Printing barcodes with PMS colors is possible, just be careful about the reflectance value!

I often receive questions from graphic and package designers regarding the usage of Pantone (PMS) colors for barcodes on printed pieces. When choosing the PMS color, it’s important to first understand that a high contrast between background color and foreground color is needed, so that a barcode scanner is provided with the highest Print Contrast Signal (PCS) possible.

Essentially, PCS is the value of change in reflectivity between the dark bars and light spaces of a barcode read by a scanner. If there is not enough contrast, the barcode scanner will not be able to measure the width of the bars and spaces, leading to an unsuccessful barcode scan.

The ideal color combination for barcode printing is black bars on a white background, but depending on branding, companies may want to do something a little different. Generally speaking, light and warm colors should be used as a background color and dark and cold colors should be used for the bars. But, the color chosen for the bars should not exceed a reflectance value of 27.6%.

I was able to find this guide to barcode printing with PMS colors, which provides reflectance values for a variety of different colors.

If you’ve done a print job with a barcode using a PMS color, tell us about your experience by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.

I recently came across a blog post from Zebra Technologies that reminded me of a recent trip to Chipotle. When I arrived at the restaurant, it was packed, but to my surprise, the line moved swiftly because while everyone was waiting, a cashier with a mobile receipt printer was taking orders so things wouldn’t get backed up at the register.

Other companies are also doing such pre-processing in order to save customers and staff time. Zebra’s article examined WHSmith, the UK’s leading book and magazine retailer, for their successful pre-checkout application. In order to keep up with the holiday rush, WHSmith was able to create a 50 percent reduction in customer waiting time, improving customer conversion and increasing revenue.

Store clerks used their mobile computers to scan products’ barcodes before the customer even got to the register. Once all the items in a cart/basket were scanned, clerks were able to use Zebra mobile printers to give the customers their receipts. Once the customer reaches the register, the cashier only has to scan the barcode on the receipt. The POS system automatically records all of the items that were purchased, avoiding a line back-up and the need to scan each item. What also speeds up the process is since customers know what their total will be before ever being rung up, they can have their money out and ready for the cashier.

Check out the Zebra blog to see the other benefits of pre-processing and learn more about Zebra and their products here.

While we’ve often discussed the advantages of barcoding patient wristbands in hospitals, you may not know the advantages of thermal barcode wristband printing vs. laser.

Enhanced Patient Safety
Thermal printed barcode wristbands do not require toner. Printheads create images by burning small squares atop a coated label media or ribbon, resulting in a crisp, sharp image. Laser printers do not offer good edge definition, and laser output is prone to flaky toner that can smudge, which leads to low image quality and thus repeated scan attempts, risking patient safety and staff productivity.

Total Cost of Ownership
Since wristband printers can be a significant investment, many hospitals choose to just add an additional tray to their existing laser printer with the thought process that it will keep costs low. However, many printers will require an upgrade to accommodate the addition tray, and the tray may exceed current space available. On the other hand, thermal wristband printer is comparable in price to the laser tray, and less expensive than purchasing a new laser printer and are small and compact, enhancing work flow.

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The NYPD are in the process of introducing a new system for parking tickets, eliminating hand-written tickets for an accurate, efficient and cost effective solution.

The solution uses the Symbol PPT 2800 and the Datamax-O’Neil Portable Microflash 4t Thermal Printer. With barcode scanning and real-time wireless communication, officers of the NYPD will be able to scan vehicle registration stickers, print tickets and upload the information to a central database in real-time. Since the state of New York requires all vehicles affix their registration to their windshield, it will be easy for the NYPD to scan them because of their 2D barcode.

In addition to improving the readability of the ticket, the system will be able to track millions of dollars in unpaid fines owed to NYC.

When printing barcode labels, there are so many different options available from printer types right down to the size of the label. Well, why not add one more factor to the list of considerations and talk about ink. Aside from thermal and thermal transfer, there is the question of using pigment vs. dye.

Pigment is made of solid opaque particles that rest atop the paper, rather than being absorbed into the fibers as with dye ink. Below are advantages and disadvantages of pigment and dye inks.

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