PDA Barcode Software

PDA barcode software is a data collection software package that controls and enhances the performance of a PDA?type barcode scanner/reader. It allows you to scan and count all the items that have barcodes - a series of black and white bars and stripes.

PDAs (personal digital assistant), a sort of handheld barcode reader, can do more than just the normal reading and decoding of barcodes. Today, the PDA maintains its place as an indispensable tool of many businesses the world over. It is ideal for use in workflow automation, route accounting, healthcare, retail, or any industry where professionals need convenient data access at the point of activity.

PDA software programs for barcodes are fast, accurate, and efficient means to collect, process, transmit, record, and handle data in organizations. With these programs, one can create customized data collection applications in minutes. They provide truly straightforward configuration, database, and reporting abilities. No programming knowledge is needed. Just load PDA software for barcodes on your handheld barcode terminal (PDA) and start collecting the data that you need.

Currently, many PDA barcode software programs are available for inventory, fixed assets, document tracking, and computer asset tracking. Some features include patch-page detection for document separation, multiple job streams, and user and job level security. Many software programs available on the market offer tool tips. These are basically quick hints that help in handling the software.

PDA software programs for barcodes offering powerful and flexible capabilities in high-volume scanning environments are now out on the market. Selecting the right program depends on how comprehensive you want to get. Many websites provide PDA barcode software downloads, which help you to try a trial version before choosing your PDA code software solution.

Bar Code Software provides detailed information on Bar Code Software, Bar Code Scanner Software, Bar Code Printing Software, Free Bar Code Software and more. Bar Code Software is affiliated with Retail POS Software.

Barcode Software Solutions

Barcode software is a complete solution for all advanced designing, labeling, and printing needs of barcodes. They print barcodes on any installed printer type, without any additional hardware.

Two factors need to be considered when choosing barcode software solutions. The software selected must be easily installed in the operating system. It must satisfy the computer proficiency level of the person using it. All the necessary barcode components, required for industrial and business applications, can be accessed with barcode software. Some barcode software solutions are multi-functional; they can automatically generate barcodes according to the requirement or download the barcode types to the relevant device.

Generally, barcode software solutions can be classified into three categories: out-of-the-box software solutions, pre-packaged software solutions, and customized software solutions. The out-of-the-box solutions are more flexible and require little customization; they enable printing of barcodes easily. Pre-packaged barcode software solutions are easy to implement and are affordable. However, pre-packaged solutions are designed typically for common application needs and cannot be customized. Customized barcode software solutions are the best choice. Though costly, these solutions can run for a longer time. Whatever the application is, customized barcode software solutions can be easily tailored to meet the requirements.

Any type of barcode can be processed with good barcode software. There are mainly three types of barcode software: barcode production software, barcode data collection software, and database and inventory control software. Barcode production software is intended to generate quality graphic barcode images, which can be easily imported into other applications. Barcode data collection software is designed to be used in handheld barcode scanners. To manage and control the inventories of business applications, barcode database and inventory control software is used.

Barcode software solutions are flexible in order to handle all labeling applications. They improve the efficiency of operations and reduce the cost of managing the inventory. Further, a barcode software solution is fully compliant to both desktop and enterprise labeling.

Bar Code Software provides detailed information on Bar Code Software, Bar Code Scanner Software, Bar Code Printing Software, Free Bar Code Software and more. Bar Code Software is affiliated with Retail POS Software.

With So Many Barcode Printing Technologies, Which One is Right for My Business?

First of all, it is not necessary to have a dedicated barcode printer. Any printer that can print labels will print barcode labels with the right software. But, in almost every serious business situation having a dedicated printer makes sense.

Dedicated barcode printers are designed to work with barcode software applications and with many types of barcode media. They do an excellent job of printing accurate labels which at first glance may not seem like much. But, consider that the barcode is an intricate pattern that must meet exacting specifications in order for barcode readers to understand the code. Most shared document printers are not designed to meet these specifications. Yes, you can make a document printer work, but the time and cost in all but the simplest business situations is prohibitive.

