Barcode labels can be very handy not only for large companies but for small businesses too. Many large commercial printers may not produce this type of labels in smaller quantities which can cause a problem for the small business owner. Nobody wants to spend more than necessary or be forced to waste many labels simply because they don’t actually need that many.
A barcode label enables an optical scanner called a barcode readers access the information of the product simply by scanning. Price and product info can be simply stored in the lines of the barcode and so can make selling products a lot easier and less time consuming and is also valuabke in the tracking of items. Barcodes are used extensively worldwide and the technology behind them are constantly developing and improving. Barcode scanners are relatively low cost and extremely accurate.
When you require a barcode for a product You must register with your national article numbering body (GS1UK in the UK, the GS1US in the USA). They will then give you a company code number and a range of product code numbers. The numbers that you receive (Global Trade Item Numbers) will form the data for the barcodes. Without these, the barcodes you create will not be recognised when the products are scanned. There are different types of barcodes. EAN is common in Europe, JAN is in Japan and UPC is in the USA. You can buy EAN barcodes online
When you have your barcode numbers, you will need to transfer this information on to your products. With some products it will be possible to print it directly on to the item, but barcode labels are an easy alternative if this isn’t possible. The label can then be added securely to the product, and easily removed when necessary.
If you only require a relatively small number of barcode labels (500+), it is likely that a small label printer will be able to help. A simple search online will reveal different printers that may be suitable. When choosing, try to look for a user-friendly website, one that gives you plenty of details and one that does print the type of barcode labels that you require. Make sure the website is secure and that you feel comfortable and reassured that you are buying what you require.