Barcoding Guide
Your quick guide to barcodes and its related technology
A Quick History of Barcodes
Barcode technology is an old but reliable way of managing inventories. First
invented in 1952 by Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver, Barcoding
was widely adapted for commercial use by the early sixties, and though
technology has transformed many commercial processes by leaps and bounds
over the decades, bar coding remains the best and most popular way to keep
track of products through data.
Put simply, bar codes are a
machine-readable piece of data
that describes something—a
product, a loading dock, a storage
area. Whatever you need it to
describe, barcodes can do it, then
relay it back to you through a simple
scanner.
Megastores like Home Depot rely
on barcodes not only to keep track
of inventory and purchasing, but
also to figure out where items live
within the store. A business as large
as Home Depot can’t just rely on
employee memory to assist their customers; it needs the depend on barcodes
to help.
With the advent, and subsequent proliferation, of smart
phones, QR Codes have become increasingly popular in
recent years. These codes are often used to acknowledge
coupons or recognize your rewards membership without
the need to pull out your wallet or keychain tag. Loss
prevention is also an area in which barcodes can help.
Everywhere you look, businesses use barcodes to make
their jobs more efficient and easier.
Bar Code Labeling Guide www.creativesafetysupply.com/guides | 1-877-356-6584
Barcodes in Industrial Settings
While retail businesses like department stores and supermarkets are what most
people think of when they think of barcodes, manufacturers make use of barcode
technology, too. Here are some of the most common uses of technology in
industrial settings:
Machine Tagging – tagging machines with barcodes makes it easy to locate
equipment and manage when maintenance is needed.
Package Sorting – barcodes make sorting packages easy and headache-free.
Shipping companies like FedEx are able to sort, deliver, and track parcels thanks
to bar coding technology.
Time Tracking – Many companies have transitioned to using barcoding to track
employees’ time In lieu of the loud, antiquated punch clock.
Access Control – Companies with restricted access areas use barcode technology
to either grant or deny access through the code on an employee’s ID badge.
Bar Code Labeling Guide www.creativesafetysupply.com/guides | 1-877-356-6584
Making Barcodes
Companies that want to implement barcoding into their facility need to have a
way to print bar codes. It’s possible to get pre-printed barcodes, but this process
is slow and often requires large, sometimes cost-prohibitive purchases. For
most companies, purchasing an industrial label printer is a more cost-effective
solution than ordering pre-printed barcodes.
LabelTac® industrial label printers are the best printing solution available. The
printers in the LabelTac® line are built for mobility and longevity, and it comes
with intuitive, world-class LabelSuite™ label making software. The software
makes it easy to create barcodes, OSHA-compliant labels, and so much more.
No matter its intended purpose, Barcode technology makes your job easier.
Bar Code Labeling Guide www.creativesafetysupply.com/guides | 1-877-356-6584
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Making Barcodes with LabelSuite™
LabelSuite™ Makes Barcoding Simple
Creating barcoding systems for your inventory has never been simpler, thanks to the
intuitive, easy-to-use LabelSuite™ software that comes free with all LabelTac® industrial
printers. Follow the steps below to create the barcodes you need.
Making 1D Barcodes
Within the Barcodes tab of LabelSuite™ is the Barcode Generator. From here, you can
add various barcode formats to your label template. Supported barcode formats include:
Code 128, Code 39, EAN- 13, EAN-8, and UPC-A. Once a barcode has been inserted into
your label canvas, you can edit its advanced options by highlighting the barcode, then
selecting the Barcode tab from the LabelSuite™ Toolbar.
Adding a Barcode
Starting from a blank label template, navigate to the INSERT tab and select the
Barcode dropdown.
Making Barcodes with LabelSuite™ www.creativesafetysupply.com/labelsuite/ | 1-877-356-6584
Choose a barcode format from the dropdown menu.
Resize and change the location of the barcode on your label by left clicking
and dragging on the dotted outline of the selected barcode.
Editing a Barcode
With the barcode selected, click FORMAT on the menu bar.
Click on the blue Barcode Data button and edit the content of the barcode.
Use the addtional controls on the menu bar to further edit the barcode to your needs.
You can change the font, font size, and weight. You can also change the location of the
human readable data so it appears above or below the barcode, as well as the spacing
between the two elements.
Making Barcodes with LabelSuite™ www.creativesafetysupply.com/labelsuite/ | 1-877-356-6584
Making QR Codes
QR Codes (2D barcodes) can include more data than 1D barcodes. They can also be
scanned by smartphones to open a URL. Making and editing QR codes using LabelSuite™
is the same as with 1D barcodes.
Select the BARCODE option and then QR Code from the dropdown. Type in the text you
want to use.
Resize and change the location of the QR Code on your label by left clicking and dragging
on the dotted outline of the selected barcode.
Linking to a Database
Using your data program (MS Excel, for example), set up a spreadsheet with the data you
want to use (be sure to save as .csv Comma Delimited). Our labels will have 2 fields. The
header names will be used to help set up the template in LabelSuite™.
Making Barcodes with LabelSuite™ www.creativesafetysupply.com/labelsuite/ | 1-877-356-6584
In LabelSuite™, create a new label with the 2 fields. Insert a text box for the
DESCRIPTION field and then make a barcode using the barcode generator.
Style the label using the text and barcode formatting options.
Left click on a text box on the label to select it.
In the FORMAT tab, click the blue Data source button and then the IMPORT NEW DATA
button. LabelSuite™ will help search and import the spreadsheet you want to use.
Pro tip:
Embedding spreadsheet into template means the template saves that information so you can
share template with data already imported
Making Barcodes with LabelSuite™ www.creativesafetysupply.com/labelsuite/ | 1-877-356-6584
In the DATA SOURCE OPTIONS window, choose Preserve external file linking in the
Embed options dropdown. Make sure the Data source columns have header labels
button is checked. Click DONE to close this window.
Left click on the barcode field on your label to select it. In the FORMAT tab, select
Barcode Data and click the Data file button.
Select the column you want to use from the Data column dropdown. Click DONE.
This wireless barcode
scanner has great range
and is simple to use.
Wireless Barcode Scanner
Making Barcodes with LabelSuite™ www.creativesafetysupply.com/labelsuite/ | 1-877-356-6584
Select the remaining field on the label template by left clicking. Click Barcode Data
from the FORMAT tab. In the window that opens, click the Data file and Generate
from data file buttons.
In the window that opens, select your spreadsheet from the Available data file field.
Select the data you want to use from the Data column dropdown. and then click
DONE to close the window.
Your data-filled labels have now been created.
To adjust range and other printing options, click the PRINT tab, then select Print preview.
Making Barcodes with LabelSuite™ www.creativesafetysupply.com/labelsuite/ | 1-877-356-6584
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