Barcode printers can be segmented into three main categories based on their intended environment. They include:

1. Small offices where cost effectiveness is important and speed is not an essential requirement. These are the least costly if you are not printing labels often.

2. Industrial applications such as hospitals and industry where reliability and durability are critical. These printers have the most flexibility when it comes to speed, label quantity, and type of media. They are constructed to work in harsher environments than the average office.

3. Portable barcode printers where your needs are to print receipts at a customer site, prescriptions, or other types of forms. These portable printers sometimes use wireless connectivity, especially when used for credit card processing applications. A few of the more popular models work with portable Palm devices.

Most barcode printers use thermal direct or thermal transfer. In most cases, you want to use thermal transfer because thermal direct paper is sensitive to light and will deteriorate in a few days. It is used mainly for mail labels. The thermal transfer process uses a ribbon that is poked with a hot pin to transfer the ink to the label, making a very reliable label.

Many dedicated barcode printers come with WYSIWYG label design and printing software. For some, this is the best way to start. But you need to do a full evaluation of your needs to make sure you are getting what you need.

If you have a bigger organization you will probably need a professional label design software solution that works with many types of printers and computers, and integrates well with your other applications.

You also need to consider if you want to print barcode fonts, or bitmaps. Which you decide upon will determine what kind of software you buy; the interfacing requirements would follow. The decision as to font or graphic is based on quality and flexibility. Good quality barcode fonts give you the best print quality, flexibility and control. They are easy to use, faster to print, and produce higher quality printed images. They also give you flexibility in heterogeneous computing environments. But, they may not be suitable for your situation if you are designing or printing barcode labels using a web application or browser. This is because the fonts have to be located on the local computer. However, solutions to this problem do exist.

In the end, putting together a bar coding system is relatively easy, but it does require careful planning. We recommend having a barcode coordinator and process in place to document all your barcode processes so others can step in. The coordinator will determine the requirements, analyze, design, and implement the barcode system. This is a fulltime effort that obviously requires a dedicated person or small team, depending on the complexity of the transition.

Vaughn Balchunas writes about technology in business, with emphasis on business processes, automation, and automated data collection. You can read more about the different types of bar codes and wireless barcode printers available for your business at http://barcodegeek.com

The Necessity of Barcode Printers in Modern Times

A barcode is a machine-readable representation of information in a visual format on a surface. Barcode is widely used to implement Auto ID Data Capture (AIDC) systems that improve the speed and accuracy of computer data entry.

A barcode printer is a computer peripheral for printing barcode labels or tags that can be attached to physical objects. Barcode printers are commonly used to label cartons before shipment, or to label retail items with Universal Product Codes.

Desktop barcode printer has become a commonplace tool for entering product information at retail chains and shopping complexes. Industrial barcode printers are used in manufacturing facilities and large warehouses helping in inventory management and sales process automation.

The most common barcode standards are UPCs and EANs.

Universal Product Code Bar Code - The standard bar code printed on retail merchandise. It contains the vendor's identification number and the product number which is read by passing the bar code over a scanner.

European Article Numbering is the European standard for barcodes. There are two different versions of EAN bar codes, EAN-13 and EAN-8, which encode 13- and 8-digit numbers, respectively. A special EAN-13 bar code with a 5-digit supplemental code is used on books to encode the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and the price. This bar code is called ?Bookland?.

Traditional one-dimensional bar codes use the bar's width to encode a product or an account number. Two-dimensional bar codes, such as PDF417, MaxiCode and DataMatrix, are scanned horizontally and vertically and hold considerably more data. PDF417 is widely used for general purposes. MaxiCode is used for high-speed sorting, and DataMatrix is used for marking small parts.

Barcode Printers employ two major printing methods ? Direct Thermal (DT) and Thermal Transfer (TT).

