Barcodes: More than just Lines and Spaces

Barcodes are the series of black lines seen on labels and tags attached to merchandise and tangible products found in the market place. The parallel lines also have some numbers written below them, which give them a unique identity. These barcodes are generated by specialized software and another set of software is needed to read the information that is connected to the barcodes. Barcodes can be read by barcode scanners or barcode readers.

A barcode printer is a computer peripheral that prints the barcodes, which are then stuck as labels on to merchandise ready for sale. The barcode is simply the product’s identity and has all the relevant information about the product including the price. The barcode scanner picks up identifies the barcode and in the process displays all the information on the invoice, which is the price and a brief description. This makes the cashier’s job easy and quick.

Barcode printers are used by many commercial organizations that need barcodes as part of their work. These printers are lightweight and easy to use, and could either be direct thermal printers or thermal transfer label printer. Both differ in the method of printing barcodes. Direct thermal printers need special thermal paper that reacts to the heat generated by the printhead and a series of parallel black lines appear on the heated area. Thermal transfer printers on the other hand, need a print ribbon and the heat generated by the printer causes a reaction that melts a substance on to the ribbon and when it glides over the label the heat transfers the ink on to the paper label.

Barcode printers are produced according to the usage of the printers. Thus there are large printers meant for large industrial houses that need to print thousands of labels for the products that are ready for sale. They are fast, can store large quantities of paper and last longer than regular barcode printers. However they require more space as well. The space constraint makes smaller businesses with lesser barcode printing requirements opt for desktop barcode printers which also have a limited printing capacity. Therefore, they vary in price as well.

Barcode printers are available with other office equipment in retail outlets or specialized brand outlets or can even be picked up at liquidation sales. The decision to buy one must go hand in hand with an analysis of the business requirements and the budget allotted for the printer.