BARCODE SCANNERS, READERS, PRINTERS, LABELS and MORE...

Your resource for all things barcode including printers, labels, software, scanners, readers and more.

Barcode Software

Bar code printers are peripherals that can be attached to a computer which can print barcode labels or tags. Barcode printers are most commonly used by mail couriers, shipping companies etc to label boxes and other mail for tracking and identification purposes. They are also used to label items for sale in retail outlets.

There are two different printing technologies that are used by barcode printers; direct thermal and thermal transfer. Direct thermal printers cause parts of the paper to turn black when involved in a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction is caused by the generation of heat by the print heads in the direct thermal printer.

Thermal transfer printers don’t use a chemical reaction but do use heat to melt away a waxy residue on a ribbon that runs over the label or tag material. Ink is then transferred from the ribbon to the paper. They are generally more expensive than direct thermal printers because labels created by the latter method can become illegible if it is exposed to heat or chemical vapours.

Printers will generally print labels between two and eight inches wide and range in price between £400 and £4000. Cheap barcode printers typically have a plastic case and are only capable of about 200 labels a day in an office environment. Industrial environments require more expensive printers which have metal cases and can work almost non-stop.

Barcode printers operate very fast, have large paper capacities and live a long life. The most common form of barcode printer in a retail or office industry is a desktop barcode printer allowing any sized company to print their own barcodes. Resolution capabilities can also differ between printers. The most popular resolutions are 203dpi (dots per inch), 305dpi or 600dpi. More detailed barcodes will require the higher resolution printers.

Barcode printers can also come with different interfaces and these can be specified. Usually printers will come with either serial or parallel interfaces although recently manufacturers have been offering the more modern option of a USB port. An Ethernet port can also be specified which means that the printer can be connected directly to a network. This means it is no longer necessary to use a PC as a print server.

Barcode printers are used by many industries including retail outlets, hospitals, laboratories, factories and so on. Barcode printers require additional components some of which need purchasing on a regular basis, such as print heads, ribbons and label stock.

There are a lot of companies that manufacture barcode printers; some of the most popular are Printronix, Zebra Technologies, Intermec, Datamax, Sato, TSC, Seiko, Citizen, Epson, Infosight, Microcom Corporation, Unimark, QuickLabelSystems, EcoLabel, Argox, Toshiba and Paxar.