The vast majority of products we purchase and interact with on a day to day basis use a barcode. These barcodes are used for a variety of purposes, with the most common being point of sale. Barcode stickers assign a price to a product, which when scanned, can not only display the price, but can also work alongside stock management software to ensure it is replenished in a timely manner.

Away from retail, barcodes are often used in manufacturing, where its data can track work and progress. In HR, barcodes can be scanned to track workforce hours and attendance. In hospitality, barcodes on room cards or access cards allow entry to restricted areas.

In short, barcodes provide essential data, and ensure companies save time and money, whilst improving efficiency in almost every area of their business – the possibilities of barcodes are almost endless! Retail, tracking, inventory and control and asset management are key areas which utilise barcodes.

The short answer to the question might be better applied if it asked what the barcode cannot be used for; the answer would probably be very little! Just about every product we see today has barcodes attached, which are used for a variety of purposes. Point of sale is the most obvious – it will tell the cashier how much to charge for the product – but the barcode can also allow for automated replenishment of the item.

In manufacturing it can track work in progress through various stages, as well as preventing problems arising. The barcode is used for employees to record time and attendance, also to permit entry to premises. The barcode is also used in quality control and on packaging for deliveries – these are just a few examples. Barcode systems routinely save companies money while improving quality, on-time performance, and other key business factors.

As mentioned, there are a huge range of barcodes for a variety of purposes. Their meanings differ depending on their codes and type. For example, the barcode we see on retail products is the hugely popular EAN-13 or the Industry standard retail code. This barcode sticker is one of the most common ones we are likely to come across on a day to day basis.

Our other most popular barcode labels include EAN 8, code 39, code 128, and QR formats. EAN 8 is a retail barcode where space is limited; code 39 is industry standard alphanumeric code; and code 128 is used extensively in the shipping and packaging industries, but is also a high density replacement for code 39.

The QR Code was originally developed by Toyota for their car parts, however it is now used by the advertising industry and can be scanned with a mobile phone camera.

Thanks to our vast experience in label making, we are able to offer support and recommendations for label materials based on your circumstances.

The most popular requested material is a barcode on white paper or polypropylene materials, however, the material we recommend using will heavily depend upon the application of the label, such as the conditions it is likely to encounter. If the situation demands it, we can offer a variety of material options to suit your needs. As well as paper and polypropylene materials, we can print on premium materials such as polyester and aluminium.

Understanding the environmental conditions which may be encountered is key to getting a robust and reliable barcode label. If your barcode is likely to be used in harsher conditions, such as on machinery, on an engine used in heavy duty work, possibly subject to chemicals, or maybe where abrasion is likely, we would recommend a more robust material. For example, it is of little value to have a barcode on a product in a freezer if it causes the label to deteriorate, and can no longer be read by the barcode scanner.

There are many options which we offer which will protect the barcode from such conditions. For example, we can over-laminate your barcode stickers, or we can coat them with other kinds of substance that will ensure that they remain completely functional. In certain conditions, we would recommend that your labels are made from a specialised material such as super durable polyester.

If we know what conditions the label is likely to encounter, we will be able to make accurate recommendations.

We have access to a huge collection of pre-sized dies for cutting and printing your barcode labels. We can print the vast majority of sizes and shapes using our highly sophisticated digital label press and finishing equipment, which eliminates expensive dies print plates or tooling, meaning we can pass on our reduced production costs to you.

We understand the importance of reliability when it comes to scanning your barcodes accurately, and how this will minimise any disruptions to your operations or your customers. For this reason, we have developed an industry leading system to eliminate error occurrence by ensuring that every barcode is scanned for its readability prior to dispatch.

We do this because at Data Label, we understand how much the quality of the product is critical to the success of your business. As such, our in-depth knowledge and experience ensures we supply high quality barcode labels tailor made to consistently surpass our customers expectations.

The majority of the barcode labels we produce are supplied on rolls, due to the ease and speed of application and storage. Of course, should you wish to instead receive your barcode stickers on an A4 sheet, we are more than happy to provide this. Sequentially numbered labels are supplied with the lowest number on the outside of the roll by default, unless otherwise specified. Please get in touch with our team should you require an alternative choice.

Our in-depth knowledge enables us to supply high quality barcode labels tailor made to our customers expectations.

Our range of leading printing equipment allows us to print custom labels exactly to our customers’ requests. We have invested in the most recent advanced print innovation technology, which eliminates the requirements for costly print plates. Our goal is to always pass these savings on to our customers, which you will find with your competitive quote from Data Label.

We have a huge range of over 5,000 stock label sizes, but if you require a specialist size or shape, we can order a bespoke cutter for a small additional fee. We can supply you with samples, simply contact us at either 01293 551520, or by email to sales@datalabel.co.uk and we will be happy to deal with your request.

Although labels are usually supplied on rolls, we are happy to offer labels in sheet form if that is what you prefer. These come in A4 size and we will be happy to discuss the format with you. Most of our customers prefer to have their labels supplied on rolls, these are a convenient and easy to store. Sequentially numbered labels are supplied with the lowest number on the outside of the roll, unless otherwise specified.

Whether your requirement is for labels on A4 sheets, or on rolls, we will be happy to supply either and to discuss this with you and let you have a quotation for both forms to compare.

• Retail barcodes
• Document tracking
• Goods tracking
• Inventory control
• Asset management