Direct thermal printers use a print head to generate heat that causes a chemical reaction in specially designed paper that turns the paper black. Direct thermal printers are generally less expensive, but they produce labels that can become illegible if exposed to heat, direct sunlight, or chemical vapors. Barcode printers require regular cleaning of the ribbon and the print head. Specks of dust may cause distortion of the bar codes. The outputs of these printers using ANSI software need to be continuously checked in order to check for system malfunctions.

Thermal transfer printers also use heat, but instead of acting directly on the paper, the heat melts a waxy or resin substance on a ribbon that runs over the label or tag material. The heat transfers ink from the ribbon to the paper. Thermal Transfer requires the use of a heated ribbon to produce long-lasting images of data onto a label and/or tag, whereas Direct Thermal process prints the image directly on the label/tag.

Direct thermal and thermal transfer barcode printers can print bar code labels on variety of media. The range of bar code printers vary from light duty printers to rugged and high speed industrial printers for meeting diverse requirements. In industrial printers, the range varies from medium to heavy duty to extra heavy duty printers. These printers can be integrated to existing applications / ERP for on demand label/tag printing.

Industrial barcode printers are used in large warehouses and manufacturing facilities. They have large paper capacities, operate faster and have a longer service life. For retail and office environments, desktop barcode printers are most common.

http://www.pointofsalecomponents.com provides the great collection of all your retail and inventory management needs. Whether you're looking for barcode printer and decoders, bar code labels, bar code label printers, bar code label software, bar code labels or barcode scanners, we have it.

Bluetooth Wireless Barcode Scanners

Bluetooth Wireless Barcode scanners are fast gathering popularity in the retail and service related industries. Many companies have adopted using Bluetooth wireless barcode scanners and found them to be an integrated part of their business operations

Wireless barcode scanners using Bluetooth technology provided wireless coverage and lower cost per barcode scanner compared with wireless 802.11b barcode scanners.

Bluetooth wireless barcode scanners are light and portable thus allowing the operator to move easily from place to place.

It also makes it easy to scan huge, bulky and immoveable items as the operator can scan easily without moving the large items.

They are two types of barcode scanners available. One used CCD based technology, the other is laser-based technology. CCD-based barcode scanners uses optical cameras to capture barcode images and then translate that to barcode information. One major disadvantage of CCD barcode scanners is that the scanning distance is shorter. CCD barcode scanners is used mostly in fixed or static barcode scanners where distance is not a problem.

Laser barcode scanners uses a laser to capture barcode information. As such, they have a longer scanning distance and also can scan curved surface. Most Bluetooth wireless barcode scanners are laser-based.

The price of Bluetooth wireless barcode scanners have rapidly dropped over the years and nowadays you can get a pretty good one for a few hundred dollars. Therefore it is a good investment to get these for your business.

Ricky Lim runs a barcode scanners reviews site. Visit his site for reviews of barcode label printers , barcode label software etc.

How POS Barcode Scanners Can Improve Your Business Efficiency

Are you a small retail business owner looking for a way to speed up the waiting time of your customers when they are at the cashiers? Then POS barcode scanners can help you with that.

POS barcode scanners or point of sale scanners will allow the cashier to scan the product and all the important information such as product category, product code, pricing etc will be digitally recorded. This process is very fast and easy to learn. The only difficult part comes when you need to tag all your store's items with a barcode in order for the POS barcode scanner to be able to read.

Another advantage of using POS barcode scanners is that all recorded information is easily retrievable. This makes it easy to generate accounting data, ledgers etc convenient. Also the inventory levels in your store can be easily identified as well.

POS barcode scanners are not just useful in retail outlets but also can be used in clinics, libraries and any other business or organization where a large quantity of items are being transferred/purchased each day.

There are 2 types of POS barcode scanners. They are CCD-based and laser-based. CCD-based POS barcode scanners are more common and cheaper, however they have a disadvantage in that they can't read rounded surfaces. So if you have products which have a smooth curved surface, it is better to use laser-based barcode scanners.

