These were big names in the industry of barcode scanners and data collection devises. Hand Held Products also known as HHP has been around since 1972. Hand Held Products has been a worldwide leading manufacturer of data collection and management solutions of mobile, and transaction processing applications. Through its exclusive Adaptus® Imaging Technology platform, Hand Held Products has delivers product solutions that improve productivity, lower costs, and enhance customer service. Hand Held Products is represented in every major market and geographic region of the world through more than 30 sales offices and hundreds of resellers. Now that Honeywell is purchasing HHP, the new company name is Honeywell Imaging and Mobility and is still located in Skaneateles Falls, NY.

Some of the brands under the HHP, now Honeywell Imaging and Mobility, include the Dolphin 7000 series and the Dolphin 9000 series mobile computers, the 3800, 4000 2D, and 6000 Handheld Imagers, document readers, transaction terminals, kiosks and verification solutions. These are still considered some of the most rugged in the industry.

Symbol, which is now Motorola, has also been around in the industry for many years. They are known for their innovativeness in the barcode industry with barcode scanners, mobile computers, RFID solutions, kiosks, and payment terminals. Software solutions can easily be modified to fit these units and the Motorola unit is the most widely installed solution in the US under the old Symbol name. It will be interesting to see what Motorola does with this technology, as barcode scanning becomes more and more a part of everyday life, along with cell phones that Motorola is known for.

PSC and Datalogic came together on April 2, 2007 and now Datalogic has 4 distinct focuses. Datalogic Corporate, Datalogic Scanning, Datalogic Mobile, and Datalogic Automation. PSC fit right into Datalogic Scanning and Datalogic Mobile. PSC had the brands know as Falcon in the Mobile computer field and the QuickScan and PowerScan in the handheld barcode scanners. The QuickScan 6000 or QS6000 unit was the workhorse of the industry. Known for its durability, this barcode scanner could not be damaged. The PowerScan is taking right after it and with brighter colors and a stronger case, it will be working in receiving departments and warehouses for years to come.

Datalogic has always been known for its compact, ergonomic and durable barcode scanners and has had a strong foothold in the Retail, Distribution, Manufacturing, Public Sector, Banking and Finance, and Healthcare industries for years.

This merger puts two manufacturers of barcode scanners and mobile computers in the driver seat when it comes to meeting retail needs. With some of the new technology coming out of Datalogic after the merger, they are really showing their strength with the recent launch of the Kyman. This unit can have a real impact on the industrial segment.

It seems that all of these events have and are providing new strength and technology to the barcode scanning industry. Both Honeywell and Motorola are cutting edge technology companies and should provide a lot of new and creative barcode scanning solutions. Datalogic has been in the industry and combines the better of two companies from the industry and already they have shown some great synergies with the launch of the Kyman barcode scanner mobile computer.

Keep you eye on these companies and the innovated scanning technology that emerges from these shakeups. It will be cutting edge!

Another common form of printable mailing labels is the Dymo label used in a regular Dymo printer. This is commonly used in small offices were there are only a few labels needed at a time.

If your organization owns a thermal transfer printer, and prints many labels at a time for mailing, then thermal transfer labels provides another form for printable mailing labels. This is a high speed and high volume method of printing mailing labels. This method is also about the least expensive method of printing return address labels. A common roll of thermal transfer labels around 2 inches wide by 1 inch high costs about $1.31 per 1000 labels. This is as close to a free printable mailing label that you can get. This works out to be 00.131 cents per label. Now, you still have to print on this label and that can be done with a thermal transfer ribbon. For this size label, 1 ribbon will cost about $6.00 and can print a little over 23,000 of the 2×1 labels. So if we take these figures and work it down to the cost of a single printable mailing label the total cost works out like this:

1 case of 66,000 2×1 thermal transfer labels = $86.46
3 ribbons needed to print 66,000 labels = $18.00
Total cost for 66,000 labels = $104.46

This works out to be $00.00158 per label. This is less than 1 penny. So I guess you could call this a free printable mailing label if it is less than 1 penny in cost.

All of the other methods of printing mailing labels mentioned above will be more expensive then the thermal transfer method outlined here, but it all depends on how many labels you are going to print.

If you don’t need 66,000 printable mailing labels, then maybe laser label sheets are the right format to use. A pack of 100 sheets is about $15.00 and with the 1-3/4×1/2 size mentioned above, this works out to be 8,000 labels per pack. Without factoring in the toner that would be used, these labels would cost $00.001875 which is still less then 1 penny per label, but more then the $00.00158 for the thermal transfer with ribbon included in that price.

