Barcode labels come in a variety of types and materials to meet the needs of a range of applications. From a temporary shipping label to a rugged asset tag that needs to endure the challenges of outdoor use, there are labels that can meet these needs.

Knowing what type of label you are using is almost impossible to tell from just looking at it but there are a few key tests you can conduct to figure out what type and material your label is. Following these steps you can be assured you order the same label your application needs.

1. Try to tear the label in half

If you can tear the label in half we know right away that it’s a paper stock as opposed to a synthetic material like polypropylene or polyester.  Synthetic materials may stretch and deform a bit but will not be tear-able by hand.
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Specifically driven by the use of mobile devices, 2D barcodes have emerged from the realm of high cost, speciality applications to everyday uses like retail couponing, event ticketing, and advertising. Historically, the choice between a traditional 1D laser scanner or 2D imager was primarily driven by the large cost and performance difference. Jump to today and 2D imagers have made drastic technological improvements which have brought down cost and improved overall performance beyond laser scanners on all types of barcodes.

For many businesses the decision to go with a full 2D imager is still based around cost despite the improvements and added capabilities they can provide. This is where the new Honeywell Voyager 1452g is the perfect solution for any business that may be on the fence about 2D imaging.  All of the units are technically imagers but some are available with a 1D barcode only  scanning option at a significant lower cost. These units can later be upgraded (firmware update) to enable full 2D capabilities when needed.

This flexibility makes the Voyager 1452g an exceptional value for businesses that require the versatility of area-imaging technology today or may need it in the future.

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In today’s mobile-centric world, having reliable and secure wireless connectivity is expected from every business. From employees to customers, the vast majority of computing is done on mobile devices, smartphones, and tablets which require a robust network capable of providing constant connectivity.

The greatest challenge most small and mid-sized business faced in the past was the costs involved in providing an effective wireless network. In the past, this caused many businesses to compromise the performance and security of their network for cost savings.

Lucky for all of us, Zebra’s WiNG Express product line provides high WLAN performance and advanced security features normally found in enterprise-level applications at a fraction of the cost and time to deploy. Simply power up your access points and they will automatically be discovered and provisioned with pre-defined configurations you then easily manage from an intuitive and simple-to-grasp interface.

With WiNG Express you can provide your business with the wireless network it needs today and into the future without making any compromises.

1. Introduction

As a small and medium size business that fulfills and ships orders for customers, the “Picking  Process”, if it is not already, will consume more  resources than any other area of your fulfillment operation. Whether you know it or not, you do already have a picking process, even if it is just  the daily ritual of taking the day’s orders and  walking out into the garage to find the items you  need to ship.

The question is, are you going to be comfortable  using that process as you grow and have confidence that you will achieve the most important objective which impacts your customers – accuracy?

Will the process that works for you now with  thirty orders per day still make sense when you  have one hundred thirty orders per day? What  about a thousand? If you are banking on your  own business success in the future, then the answer to that question has to be “No”. Yes?

Now that you know that: 1. Picking is going to  be a huge part of your business in terms of resources and customer impact and 2. Your existing process isn’t going to cut it as you grow.  What are you going to do about it?

Continue reading to learn more about some of  your options and the benefits of being pro-active about constantly evolving tools, technology  and processes – your business depends on it!

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For today’s highly connected retail shopper, having access to the same range of information they experience online is more and more expected even during the brick and mortar shopping experience. Smartphones may provide simple product lookups and pricing but more store functions can be easily expanded on with the right in-store technology. Just as they find in an online experience, being able to search product data and previous purchase history is another way to further empower customer satisfaction.

Whether it’s pulling up more detailed product information, stock levels and locations, or being able to access a gift registry and coupons/promotional items, customers desire to have access to your retail store both physically and electronically.

Expanding the customer experience really comes down to providing the right tools to your customers. Zebra’s line of Interactive Kiosks and robust Wireless LAN are the perfect additions  to any retail environment to provide customers the ability get product information or find an associate at the exact moment they want one.
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Elo, a world leader in touchscreen and digital signage, is now partnering with a world leader in retail software solutions, Retail Pro! This partnership will bring two innovative and customer service focus companies to the forefront of the retail world.

Retail Pro’s robust POS software is installed in over 53,000 locations in 97 countries. They deliver local, accessible and professional support to any size organization and make it easy to grow your business. The same is true for Elo with over 20 million installations and 40 plus years’ experience they have seen it all! Solutions range from 10” mobile displays to 70” digital signage displays and many in between.

When pared together, Retail Pro software and Elo hardware are a powerful, customer-centric, and flexible Point-of -Sale solution to help you create an engaging customer experience and boost your bottom line.

Contact one of our POS specialists to learn how Elo and Retail Pro can improve retail efficiency for you.

Datalogic has announced a new addition to their popular QuickScan family of bar code readers – the QuickScan QBT2131 linear imager.

Linear bar codes still hold a relevant position in the data capture marketplace. The new cordless imager has an extra-wide field of view and extra-long scan line that enables the reading of long bar codes at closer distances. The sharp and highly visible scan line, coupled with the enhanced depth of field, ensures bar codes read at intuitive distances.

The QuickScan QBT2131 reader employs Bluetooth Wireless Technology allowing transmission of data to the host through its base station as well as to any commercial or embedded Bluetooth v3.0 device. This imager can also be connected to any tablet using either iOS or Android operating systems via the Bluetooth HID profile.

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When choosing a mobile computer or barcode scanner, one of the last things on anybody’s mind is what kind of battery I should buy with my device. Even worse, sellers fail to explain how the battery alone can save a company on time, money and productivity.

Research shows that companies lose at least 20 minutes of productivity every time a battery is changed mid-shift. Here’s an example of what device downtime can cost:

• 500 devices in operation
• 500 devices x 1 battery failure each = 500 mid-shift failures per day
• 500 mid-shift failures x 20 minutes each = 167 hours lost each day
• 167 hours/day x $9.00/hour = $1,503.00 per day
• $1,503.00 x 360 days = $541,080 PER YEAR in lost productivity

Don’t take chances with your batteries – IPT Productivity+ Series batteries run 15% – 20% longer and guarantee 100% compatibility with OEM devices including Symbol, Zebra, Motorola, Honeywell, Intermec, LXE, Datamax-O’Neil and Vocollect.

The ability to remotely manage a fleet of printers and their operations is a must have for many businesses. Printronix offers the PrintNet Enterprise solution to its customers free of charge with the purchase of a Printronix thermal printer.

PrintNet allows an entire fleet of printers to be configured to the exact specification for the most effective and efficient printing in the following ways:

• Organize, regulate and manage Printronix printers from a central location via LAN/WAN connectivity
• React to printer issues quickly with alerts sent to a specified email address or mobile device
• Apply remote front-panel lockout to specified printers which will eliminate unapproved users from making changes to the printers configuration
• Remotely set printer configurations, install firmware updates, and resource files to multiple printers all at one time

The capability to access any single printer or multiple printers remotely is a value added feature provided free of charge with Printronix thermal printers. Contact your knowledgeable Barcodes, Inc. sales representative for more information on how PrintNet can help manage your network of Printronix Printers.