Barcoding News
Data tracking news, product updates, tips, and more
Star SM-T300 Ruggedized Portable Receipt Printer Now Available Without Magnetic Stripe Reader
Star Micronics is proud to announce an additional version of its popular, ruggedized SM-T300 portable receipt printer.
In many applications where a rugged portable printer is needed, credit card reading is not. The latest version of the SM-T300 series, the SM-T300-DW50, ships sans a magnetic stripe reader.
Dust protected and splash-resistant (IP54 Certified), the SM-T300 is ideal for outside field workers requiring handhelds to seamlessly print to a durable portable printer. Its rugged and splash proof design coupled with a long battery life makes the SM-T300 a welcomed option for applications in harsh outdoor environments, such as service & delivery, public safety and utilities.
Intermec CV41 and CV61 Vehicle-Mount Mobile Computers Deliver Next Generation Technology to the Forklift, Boosting Productivity and Performance
Intermec announced its newest vehicle-mount computers, the CV41 and CV61, designed to integrate with any forklift. These new offerings represent the first vehicle-mount computers certified to offer the proven productivity, accuracy, safety and reduced training time benefits of Vocollect voice-directed work.
“Intermec’s new vehicle-mount computers are built to withstand our customers’ most challenging environments – delivering fast, reliable and secure connection to warehouse management systems,†said Earl Thompson, Intermec Senior Vice President, Mobile Solutions Business Unit. “Offering an ideal balance of display readability and mounting ease, the CV41 and CV61 strengthen Intermec’s position as a premier leader in warehouse and distribution center automation with one of the industry’s broadest suites of advanced data collection solutions.â€
Motorola DS3500-ER Industrial Barcode Scanner Improves Goya Foods Flexibility and Productivity
Motorola Solutions, unveiled the rugged DS3500-ER series of extended range scanners offering the flexibility to easily scan and capture barcode information from both near and extended distances for warehouse management and other applications in the harshest industrial environments.
“With the ability to scan both 1D and 2D barcodes from near and far distances, the DS3500-ER series is a perfect fit for Goya Foods’ distribution business. The DS3500-ER helps improve worker productivity with its flexibility to be used for a variety of tasks in different environments,†Luis Ramos, general manager, Goya Foods.
5 Tips To Maximize Your Printhead
All thermal label printers have 3 basic consumables: labels, ribbon (if thermal transfer printer), and printheads. Even though it is part of the printer itself as opposed to a media item the printhead is still considered a consumable due to the fact that it does wear down over time and will need to be replaced. When you take into account the fact that replacing your printhead will cost you up to almost half of what you paid for your printer it is something we will want to get the most out of. Printheads don’t just stop working one day either so along the way you will see a drop in your print quality which can cause a host of problems beyond just the cost of a replacement. We’ll take a look at what your printhead is and how it works along with 5 things you can do to ensure a long use-cycle to avoid problems and extra costs to your print application.
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Linear, Stacked, 2D: Barcode Types Decoded
Everywhere You Look
At this point most everyone knows what a barcode is, right? When I tell people I work for a company that deals with barcodes they pause for maybe a second but then immediately go “Oh yeah, the black and white lines on pretty much everything!†No longer the subjects of suspicion or conspiracies, barcodes have become an indispensible tool for tracking pretty much anything. Look on any retail product and you will find a UPC code. On the back of your driver’s license you’ll find a PDF417. Open up your favorite magazine and you will find QR codes in advertisements taking you to websites and special offers. They literally are everywhere!
Given the wide range of applications to use a barcode more than one type has been developed throughout its history and several dozen are currently in use. Most of us see the bars or gridded boxes and just think ‘barcode’ but depending on what you are tracking and how much information you need it may not be clear what is the best code to go with. We’ll take a look at the 3 types of codes and some of their common uses to help get a better idea of how to get the most out of barcodes.
Wasp Barcode Introduces WWS450 2D Barcode Scanner and DT10 Mobile Computer
Wasp Barcode announced the launch of the WWS450 2D barcode scanner with base and the DT10 mobile computer. Designed specifically for small business owners, both products offer ease of use with fast and accurate data collecting features.
