Barcodes don’t have to be printed onto a product when it is manufactured, they can also be printed on labels which can be stuck onto a product at a later date. The black lines that you see on a barcode label are converted into alphanumeric data when read by a barcode scanner.

Barcode labels can be used to track parcels, shipments and deliveries. They are also used to categorise goods and organise stock in warehouses. Offices use barcode technology to keep their files and folders organised. The most common place where barcodes are used however is in the retail market, where it is important to track goods which have been sold.

Some companies like to tag their valuable assets, which would otherwise cost the company a great deal of money if they were to be misplaced or stolen. The assets which are most commonly tracked include infrastructure and machinery, expensive medical items, computers and electronic equipment, vehicles and construction equipment, furniture and ancillary office items.

Asset tags are used by companies who want to keep a record of their property. Data collected might include an asset’s condition, the date which it was purchased, if it is under warranty and most importantly the name of its owner. A barcode may or may not be featured on an asset tag, for most asset tags a number will suffice.

Posted in Asset Tags, Barcode Labels by Grahame

Security labels come in different shapes, sizes and types. They are best suited for product branding, authentication and counterfeit protection. They keep your property safe and are easily identifiable so you know if the property has been tampered with. Security labels help track your assets and safeguard them. The chances of objects being misplaced are greatly reduced if you have security labels on them.

Security labels come in various types, so you can choose whichever suits your specific needs. They are also available with a range of budgets in mind, making them suitable for small and large businesses alike. There are even3D holograms available, alongside normal holographic labels and embedded barcode labels. Customised labels can also be printed if you need your brand name on the label.

Security labels are very good when it comes to durability, moisture resistance and temperature control. They are available with the option of text, graphics, barcodes and numbering. They are used on valuable items like electronic gadgets and computer products.

Security labels help you to establish your proprietary rights and enable you to easily identify objects that rightly belong to you.

Posted in Security Labels by Geoff

Kettering General Hospital has come up with a new system which prints barcode labels for newborn babies. Under the scheme, the hospital gives a heel prick barcode label and barcode wristband to all babies within a few hours of their birth.

The heel prick barcode label is added to the red baby book, which is given to the parents to take home. The barcode wristband is attached to the baby’s ankle or wrist in the same way the hand written one was attached in the past.

The hospital has previously said that the National Patient Safety Agency and the UK Newborn Screening Programme asked them to introduce barcode labels.

A spokesperson said that they are not the first Trust to use these bands for babies, but they may be the first who combines the bands with heel prick barcode labels.

The barcode labels contain important information about the baby to which they are attached, such as the baby’s name, date of birth, sex, NHS number and mother’s name. Compared to hand written bands, these barcode labels are more reliable and informative. It is hoped that this new scheme will help reduce potential errors which may occur.

Posted in Barcode Labels by Geoff

There are a few different types of asset labels that companies can use to keep a track and check on their assets. Keeping a track of your assets can stop the costs associated with replacing lost items and can also go some way to prevent theft.

Standard barcode labels

A barcode is a readable image, made up of thin black lines of different thicknesses separated by spaces of different thicknesses. A barcode reader can read this information and can then download it to a central database, which is subsequently updated with the new information. Barcodes can also be printed on stickers and then these stickers affixed on your stock items.

Custom barcode labels

Barcode labels can be customised, adding to their many different types of use. A label can have a logo or a company name added to it, which can really help with brand recall. These labels are perfect for third party companies, whose job is to affix items with aftermarket barcode labels.

There are many different types of barcode labels available which can be used in a variety of environments. From labels which simply stick onto a product, to labels which are made of vinyl or aluminium which are extremely durable.

Posted in Barcode Labels by Geoff

Although asset labels and being used more frequently in industry, they are still not used with the frequency they should be by commercial establishments.

The assets you own are an important part of your business, and if you have a large business which covers more than one site, it’s easy for some of these assets to be lost or misplaced.

Every asset you own has a monetary value, even it is only pence. And when all these are added together they are normally worth a great deal of money. Money, which if lost or forgotten, or if not used, can have a negative impact on your business. It’s because of this that every firm should start to use asset tags on each and every asset they own, so information about all the assets can be kept on a central database.

Asset tagging office items

If you put an asset tag or an asset label on every office item you own, you can not only keep a check on the items, you can also keep a database of each item and when it was last checked.

Having all your items recorded on central database can save you time and money, and let your workforce keep up to date with all the latest advances in equipment.

