When it comes to proof of delivery (POD) documents, invoices, payment receipts, pick lists and other documents, choosing the right materials to print them on is of the utmost importance.

Direct thermal paper is much different than standard paper—it contains chemicals that allow the paper to produce an image once heat is applied, and there are many different formulations to choose from. While the materials may look the same, the chemical consistency of the material affects its resistance to external factors, such as moisture and heat. In fact, there are many factors that should be taken into consideration when choosing thermal paper to best suite your needs.

Heat
When temperatures exceed 140˚ F, direct thermal materials will chemically react and become unreadable. If documents are left in vehicles, where the internal temperature can reach 150˚F in the summer, special consideration needs to be taken. Some thermal materials are formulated to withstand higher temperatures, so think about how and where you will be using them before choosing.

Moisture
If your documents will be exposed to moisture, either because they are issued outdoors or will be stored in a humid area, it’s important to select paper with additional moisture resistance or a synthetic material.

Thickness
Thicker paper is generally more durable and perceived to be higher quality, but the thicker the material, the less of it there is per roll, resulting in fewer documents that can be printed before needing to change the roll. Consider how often staff will be able to take the time to change the roll vs. your desired level of thickness.

Archivability
If you are going to need to store and reference documents for a long period of time, you need to choose a durable paper and store it under the proper conditions.

Topcoating
While all thermal papers have a basecoat and a thermal coat, not all have a topcoat, which provides an extra layer of protection. They can even be formulated to provide protection against specific things, such as water, sunlight or humidity.

Once you decide where your document will need to be and what it will need to be exposed to, you can choose a material that will best suite your needs. Zebra Technologies offers a large selection of thermal materials, both paper and synthetic that will be able to support all of your documents’ needs. Learn more about their product offering.

Direct Part Marking began in the late 1980’s as a result of NASA being able to apply barcodes to aerospace equipment that would not affect performance. From there, barcodes started being directly applied to parts in the automotive and aircraft industries.

Typically, the DataMatrix 2D barcode or a QR code is used for the direct part marking. With direct part marking, barcode labels are not needed, which could be beneficial in settings where extreme temperatures are reached and special barcode labels would be needed.

In order to mark a barcode directly onto a surface, they are printed via laser imprinting, dot peening, or ink jet depending on the surface material.

Deciding between barcode labels or direct part marking? Contact us to see which barcode printing solution is best for your application.

Not all barcodes are created equal, and that’s a fact. Depending on what the need is, different barcode symbologies need to be used. But, what you may not know, is that barcodes that need to survive in high temperatures (500+ degrees F), can easily become damaged unless the proper labels are used.

When barcodes printed on regular labels are exposed to high temperatures, they can easily shrink, peel, crack, or even become discolored. Any of these effects could easily distort the barcode, preventing it from being properly scanned. In addition, the adhesive on the back of the barcode needs to be able to resist high temperatures.

Depending on how high of a temperature and when your barcode label will be exposed to it, a laminate may be needed. However, if your barcode is going to be exposed to both high and low labels, it’s important to choose a material that can handle this.

By choosing the proper barcode label for your application, data loss can be prevented. Learn which barcode label is best for you.

Scientists from Spain’s Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and their colleagues from the Spanish National Research Council, have successfully developed an identification system with barcoded embryos. Scientists physically tagged mouse embryos and oocytes (egg cells) with microsopic, silicon barcode labels in order to streamline in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer procedures.

The barcode labels, which are biologically innocuous, are microinjected into the region between the cell membrane and the zona pellucida of the mouse embryo and since the embryo exits the zona pellucida before entering the uterus, the barcode would be shed at that point.

In lab studies, labeled embryos were shown to develop normally up until the last stage preceding implantation. Researchers also studied how well the barcode labels stayed on throughout the development cycle, how easily they could be read with a standard microscope, how they could be eliminated after the shedding of the zona pellucida and how well they could stand up to the freezing and thawing of their host embryo.

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It was recently announced that SATO’s label deign and printing software, SATO Label Gallery, is certified as compatible with Windows 7. After undergoing rigorous certification requirements, SATO was happy to provide their users with the confidence that their products have been thoroughly tested, ensuring a good user experience. In addition to the Windows 7 certification, SATO was able to add new features, including:

• GS1 DataBar Support
• GS1 DataMatrix support
• Brazilian, Portuguese, and Turkish language capabilities
• Intelligent Mail barcode support
• More design capabilities

For more information on SATO and their product offering, learn more here.