Wasp’s WWS450 2D barcode scanner series with base accurately reads 1D and 2D barcodes with its digital imager scan engine. By plugging the USB adapter into a PC, the scanner can read barcodes up to 160 feet away from the base by using wireless connectivity. Outside of the 160-foot wireless range, the scanner can hold up to 160 barcode scans in the buffer memory. Barcode data is instantly added to a spreadsheet, document or database, without time-consuming manual data entries or inaccuracies. The WWS450 is ideal for retailers, post offices, banks and utility companies. Pricing for the WWS450 2D barcode scanner with base starts at $695.
Intermec Improves 70 Series Ultra-Rugged Mobile Computer Series With Faster Processor and New 3G Radio
Intermec announced it will offer two new enhancements to the industry leading 70 Series mobile computer product family – a new 1 GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 3715 processor and a Wide Area Flexible Network radio based on Qualcomm Incorporated’s Gobiâ„¢ 3G connectivity technology.
Hamleys Toy Store Selects the Star TSP100 Receipt Printer for Point of Sale
Hamleys has been in the toy business since 1760, and remains the world’s most famous toy store. The flagship store on Regent Street in London has 7 floors packed full of toys and games.
Hamleys has recently taken the decision to upgrade to the DigiPoS Retail Blade PoS system and Star TSP100 futurePRNT thermal printer from international printer manufacturer Star Micronics.
The TSP100 futurePRNT offers high speed printing, exceptional print quality and a range of unique features including a number of software tools. These enable the overall appearance of receipts to be easily modified and customers to be effectively targeted through the addition of relevant vouchers. Having selected the TSP100 Powered USB model Hamleys further benefits from improved cable management and uninterrupted power supply on both the PC and the printer thus protecting all transactions.
Honeywell Introduces Stratos 2700 Hybrid Bioptic Barcode Scanner and Optimus 5900 RFID Mobile Computer
Honeywell announced the introduction of several innovative offerings that bring new levels of productivity to retailers: the Stratos 2700 hybrid bioptic barcode scanner and the Optimus 5900 RFID mobile computer The company’s holistic portfolio meets the evolving needs of retailers from the front end to the back end of their operations, including warehouse and distribution center solutions from the recently acquired LXE.
“In an effort to address the key pain points our customers tell us they have, our enhanced product and software portfolio delivers new ways to streamline automated data capture and management in retail,†said Taylor Smith, director of product management, Honeywell Scanning & Mobility (HSM). “Today’s introductions—from revolutionizing the check-out experience with our enhanced hybrid bioptic scanning solution to our entrance into the RFID space—demonstrate our ongoing commitment to meeting the growing needs of our retail customers.â€
Epson Introduces TM-H2000 Compact Multifunction Printer for High Speed Receipt Printing and Check Processing
Epson, introduced its compact TM-H2000 multifunction POS printer, designed for retailers who require high-speed printing, check processing and endorsement, without slip printing capability. With a 203 dpi resolution and two-year limited warranty, Epson’s ENERGY STAR® qualified TM-H2000 is ideally suited for high-volume retailers looking to increase transaction speed and lower the total cost of ownership of current POS printing solutions. The TM-H2000 offers significant advantages over other hybrid printers, including significantly faster receipt printing, paper saving features to reduce paper usage up to 30%, industry-leading MICR accuracy and the lowest energy usage in its class. Based on Epson’s popular TM-H6000-series multifunction printer, the TM-H2000 delivers the same proven reliability and performance at a competitive price point, eliminating slip functionality no longer required by many retailers.
By replacing POS printers with the Epson TM-H2000, retailers will print at speeds up to 94 lines per second as opposed to approximately 50 to 80 lines per second with other hybrid printers. In addition to faster printing, the TM-H2000 delivers substantial cost savings with its built-in paper reduction features. When set at the full 75% paper reduction mode, Epson’s TM-H2000 can cut paper costs by over $300 per printer per year and conserve over 200 lbs. of paper within the first five years. For users with 1,000 printers, this translates to a cost savings of over $300K over a five-year period.