Barcode Scanners: Which one and why?

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Handheld Readers, Cordless Scanners, Barcode Laser Scanners and Presentation Scanners: with so many different barcode scanners, how can you decide which will best fit your application?

Allow us to explain why specific types of barcode scanner are better suited to certain applications.

The Presentation Scanner - a stationary scanner when mounted which will automatically scan when a barcode is visible.
Typical uses include check-in/out stations, logistics industry among others.

The DS9208 barcode scanner from Motorola - the ideal presentation scanner for commercial, service, logistics and passenger transportation industry applications.
With the ability to read all 1D and 2D barcodes on surfaces including mobile/computor screens, and at speeds which are usually only achieved by laser scanners, the DS9208 excels in the role of presentation scanner - and with a footprint of just 8.5 x 8cm and height of 14cm (including stand) and capable of handheld scanning too should the need arise.

The Hand Held Scanners - the more comfortable, versatile and durable of barcode scanners, with typical uses including light-heavy industry and scan-intensive applications.

The Honeywell Hyperion, the ideal balance of performance, durability and ergonomics.
The gun-shaped form ensures operator comfort and productivity for more intense hand held scanning, able to read barcodes up to 18 inches away, as well as reading high density barcodes as small as 3mil all in one device. Perfect for scan-intensive and light industrial applications, the Honeywell Hyperion is equip with no moving parts and full impact resistant bumpers.

The Cordless Scanner - the scanner ideal for data collection operations in order to supply and or recieve information.

The QuickScan Mobile QM2130, the multipurpose device is best suited for inventory, price checking and shelf replenishment activities and is 100% compatible with the Datalogic STAR Cordless System.
With a radio range of 12m/40ft in open air, and a user replaceable lithium-ion battery, the QuickScan Mobile
is equip for all applications, including presentation scanning, thanks to the scan-while-charging capability.

The QuickScan reader series is Datalogic's ADC's value line of general purpose handheld data collection products. The QuickScan Mobile is the perfect entry level cordless solutions for general purpose data collection applications.

For simple point-to-point connectivity, the QuickScan Mobile reader offers security and reliability with Datalogic's STAR Cordless System. It's Fast, easy to use and guaranteed Wi-Fi interference free.

The Laser Scanner, specifically designed to meet the needs of small retailers while delivering high quality laser scanning.

The Motorola LS1203 Handheld Laser Barcode Scanner - capable of scanning 1D linear barcodes with either triggered or auto-scan modes in a sleek, lightweight barcode scanner, which meets Motorola's stringent 5ft. drop tests. Complete with intuitive scanning; plug and play design.

*Please note we sell ALL barcode scanners of all types, if they are not listed on our website, please contact us to confirm that we can still provide you with the item of choice*

If you have any questions or queries, please contact us by any means shown below.

Website: www.printonlabels.co.uk
E-mail: sales@printonlabels.co.uk
TEL: 01634 369 027
Mobile: 07526 558 991

Adhesives? Direct Thermal? Thermal Transfer? Help!

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Every application is different, if you are labelling food products which are to be frozen, you need a specific label - one with freezer adhesive, any other adhesive will remove the label from the product.
Perhaps you are labelling toys for children - you need the labels to have a peelable adhesive to avoid marking the product.
Maybe you are applying labels to goods being marked up in price - you do not want customers to know what the price of the goods once was, so you print a label on top of the previous price which can not be removed without destroying the previous price - you need a permanent adhesive.

These are just a few examples of why an adhesive is such an essential to get right the first time.

With Adhesives covered, its time to look at the types of label, Direct Thermal Labels or Thermal Transfer Labels.

Direct thermal labels are chemically treated to react to heat so that when you tell the printer, via the software to print, the printhead receives instructions on which elements it needs to heat up. As the label passes beneath the printhead with which it is in direct contact, the heat draws the image out of the paper and thereby you receive a printed label. Nothing else is required.

The lifespan of the direct thermal labels is very short when compared to thermal transfer labels. Maximum life for direct thermal labels is approximately 12 months. That said, the actual life will be dictated by the application. If labels are left in sunlight for any length of time they will quickly start to go off colour, first grey and then ultimately black. If barcodes are involved then direct thermal labels should not be used on any products where a reasonable shelf life is required.

Typical applications for direct thermal labels are sandwich and other short life food products, receipts, price-weigh products.

The Thermal Transfer printing process uses more standard materials which require the printed images/text transferred to them via a separate carbon ribbon, or ink. Thermal Transfer labels will not print without a carbon ribbon. The ribbon sits between the printhead and label and thereby provides much protection to the printhead as it negates the abrasion that is present when printing in direct thermal mode. This generally saves over time with the cost of replacement printheads. The finished label is not subject to degradation by heat and sunlight and so can be used confidently for applications which call for labelling long life products.

Typical applications for thermal transfer labels are transportation and logistics, archiving and asset tracking.

Now that printing processes have been explained, you may be wondering "how does the type of label reflect on the price?"

