If your company needs to print

barcode labels and you have decided to handle the job in-house, you will
need to choose from the wide variety of available
barcode printers. With all the
different options available, making a decision can be complicated. Although
ones needs will vary based upon the nature of their business, all barcode
printers should be capable of handling two basic requirements. What should
barcode printers do? Let us take a look.

First, all barcode printers should be able to produce readable labels that
measure up to industry specifications. In other words, they should print a clear
barcode label that can be read by scanners. The text portions of the label
should be clearly legible and easily read by human eyes--including any numerical
sequences accompanying the barcode.

Second, all barcode printers should be able to produce those labels repeatedly
and consistently. Although even a lightweight home printer can produce a barcode
label in a pinch, their ability to do so accurately and reliably in volume is
limited. Commercial barcode printers must be able to print the label repeatedly
with a very high level of accuracy and very few errant attempts.

Remember, those two basic requirements are merely prerequisites for an adequate
barcode printer. Barcode printers that meet the simple two-pronged test are not
created equally. Ones choice among barcode printers will be influenced by size,
cost, system compatibility and a host of other considerations. One should not
assume that any clear-printing reliable product will be the right choice for
their unique situation.

However, if a printer is unable to meet both of those requirements it should be
immediately dismissed from ones list of potential bar code printers. If a
printer cannot consistently and accurately produce highly readable labels, it
should be kept as far away from an operation as possible. The costs of using a
poorly designed printer will far outweigh any savings realized during the
initial purchase.