5 Tips for Maximizing Your Barcode Sticker Printer

For small retailer and home businesses, you must have a barcode sticker printer to print product and SKU barcodes, custom packaging stickers and shipping labels. So how to max using your barcode sticker printer? To maximize the utilization of your barcode sticker printer, here are five crucial tips you should not overlook.

Select Appropriate Label Materials and Ribbons

1. Label Material: Choose label materials that match the environment where they’ll be used. For example, synthetic materials like polyester are suitable for harsh conditions, while paper labels are sufficient for indoor use.

2. Ribbons: For thermal transfer barcode printers, select ribbons that complement your label material and suit your durability requirements.

For instance, when using a barcode sticker printer to print PET labels for homemade skincare products, it is essential to choose a resin-based ribbon.

Optimize Barcode Design

If you plan to create barcode stickers for your products and packaging, consider several important aspects.

Select a barcode symbology that suits your business needs. For example, UPC barcodes are standard for retail, while QR codes are excellent for adding more information or linking to digital content.

Design barcodes with adequate size and resolution to remain scannable. Ensure there’s sufficient quiet zone (white space) around each barcode.

Additionally, use high contrast colors for the barcode and its background to enhance readability. The most effective combination is black bars on a white background. Avoid colors that scanners find difficult to read, such as reds and oranges.

Utilize Pre-Designed Label Templates

Most barcode sticker printers come with bundled software. For example, iDPRT barcode printers are equipped with the free Label Designer software, which includes a wide range of free pre-designed label templates relevant to various industries such as food retail, apparel and jewelry, and express logistics.

Using these pre-designed label templates makes label design simpler and printing faster.

The iDPRT label editing software can be used on both desktop and mobile devices, and saved label templates are stored permanently in the cloud, ready to be accessed and used at any time.

Strategic Label Placement and Orientation

Place barcodes on accessible, flat surfaces to avoid scanning difficulties. Avoid curved or textured surfaces.

Test barcode orientation to ensure it is readable by scanners, adjusting between vertical (ladder) and horizontal (picket fence) orientations as needed.

Regular Maintenance

Clean the print head regularly with a lint-free cloth and isopropyl alcohol to prevent debris buildup that can cause print defects. Promptly replace any worn-out parts like rollers and ribbons to maintain optimal print quality.

By adhering to these tips, you can maximize the efficiency and reliability of your barcode sticker printer, and it would produce high-quality stickers and labels that meet the needs of your business.

iDPRT caters to small businesses with a wide range of barcode printers, printing everything from shipping labels and address labels to product tags, warehousing barcodes, and packaging labels. Explore our diverse selection of models, competitively priced to meet your needs. Bulk purchases are welcome!