Label Printing Considerations
After generating barcodes with our
Barcode Generator Software
you might want to print the codes on to labels.
Our software will only create the actual barcodes as EPS or raster image, it doesn't do printing.
For the actual printing you would use any word processor, spread sheet etc. that can import the generated files;
for Macs we usually recommend Apple Pages or Numbers from the iWork suite, for PCs Microsoft Office would be an obvious choice.
Apple Pages and Office both support printing to Avery labels and the like.
Barcode Printing Quality
A print resolution of 300 dpi or higher is required to print UPC/EAN family codes properly. Dedicated label printers (Zebra, Epson etc.) and laser
printers are usually better suited for barcode label printing than ink printers. The output is more durable and the paper choice is less critical.
Getting a dedicated label printer can make sense if the print volume is more than about 100 labels a day.
Important: Be aware that label printers (like from Zebra) in most cases do not have drivers for Mac, only Windows.
Barcode Scanner Recommendations
If you create barcodes regularly, consider buying a barcode scanner or reader for testing purposes.
A simple CCD type hand held
barcode scanner (around US$ 100)
let's you easily check if the barcode size and print quality are ok. Barcode scanners are usually connected via USB these days and should work equally well
on Macs and PCs. For scanning of 2D matrix codes a so-called
barcode imager will be required.
