FAQ

Most barcode scanners come with a 6 foot cable but longer lengths are available for many models.

The number of labels per roll will depend on how tall the label is. The shorter the label the more you will get per roll.

DPI stands for Dots Per Inch and is a measure of a printer's resolution. The higher the number the finer the print will be. Most applications are suitable at 203 dpi but in cases where logos/images or very small labels are being made you will want 300 or 600 dpi.

Direct thermal is a printing process that uses a label coated with a heat sensitive layer and does not use ribbon/ink to print....

You are probably familiar with the barcodes you see on most packaged products. These barcodes are in the UPC-A code format. It is 12 digits long and looks something like this:

If you sell products to a distributor or a retailer, you will typically need a UPC barcode. If you are not sure, it is best to contact the company selling your product to find out their policy on UPC barcodes. When you obtain your UPC number, you will also get a certificate authenticating your number. Most retailers require proof of the certificate to verify that your number is unique and authorized.

Barcodes can come in a wide range of sizes and can get down to a 1/8th inch square when using a 2D code. However, there is a trade off since making such a small code will limit the amount of characters you use and will require a high resolution label printer to ensure the quality of the print is still readable by a scanner. The smaller a code becomes the more difficult it is to read.

In the United States, driver's licenses use a PDF417 stacked 2D code.

A barcode can hold any type of text information you encode but with product labels the price in not usually encoded. The barcode will denote what product it is and your POS software or database will have pricing information associated to this.

A barcode essentially is a way to encode information in a visual pattern that a machine can read. The combination of black and white bars (elements) represents different text characters which follows a set algorithm for that barcode type. If you change the sequence of elements you get different text. A barcode scanner reads this pattern of black and white that is then turned into a line of text your computer can understand.

It allows updated information to travel with the individual item as it passes through the supply chain – information that can be dynamically changed throughout the journey.

In general, an RFID tag consists of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and an antenna that can be mounted on various substrates. Each element of an RFID tag is selected for optimum efficiency for the application. Physical sizes can range from as small as a thumbnail to as large as a brick

It is likely that RFID and bar codes will coexist for many years. Bar codes are inexpensive and effective for certain tasks.

Radio Frequency ID (RFID) is a means of automatically identifying objects. RFID technology involves RFID tags that emit radio signals and devices called RFID readers that pick up the signal. RFID tags or labels consist of an electronic chip which sends radio waves to identify a pallet or carton of products. An RFID label can be smaller than a postage stamp or as large as a brick.