When sourcing labels, be they direct thermal or thermal transfer, one should be aware that there are numerous grades of material available; this is often reflected in the buying price. Cheaper materials are usually more abrasive on the printhead and create a lot of paper dust. Using cheap materials has a significantly detrimental effect on the printhead as the abrasiveness will shorten the life of the printhead and this component is one of the most expensive parts of a printer. Always try to obtain grade A material, especially if barcodes are involved.

Pricing: generally direct thermal labels will work out less expensive than thermal transfer because the print process does not require a carbon ribbon. That said, this is not always the case because thermal transfer labels are not chemically treated in the same way as direct thermal labels need to be, so this gives a cost saving in this aspect.
At the end of the day, if in doubt, ask us now! If you outline your application to us we will be more than happy to give you free advise on the most suitable solution for you.

Here you can find all our Thermal Labels.

If you have any questions or queries please contact us by any of the ways listed below - we aim to please!

Website: www.printonlabels.co.uk
E-mail: sales@printonlabels.co.uk
TEL: 01634 369 027
Mobile: 07526 558 991

Barcode Label Printers

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Many industries rely heavily on Barcode Label Printers to enable their operation to run smoothly, from pack-houses to label applications and shipping.
We have a wide range of Barcode Label Printers, all of which have many different features such as print speeds, long life, heavy duty printers, direct thermal transfer and or thermal transfer, RFID label printers, general purpose printing, high quality printing, and many more variables.

Shown below is the Datamax H-4212 Thermal Transfer Heavy Duty High Performance Label Printer - with 12 IPS, 203 dots per inch.

The Datamax H-Class family of printers takes printing into the next era of comprehensive thermal and RFID label printing. This new Datamax H-Class heavy-duty printer provides a state of the art modular design offering the most flexible and accurate print quality in the industry today. Designed with the new Datamax IntelliSEAQ technology, the H-Class makes available the most advanced diagnostics using a sophisticated approach in maximizing the life of the print head while clearly reducing total cost of ownership.

The Datamax H-class is a workhorse, used for printing large numbers of labels, at high print quality.
However, you can hardly carry one of these around and print labels as needed..

Meet the Zebra MZ320 DT 203dpi Mobile Printer, with Bluetooth, including Battery & Belt Clip.
This unobtrusive printer weighs ¾ of a pound, so it can be worn comfortably for a full shift without interfering with the user’s tasks. Stylish and compact, it's ideal for customer-facing applications where an industrial-looking printer just won’t do. Its features and functions are intuitive and easy to operate as well. And because it’s a Zebra, there’s no compromise in reliability when you choose an MZ320 entry-level printer.

So we've covered Large demand printers, and hand held low demand printers, what about medium levels of printing?
Printing more labels than a handheld could, but not printing enough to justify buying a heavy duty big box printer.

This is where the Zebra GX420t Printer Thermal Transfer comes in, with options such as  USB/Serial/Parallel.
The best-in-class GX420t thermal transfer printer offers the widest range of features, and fast 6 inches per second print speed to meet all your low- to medium-volume printing requirements. The GX420t has a sleek and compact design, boasts the easiest ribbon loading system on the market, and supports a variety of applications and industries.

The GX420t comes standard with EPL and ZPL programming languages and triple connectivity for easy integration into existing systems. For additional flexibility, 10/100 internal Ethernet is also available. Well-suited to any industry and with options such as an adjustable media sensor, cutter and peeler, the reliable GX420t desktop printer is a smart investment that’s always a perfect fit.

Of course these are just one single example of the specific applications, to view the entire range of Barcode Label Printers we offer - Click Here.

If you are interested in any of the products listed here, please feel free to contact us by any of the ways listed below:

Website: www.printonlabels.co.uk/
E-mail: Sales@printonlabels.co.uk
Telephone: 01634 369 027
Mobile: 07526 558 991

Unique & Bespoke Sandwich Labels

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Sandwich Labels tend to be much of a likeness - very few stand out.
That is where Print On Labels steps in, giving you the ability to work with us to create truly customized unique labels.
Shown below is the template - the blank canvass that we can make unique to you, alongside an example of a label created for a small sandwich shop, the label has the shop location and contact details, the product name and ingredients, complete with a use by date and price, an even a barcode which can be scanned to inform the machine which product is being sold.

 

What purpose does this have? you may ask, well let me elaborate.
The barcode enables many features, it can be used to re-call the product, so the till can identify which price to charge the customer, it can be used to track how many products have been sold and can even be used alongside our Sandwich label printer (shown below) to let it know which label to print.

These labels are not limited to one template though, in fact we will work alongside our customers to help them create an entire label which is exclusive to them in every way.
These labels can be printed in up to six colours, and can be used for a broader range of applications.
An example of this is shown below, the label is used on jam jars, and was built for our customer entirely by us, after giving us her ideas and preference.

Another variation we offer is label size, this is not limited to long and thin labels, shown below is an example of a wide and short label for egg boxes, complete with a detailed picture, details of the product with a barcode too.

If any of the products shown here are of interest to you, or if you have any questions or queries please feel free to contact us at any of the following ways listed:

Website: www.printonlabels.co.uk
E-mail: sales@printonlabels.co.uk
Telephone: 01634 369 027
Mobile: 07526 558 991