Posted in Asset Tags by Grahame

Checking stock and inventory levels is a prerequisite in many businesses where assets are hugely important. This is especially so in warehouses and in retail stores, where the stock these types of business carry can mean the difference between them succeeding or failing.

Managing the stock in a warehouse or a retail store is usually done when the business has ceased trading for the day. A member of the team will check the stock items against a database to make sure all stock is accounted for, so new stock can be ordered. The information gained from this can lead the business to choose which stock is selling quickly, and so is making the company money, and which stock is performing poorly and hence is not providing sufficient through-put levels.

If a company does not know what is in stock, it can result in a compete breakdown of business operations and be a cause for embarrassment for the company when they tell clients they have a certain product in stock but they were actually out of stock a number of days ago.

Doing stock takes couldn’t happen without barcode technology. Because all stock items have a barcode label, the stock taker can scan each item in turn, so the stock figures are updated on the central database. This makes stock taking easier, quicker and much more efficient than the manual methods once used.

Posted in Barcode Labels by Geoff

Barcode labels are now used for a variety of purposes. We commonly see barcodes on just about every grocery item we purchase. The label acts as a product identifier and is scanned at the checkout to calculate a total price of goods and also to reduce the stock quota for that item from the seller’s inventory by one item.

It can be seen then that in retail, barcode labels have a long future ahead of them. However, they don’t just have to be used in a retail environment. They can also be used in industry for specific heavy duty applications.

In industry a more durable label is needed so that it can withstand the rigours of being used in such an environment. Durable barcode labels for use in industrial applications can operate at temperatures down as low as -40°C and over +150°C. Most of these labels also use a semi permanent or permanent adhesive also so that they can be affixed to a host of different substrates. So where an inferior quality label might peel off a surface or a standard label may become tarnished quite quickly an industrial barcode label will be able to be used for years to come.

Posted in Barcode Labels by Geoff

In an environment where dirt, dust and grime can just about render most things unusable, you need some sort of labelling method which won’t be hindered by its surroundings.

Many warehouses have environments in which most labelling products simply aren’t up to the job. Labels fall off, stock is misplaced and labels are easily damaged. To stop this from happening and so you can keep a definitive check on what materials you have in stock, you need to use a label which will adhere permanently to the pallet and last as long as the pallet does.

Pallet barcode labels are made from 3M white or silver polyester and when affixed to the pallet remain in situ for as long as is needed. The labels are wipable so dirt and debris can be removed and the printed image won’t fade or discolour.

Other labels used in factories, which need a more permanent labelling solution, include container barcode labels. These labels can be attached to just about any surface including polyethylene and polypropylene and the over-lamination on the surface of the labels means they are very durable and hard wearing.

Posted in Custom labels by Grahame

Many companies now use different types of labels for asset tagging and barcode tagging. One type of company in particular makes good use of these types of labels, which they use on a range of different equipment.

Portable appliance testing companies use asset labels and barcode labels all the time. They affix these labels to all the products they test so that the product can be found and identified easily in the future.

The electrical portable appliances that a company owns need to be tested on a frequent basis to check for safety. This includes things such as computers, desk lamps and in factories things such as portable drills and floor cleaning machines. To distinguish between all these different types of equipment at the many clients’ sites, the portable appliance testing company use barcode labels or asset tags. When they come to test the device in the future they thus have a previous record of the device.

Portable appliance companies which have some brand awareness know that as well as having a barcode or a number on the asset tag, it’s also really important to have the testing company’s name on the tag or label as well as a contact number. If the testing company is then needed in the future the brand recall will help earn repeat business.

Posted in Asset Tags, Barcode Labels by Grahame

We all want the latest hi tech equipment and because of this there is a huge market for the latest gadgets and gizmos. Whether it’s the latest phone or the most up-to-date computer, we always have to stay one step ahead of our friends. The problems with owing this type of equipment however is that on occasion things go wrong and a fault can develop with the device.

The repair of technological gadgets now creates a great deal of revenue for third party businesses worldwide. The manufacturers of this equipment don’t want third-parties opening up their technology however, they want to repair broken devices themselves so to protect the patent and the technology within the device.

Because the chances of opening a phone or a computer part are quite high, manufacturers of these types of equipment now use security tags and security labels on their products.

There are a couple of popularly used types of security labels currently available:

Tamper evident labels break into pieces when removed from a device. They are usually fitted over a manufacturing seam so if a device is opened the label is broken. The other type of security label that is currently available is the void label. When this label is removed from a device the word void remains on the device, showing that the device has been tampered with.

Posted in Security Labels by Geoff