Bar Code Printers

Printing bar codes on a bar code printer permits accurate and fast recording of information so that work not only progresses quickly but tracking is also accurate. Bar codes reduce the amount of time spent tracking down the status of folders, materials, projects or other items within a business or organization. This not only saves time but allows you to respond to changes or inquiries. Unlike years ago, when taking inventory was a long drawn out process, labeling with bar code printers makes this chore fast and more efficient. Bar codes improve productivity, saving time, as it is far faster to print a bar code than to physically write down the necessary information. For large organizations, the time saved can be significant. There are also far fewer errors and the accuracy is greater using a bar code printer.

Technologies

Bar code printers come in many different types and are used for printing bar code tags or labels that you attach to objects, such as retail items and cartons. Two different types are inkjet printers and general-purpose laser printers, but these cannot directly print the barcodes. Printers that support multiple symbols are called thermal bar code printers. The two technologies most commonly employed are direct thermal printers and thermal transfer printers. The direct thermal printer generates heat using a print head, which then causes a chemical reaction that turns specially designed paper black, which prints the barcode onto the label. Thermal transfer printers use a ribbon plus a print head by heating the ribbon and etching the image onto the print head in predefined areas, creating long lasting images. This technique lets you print bar codes on a far wider assortment of materials than the direct thermal printer does. This is very important when deciding which bar code printer is most suited for your business. Bar code labels can be many different colors but most processes use black because the light colors often end up being almost unreadable due to insufficient contrast.

Options available

For individuals or small offices that only print the occasional bar code, an inexpensive SOHO barcode printer usually meets their needs. For large retail outlets, hospitals, factories or large companies that require speed and reliability, large batch bar code printers work the best but are more expensive. Portable bar code printers are not capable of printing large quantities but are great for small jobs. Many of the larger bar code printers can switch between thermal and direct thermal transfer but in a large manufacturing environment, the ribbon needs frequent changing, so using a direct thermal printer is more useful and faster, especially where speed is an issue. With the advanced technology available today, there are many security features available in bar code printers, to ensure that coding is not counterfeit.