Before choosing barcode software, it’s important to consider your needs—will you be using a few barcode fonts, or many, and what quantity will need to be printed? Also, what kind of vendor are you—small retail, or a high-volume seller?

When looking at software, it’s also important to consider what features are available and how they will benefit your business. First and foremost, consider the assortment of barcode fonts included in the software and make certain that the one(s) you need is included! Also, be sure to check compatibility, i.e., is your data import/export program (ex: excel) compatible with the barcode label software. Also, consider if you will need to include anything else besides the barcode on the label—does the software offer editing options such as color, size, orientation, or adding images? In addition, take into consideration the skill set of the person using the software; will they need an easy-to-use solution, or a highly advanced one? Most importantly, be sure that the software comes with plenty of help and support you need. While manufacturers sometimes provide support, if you’re looking for a full-service support system, it would be best to purchase your barcode label software from a value added reseller so that you are properly set-up and have 24/7 tier 1 and 2 support.

Now that you know what to consider when looking at barcode label software, let’s take a look at two of the most popular solutions out there; NiceForm and BarTender.

NiceForm Barcode Software by NiceLabel
NiceForm is a professional labeling software for desktop and enterprise users that provides an easy-to-use interface that integrates well with most Windows-based applications. NiceForm offers:

• Authentic Print Previews
• Database Tables
• Multiple Screen Applications
• Pre-defined Values and Data Control
• Label and Printer Type Selection (Optional)
• VB Scripting for advanced needs (Optional)
• Distributed Printing

BarTender Barcode Software by Seagull Scientific
BarTender is an easy-to-use, professional barcode label software program that includes powerful features required for compliance labels and integration with enterprise software. BarTender makes it easy to combine barcodes, text, and graphics into professional quality labels in minutes. BarTender features:

• Custom Component Library (for easy re-use)
• Drag and Drop Object Creation
• Drag and Drop Barcodes
• Extensive Barcode Font Library
• One-degree Object Rotation
• Industry Stock Database
• Industrial Graphic Symbols
• Bearer Bar Support for Interleaved 2-of-5 Symbology
• FREE Trial Version

To learn more, or to purchase barcode label software, click here.

There’s always some discussion as to whether or not RFID technology will replace barcodes. While I don’t think this will happen any time soon, it is interesting to see how some businesses make the switch. At the University of Florida (UF) Animal Care Services department, they recently upgraded from handheld barcode scanners to RFID technology, and here’s how:

The UF Animal Care Services department houses approximate 35,000 mice and 3,000 rats in over 11,000 cages. In order to complete rodent census reports and compose invoices, barcode scanners were used to read the barcode printed on an index card that was affixed to each cage, making it a timely endeavor to scan each and every cage. Not only was this way inefficient, but also prone to inaccuracies.

The department knew that they needed to optimize their processes and increase their efficiency and accuracy, but wasn’t sure how.

After doing some research, they discovered RFID technology from Intermec. The solution involved UHF Generation 2 RFID tags affixed to each cage and Intermec UHF readers in order to provide rapid and accurate tracking of each cage in real time.

Rather than going around and scanning each individual barcode, employees can simply roll a mobile RFID cart through the rooms. With the Intermec IF4 reader, power supply, and a WiFi connected laptop running a software application, real-time data was able to be collected for each and every cage in all of the rooms.

Since the UF department upgraded from a barcoding system to an RFID solution, they have enjoyed a great ROI, with a tremendous amount of savings in labor and improved employee morale.

While barcoding is an efficient way of automated data collection, RFID technology proved to me more efficient in this scenario. If you’re interested in upgrading your current barcode system to an RFID solution, you can find out more information here.

There’s now a passive, 125 kHz RFID system available that can track employee attendance, productivity, workflow, and more. The system, called RFIDat, features an LCD screen and a clock in/out button and can store up to 8,000 tag reads. While employees could wear or carry RFIDat, it can also be affixed to objects to see how long a task took to complete. An example of this would be affixing the tag to cars in a an auto repair shop and having the mechanic scan his system to it to see how long each took to work on. It could also be very helpful in a security setting to track which guards are at what locations at all times. Basically, any work setting that requires employees to be on the move could benefit from the RFIDat reader because it doesn’t need cables or external power to operate.

In addition, RFIDat offers software that includes a MySQL 5 database that can manage its communications and configurations, such as inputting and correlating employees’ names with the ID number of each RFIDat’s embedded RFID tag. The software also serves as a program for compiling and reviewing the data.

Would being able to track employee’s movements and productivity be helpful in your workplace?

The Intermec Integrated Shipping Label is an all in one label and packing slip that conveniently adheres to the outside of packages. The labels work particularly well for county of origin labeling. Starting March 31, 2009, food manufacturers and distributors will need to start clearly identifying the national origins of many products, in addition to providing corresponding records that go along with each shipment.

The Intermec Integrated Shipping Label allows manufacturers to easily identify the national origin because of its streamlined design, which prevents errors and reduces overall costs. Prior to the Intermec Integrated Shipping Label, manufacturers and distributors had to endure a long process in order to include all of the necessary information on their labels and packing slips. Since the Intermec Integrated Shipping Label combines the two, there’s just four simple steps:

• Print label and packing slip
• Peel label and packing slip
• Fold packing slip under label
• Apply to carton

With the Intermec Integrated Shipping Label, the road to efficiency is just steps away. Check out the video on how you can use Intermec Integrated Shipping Labels to your advantage:

If you would like more information on the Intermec Integratd Shipping Label, you can request it here.

It seems as though most everyone has there own version of the QR code these days; there’s JAGTAG, Microsoft Tag, Maxicode, Shotcode, Trillcode, and probably many others, but now, there’s also Z-Xing, prononounce Zebra Crossing and brought to us by Google.

In case you haven’t noticed, Google has practically taken over the online world, so it’s somewhat surprising that even their barcodes have not prevailed in an American society that has not fully adopted QR code technology. Google’s main goal with Z-Xing is to use camera phones for scanning their barcodes, without communicating with a server.

Currently, Z-Xing supports:

• UPC-A and UPC-E
• EAN-8 and EAN-13
• Code 39
• Code 128
• QR Code
• Data Matrix (‘alpha’ quality)
• ITF

For more information on Z-Xing, check out the Google Code page.