Laser-based barcode scanners can read from any surface and can do this at a greater distance than CCD-based barcode scanners. This is because CCD-based scanners uses cameras to capture the barcode information hence they need to be within close distance of the barcode in order to capture the barcoding information.

An important type of barcode scanner is one that uses CCD technology. This technology was widely used in many retail outlets and involves scanning by pressing the scanner on the barcode to feed information into the computer. But its inability to read from round surfaces has resulted in the development of laser-operated scanners, which pick up barcodes from the surface of products even from a distance. With the advent of omni-directional laser scanners, more and more dealers are opting for those barcode readers that send out laser beams in different directions and pick up the barcodes on the products in a matter of seconds.

There are a wide variety of POS barcode scanners available in many different configuration depending on your market sector. Some uses USB, others wireless and some are handheld.

I personally prefer handheld POS barcode scanners from Symbol and Datalogic. I found they have the best support and handheld POS barcode scanners are light and portable and can easily to transport to other location as I see fit. You can check out their websites for their range of POS barcode scanners.

Ricky Lim runs a barcode scanners reviews site. Visit his site for reviews of POS barcode scanners , wireless barcode scanners etc.

Using Barcode Fonts To Create And Print Barcodes

What are barcode fonts? Basically they are just that - plain fonts. But rather than depicting numbers and letters they contain the bars and spaces that make up a barcode symbology. They are installed to your fonts folder or directory and will show up in your application's font list just like "Courier" or "Arial".

"That sounds good! So basically I just enter a couple of digits in Word, add the start / stop characters, change the font to Code UPC and have a nice barcode.", you say.

Not quite. You see, this approach will only work for simple barcodes like Code 39 where every group of bars and spaces (also called a symbol) is directly mapped to the character encoded.

Some Conversion Required

However, more complex symbologies like UPC or EAN require one more step to perform before the code can actually be displayed. The number to be encoded has to be "converted" to be usable with a given font. This is usually done with a little software tool that comes with the fonts. Also a checksum or check digit has to be calculated.

The use of such a conversion tool is acceptable if you have to print only a handful of codes. But what if you have to print scores of UPC codes? Hopefully you are not supposed to manually convert all those numbers! Fortunately, most conversion tools provide a batch conversion of numbers. Many vendors will also supply macros, DLL's and sample code snippets to be used, say, in Visual Basic, that handle the conversion.

Now that we've learned the basics of barcode fonts, what are their pros and cons?

Advantages of Barcode Fonts

1. Barcode fonts will work in almost any application that works with text: Word processors, spreadsheets, databases, image editing, DTP software, most programming environments etc.

2. Depending on the barcode type involved it's sufficient to simply enter the number and change the font.

3. Barcode fonts will scale and print very well because, unlike images or bitmaps, they are not pixel based.

4. Barcode fonts are available for almost any platform: Linux, Mac, Windows.

5. Barcode fonts are usually the cheapest barcode software available. If you only need Code UPC, you only have to buy a Code UPC font (many vendors will actually provide a collection of fonts for the reasons detailed below). This will usually cost no more that USD 30 to USD 50.

Drawbacks of Barcode Fonts

1. Some symbologies require a conversion before formatting.

2. Scaling a font will scale it in all directions. E.g. it's usually not possible to make the barcode higher while keeping the width unchanged. Generally speaking, fonts are not very flexible. Most vendors therefore supply fonts with different ratios and sizes.

3. The same goes for the human readable text of the barcode. What if you need the Code UPC above without text? You could either cover the text with another object or hope that the vendor supplies a font with the bars only.

4. Barcode fonts are basically an "Add-On" to another software. This means you are stuck with the capabilities of the software in question when it comes, for example, to label printing.

Pro Barcode is your source for Barcode Software. Barcode newbies visit our section Barcode Know How and FAQ.