Any business, organization or enterprise that relies on barcodes for keeping track of inventory will need an easy-to-use, reliable barcode printer. While standard, everyday inkjet and laser printers usually require an add-on component to print barcodes, thermal printers have the ability to produce barcodes immediately. There are a wide variety of thermal barcode printers to choose from, but for many businesses, the choice is clear: Zebra barcode printers have become, for many, the industry standard of effective, affordable barcode printers. Whether your barcode printing needs are heavy or modest, you can find the Zebra barcode printer that’s right for you.

Examining the Two Types of Barcode Printers
There are two basic methods of printing barcodes: The first is called Thermal Transfer, and the second is Direct Thermal. Thermal transfer users a ribbon and a print head to print barcodes on a wide variety of materials. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the printing process, thermal transfer printers require constant ribbon changes, making them an ineffective choice for those requiring larger quantities of barcodes. Direct thermal, on the other hand, prints the barcode directly on the label; this method is much faster and doesn’t require changing ribbons as with thermal transfer printers. Some larger printers come equipped with the ability to switch between the two different types, lending them an element of versatility not present in less sophisticated printers.

Choosing Zebra Barcode Printers for Your Barcode Printing Needs
Zebra barcode printers are the ideal solution for the business or organization that needs to print large quantities of barcodes in a short span of time. The Zebra name has long been associated with speed and functionality when it comes to barcode printers. Zebra makes many exciting models of barcode printers; one recent offering, the Zebra S4M Barcode Printer, features a side loading print head, various memory options and a high level of user satisfaction. The S4M Zebra Barcode Printer is cost-effective and perfect for a semi-industrial settings ranging from manufacturing and transportation to healthcare and postal services. Additionally, Zebra barcode printers are made in the United States, making it easy to find replacement parts and knowledgeable service technicians.

Zebra Barcode Printers are Versatile and Reliable
Whether you are looking for a small desktop printer, a printer better suited to a light industrial or commercial environment, or a heavy industrial printer made to withstand continuous use, Zebra barcode printers are perfect for all of your barcode printing needs. Their versatility, reliability and ease of use have been them leaders in the industry and, for many, the final word in quality barcode printers.

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Barcode scanners are an invaluable tool for businesses of all types and sizes. These scanners are used to “read” barcodes on products; they can access your central computer system, call up the details of the item scanned, and add the cost of the item to a customer’s bill while simultaneously keeping your inventory up-to-date – in seconds! After installing stock control software on your computer system and making sure each item in your inventory has been labeled with its own unique barcode, you’re ready to choose the barcode scanners for your business. But which type of barcode scanner should you choose? A careful examination of the three main types of barcode scanners is necessary before making a decision.

Choose Wand Barcode Scanners for Maximum Affordability
Wand barcode scanners – also known as pen-type scanners – are the most affordable option. These scanners emit light, which reflects off the barcode and is later decoded by the computer system. Their price is usually anywhere from 1/5th to 1/10th the cost of more sophisticated barcode scanners. However, they do have their drawbacks. First of all, the wand must be kept in direct contact with the barcode while scanning. Second, the wand must be held at a precise angle relative to the barcode, and slid across at precisely the right speed. And third, this type of barcode scanner has serious limitation when it comes to resolution, which means that many wand scanners are unable to read barcodes with very fine resolutions. If your business is very small or brand new, you may be able to get away with this type of barcode scanner; otherwise, you should consider a CCD or laser scanner.

CCD Scanners Offer Greater Versatility at a Relatively Low Cost
CCD, or charged coupled device, scanners are easier to use and more versatile than wand scanners. They cost more than the wand scanners, but are still roughly 1/3rd of the cost of a laser scanner. Basically, CCD barcode scanners photograph the barcode and then send it into the computer, where it is digitized and decoded. As with the wand scanner, CCD scanners require direct contact with the barcode, but there is no movement required to read the code: Simply press the CCD scanner against the barcode and pull the trigger. These barcode scanners are ideal for the business that wants to scan inventory quickly and easily, but may not have the money to invest in a laser scanner.

Laser Barcode Scanners Provide Speed, Ease and Accuracy
Laser barcode scanners may sport the biggest price tag of the three types of scanners, but for the business seeking speed and ease of use, they’re certainly worth the cost. Laser scanners use a beam of light to quickly scan the barcode and automatically decode the information. Unlike the other types of barcode scanners, no contact between the scanner and the barcode is required. This type of scanner is a very popular choice in stores, particularly in grocery stores, where the laser scanners are usually embedded in a conveyor system, or in retail stores where clerks and sales personnel must quickly and accurately check out customers. Laser scanners can also read barcodes from any angle or surface – even rounded surfaces, which can confound wand and CCD scanners. Unfortunately, their lenses make them easier to damage, so if you’re planning to use the scanner in an outdoors or warehouse setting, you may want to choose a more durable type of scanner, such as the CCD scanner.

Barcode Scanners for Every Need
Essentially, when purchasing barcode scanners, keep in mind that the type you need depends largely upon the nature of your industry and the pace of your work environment. There is truly a barcode scanner suitable for every need, from desktop or handheld scanners to portable and even wireless models. Examine your options carefully and you can find the barcode scanners that are right for you!

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Many companies throughout the world use bar codes in their day to day operations. This requires the use of a printer to print the bar codes, also known as bar code printing, so that scanners can read the bar codes in order to improve data management. Bar code printers are not a special type of printer. Most laserjet and inkjet printers on the market today can be set to print bar codes. This easy to implement technology has given business worldwide an effective tool to use in their enterprise.

Thermal Bar Code Printers

To be able to effectively and accurately print bar codes, a set of special fonts might need to be uploaded to the printer in order for it to be able to print.  A more cost effective solution is to purchase a thermal bar code printer that has all of these features built in. Since bar codes contain many different symbolgies, making a regular printer print them can be a headache and time consuming task. By using a bar code printer, you can effectively reprint a wide range of bar codes. Because bar codes are comprised of many small “bars”, it requires the use of a printer that can effectively print them without any loss of resolution or smearing. If this were to occur, and it usually does with regular printers, the bar code is not effective and ends up not being read by the bar code scanner.  A rejected bar code means losss of income and time as many companies will reject product that have unreadable bar codes on them.

Print Heads

Another reason bar code printers are worth the investment is that the print heads are manufactured to print bar codes as opposed to documents, and the printers themselves are made to print using heavier label papers used in bar code labeling. Bar code printers are also made to withstand industrial environments where most bar coding takes place.

Bar code printers typically have larger memory built in to accommodate all of the different types of symbologies used in bar coding.  All of this is stored on-board the printer as opposed to conventional printers that use much of the computer’s memory. This allows for faster bar code printing.

Bar code printers also function like normal printers and will not produce any special requirements for your IT department to address as the technology and architecture are virtually the same. Bar code printers have the same outputs: USB, parallel, firewire, etc. and can be linked up to your enterprise computer network the same way as any other conventional printer.

Wireless Bar Code Printing

Another important aspect of bar code printers is that they are also manufactured to be wireless and portable. This means that bar codes can be printed on the fly from anywhere in the enterprise making it much more efficient and cost effective.

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