressure. Some labels are also made tamper-proof.

Customized bar code labels are sold in bulk amounts to ordering companies. It becomes relatively cheaper to order a larger number of labels. The price of the labels depends on each specification that needs to be printed on the bar code label. Bar code manufacturers may also deliver customized bar code labels within 24 hours in express deliveries.

Bar Code Labels provides detailed information about bar code labels, bar code label printers, bar code label software, bar code label makers and more. Bar Code Labels is the sister site of Bar Code Software.

Bar Code Printers

Barcode Printers come in various types, including general-purpose laser and inkjet printers. Then there are printers that support multiple symbologies. They are called Thermal bar code label printers. General-purpose laser and inkjet printers cannot directly print barcodes. That is because these basic printers do not support bar code symbologies and are therefore upgraded to do so. They need to be programmed to support bar coding, which may entail addition of more features and fonts.

Barcode printers employ two major printing methods, namely Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer. Both methods basically involve the same technique to print bar codes with difference in the use of ribbon. They make use of a print-head that applies heat to a surface that is pre-marked. Heated ribbon is used to produce long-lasting images in Thermal Transfer printing, while Direct Thermal does not use ribbon and instead prints the image directly on the label. In Thermal Transfer printing, a large number of materials may be used. This generally helps in creating durable images over a long period of time. Direct Thermal, on the other hand, helps in making put-away labels, receipts and other such small variety.

Ideally, barcode printers can print on labels that are specifically designed for the purpose. However, the printers are also capable of printing on fabrics like polyester. We have printers etching away prints on headbands and even synthetic materials. Quite contrary to popular perception, barcodes are not only black. Barcode printers can print in various colors, but black is generally preferred because a light color may end up with insufficient contrast between the bars resulting in unreadable barcodes.

Nowadays, several security features are available to ensure that there is no counterfeit coding by the printers. The latest thermal printers are capable of printing smart labels that contain radio frequency identification chips within the label media. These smart features go a long way in plugging any loopholes in barcode printing and provide a guarantee of authentication.

Bar Code Labels provides detailed information about bar code labels, bar code label printers, bar code label software, bar code label makers and more. Bar Code Labels is the sister site of Bar Code Software.

How To Read A Barcode Reader

The barcode reader is used for the scanning through the photo detector. The photo detector then extracts the printed barcodes on the surface of the product. They enable the seller to identify the originality of the product. The information that is extracted is enough for the production of the necessary data. This is known to be consisting of the automatic input device equipment. The input device is significant of the barcode signs where the requirement of the recognition of such signs is necessary and there is a possibility of such devices in circulation. These are known to be circulated in the form of the scanning devices.

To read the barcode

When the signs are transmitted they can be devised through the photo detector and then the light emitting diode is used for the scan barcodes. They are then absorbed through the device where the bar codes are decoded. There are four types of the different bar code readers where the technology is used for the reading the data encoded. Even the pen type readers are used and the laser type scanners, CCD readers and the camera based readers. In order to read a barcode reader the tip of the pen is dragged. The thick lines of the bar codes are related to the measurements of the photo diode where the intensity is reflected through the source of the light then it is gradually converted in the form of the waves. These waves are converted into the data signals. Then the waveform is thus decoded in the photo diode where they are undergone with the scanner. They then print the Morse code dots and dashes and thereafter they are decoded. The CCD readers are the charge coupled device. These devices undergo the same procedure and then detect the barcodes.

Conclusion

The different types of the bar codes are then used for the productivity of the different photo diodes where they carry the significance of converting them into the main productive devices. The inclusion of the procedures in all the devices undergoes a same procedure but the extraction is leaded in the different ways. The use of those signals can be determined in a way through the camera and the pen viewer.

Allan Wilson owns and operates http://www.barcode-readers-programming.com

Barcode Reader