Barcode label printer

Bar codes improve data management significantly, and almost every business
is using very advanced versions of this technology today. Bar codes speed up
data collection considerably by storing significant amounts of data
digitally in small black lines that can be easily machine-read. Better
printing technology, label materials, scanning systems and wireless
communication systems have made bar codes even more indispensable
.

Bar code label printers are generally the most common dot matrix, laser, and
ink jet and thermal printers. Dot matrix printers are one of the oldest
printers used for printing bar codes. In these printers, the lines are built
dot-by-dot as a solenoid-driven needle strikes an ink ribbon, transferring
the ink to the paper. These printers are inexpensive, can print any form and
are easily accessible. However, the quality dot matrix printer is
unacceptable today. Ink jet printers are one of the most commonly used
printers, especially for high-speed applications. They can also be used to
print directly onto a carton where a label has already been affixed.

However, they are suitable for only high-speed printing and may not be very
cost-effective for small-scale bar code printing operations. Ink jet
clogging, limited barcode resolution, “bleeding” ink, and poor contrasts are
some of the disadvantages. Laser printers are quite good as far as the
quality of the print is concerned. They have very good resolutions and can
scan quite well. However, they cannot effectively print smaller labels. The
adhesive on the labels has to be good enough to take the heat and pressure
from the printer as most label adhesive tend to melt. Thermal printers for
bar coding are of two types: direct printing and thermal transfer.

Bar code printers have to be analyzed on the basis of: quality of the print,
readability, initial installation cost, speed, long-term maintenance cost,
materials waste. Each of these printers has different results. Thermal label
printers score well on all aspects except for material waste. They are most
suitable for applications that have variable data fields, point-of
application systems, varying label sizes, graphical and scalable text fonts,
and high-definition bar codes. They are also compact, quiet, and have lower
operating costs.

Today, there are special bar code label printers available with various
options like different print modes, label cutter, liner take-up, peel,
rewind, tear, real-time clock (for printing time and expiration dates);
alerts for maintenance; portability, compatibility with parallel; serial,
USB, wired or wireless Ethernet, twinax or coax cables; memory for storing
frequently used data; font options like styles and colors; multi-lingual
options; sensors and many more. These printers are also compatible with
different sizes and materials of labels, including water-resistant, fabric
or acrylic.

Prices of bar code label printers start at $300 for a basic printer and may
go beyond $3000 for one with all the works. Most of them come with all the
required software and tools.

A label printer is a computer printer that
prints on self-adhesive label material. Thanks to
www.wetpluto.com/Thermal-Label-Printers.html