Barcodes have become essential in many industries. Best barcode labels have become indispensible in industries, such as logistics, trade and manufacturing. These best quality barcode labels help in speeding up the process of data collection for these industries. It helps in controlling the entire system and also helps in preventing errors related to inputs. But for these effects, the barcode labels should be of such quality that the barcode scanners and the cameras are able to read the barcodes easily without committing any errors.
You should follow the following tips to get the best barcode quality:
- You must take care of not violating the Quiet Zones. It helps the scanners to accurately recognize the beginning and the end of the code. This Quite Zone is a sufficiently large White Area around every barcode. This area must be at least five times the width of the narrowest bar. You must make sure that even rthe finishing work, such as lamination etc must not disturb this quiet zone.
- Your Printing work must be of high contrast. This makes the bar scanner capture the barcodes easily. You should avoid light color barcodes on light colored backgrounds or dark color barcodes on dark colored backgrounds. You should avoid color combinations such as Red and White or Black on Blue. The best barcode color combination is black on white. The background should not be transparent in any case.
- You should always choose Matte surface for your barcode labels. You will never be able to produce a high quality barcode label on a Glossy surface. Glossy materials such as lacquered cardboard, aluminum cans, or film papers are not right for scanner readability. These surface disturb the readability by reflecting the infrared light emitted by the scanner or by diffusing it too much. It is always best for you to print the barcode labels by reversing the colors. Print the White gaps instead of printing the black lines and you will produce the best quality barcode labels.
- You must be cautious of ensuring proper printing quality. Any damaged part of the barcode label makes it unreadable by the scanners or by the cameras. You should try using Thermal Transfer Direct Prints, if you are using a label printer. These are more durable than Direct Thermal Prints as, the label papers are sensitive to heat and light and it can be abrased. If the nozzles and the heating elements are dirty or damaged, the printer itself can reduce the printing quality. You can also try a two dimensional barcode type that is far less complicated than the linear barcode type.
- You must be always within the specified standards. The barcode labels printed by you must be accepted by all other companies throughout the supply chain, possibly all over the world. Your barcodes must meet certain rules that determines the quality of barcode printing. The height, color and the background of the barcodes are also determined by these rulings. It also determines the position of the label or on the packaging. These guidelines are provided by organizations such as GS 1, for global developments and standardizations of barcodes. the barcode labels should be of such quality that the barcode scanners and the cameras are able to read the barcodes easily without committing any errors. It also provides guidelines, tools and other services related to barcodes.
- Your barcodes must be easily accessible. It must not be covered or obscured. The scanners should be able to scan the barcode easily. Your barcodes should be free from dirt, buckling or from any other risks of damages.
These are few of the invaluable tips to help you produce the best quality barcode labels.