Looking at the Dymo labels, they are even more. The Dymo labels are used for small amounts of printable mailing labels. With usually 500 labels on a roll, and a cost of about $14.98 per roll, the Dymo labels come out at $00.02996 per label, or almost 3 cents per label.

So with all costs considered, the thermal transfer method is the closest to free when looking for free printable mailing labels that you can get. So if free printable mailing labels are what you are looking for, then use the thermal transfer method with 2×1 labels and ribbon to get the job done.

In order to make your printed custom labels with the FedEx barcode on the labels the user must first create an account on the FedEx web site. Once an account is generated, login and create a shipment. In order to create a shipment you will need a shipping location, the weight of the package or packages and the number of packages. Also, if extra insurance is needed, add the value of the shipment. At the end of the shipping process, a popup window appears that requires you to print the FedEx barcode labels for your shipment. Before you print your custom labels, make sure there is label stock in your printer.

For many small businesses, the printed custom labels are made on the office laser printer or inkjet printer. If this were the case, then the FedEx barcode labels would be printed on custom labels for the laser printer or inkjet printer. This custom label is usually on an 8.5 inch by 11 inch sheet of paper with an adhesive label stock on the surface that can take the laser toner or inkjet ink for a clean image.

The most common laser label sheets for FedEx barcode labels have a slit in the center of the sheet. These custom labels are also called click n ship labels because they refer to the USPS click n ship process for generating custom printed shipping labels in laser and inkjet printers. The click n ship label is really any label that is on a standard sheet size with a slit in the center for shipping labels.

When the FedEx barcode labels are printed, the top half of the sheet is the label that will be used on the packages that are being prepared. The bottom half of the label contains instructions and is just discarded. This process does have some waste due to the fact that the bottom half of the FedEx barcode label is being discarded. Another way around the waste is to enhance the FedEx shipping method.

As the business grows, an investment in a thermal barcode printer becomes a wise choice. By adding a thermal barcode printer, the FedEx barcode labels can now be printed directly from a FedEx software system to the dedicated label printer creating printed custom labels on demand. The printer requires labels that come on rolls and feed one at a time through the printer. Making the transition from a laser printer to a thermal printer makes printed custom labels a breeze. This type of label printing will eliminate the wasted label that is seen with the laser label sheets.

The quantity of shipments a business ships per day will determine the need for using just a plain sheet of paper for the FedEx barcode labels that would be taped to the packages, laser label sheets where one of the labels is discarded for every shipment, or thermal barcode printing for printed custom labels at high quantity and high speeds. The thermal barcode method is the least expensive means of making FedEx barcode labels in quantity.

These units are equipped with 64MB RAM, Bluetooth, 15 keys, color display. Includes scanner & Windows Mobile 2003 OS. These units have a battery included inside the unit and spare batteries are sold separately.

These units will work perfectly with your inventory and asset tracking software. All you have to do is install the hand held application that is included with most inventory software to this scanner. You will then be able to scan inventory in and out of you system. These can also be used to scan in shipments that you receive from customers or other vendors. These units also work great in the retail, healthcare, and hospitality fields. The bluetooth technology allows this info to be sent to your PC database wirelessly. Workers can have real time access to information to help them make better decisions at the point of activity and the large color display makes it easy to see in many environments. This unit is also very rugged; they can withstand extreme temperatures and multiple drops to concrete.

If you are interested in buying the PPT8860-R3BZ1000 scanners, then give us a call right away. These will not last long and we need to clear the space.

The full specifications on this Motorola PPT8860 unit are, Bluetooth, 1D scanner with RSS support, a color touch screen, Pocket PC 2003, 15 keys, 64/64MB, and a standard 1700MAH battery.

Take a look at the PPT8860 barcode scanner and give us a call. This is a great unit and lists for over $2000.00.

Lets get an understanding of the basics for RFID printing and encoding. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. There are usually 4 main devises required to create a RFID environment. The devises are the RFID Tag, The RFID printer encoder, RFID software, and a RFID reader. RFID tags are very commonly produced as a 4×6 size label that has a small chip imbedded in the label. The chip then has an antenna that reaches to each end of the label. The antenna usually reaches across the 4 inch span of the label. Now, there is a possibility that the chip in the label may not be inserted in the same place by every manufacturer or on every roll you may receive. This will require the user to recalibrate the printer so it will read and write to the new location on each roll.

RFID tags have gone through a change over the last few years. One of those changes is that the tags have been standardized to a Gen 2 format. In 2006 there were Gen 1 and Gen 2 tags in the market place. Gen just references the generation of the tag. Some of the barcode RFID printers in the market only wrote to the Gen 1 tags. Most manufacturers of barcode RFID printers have issued firmware updates to enable the printer to print on the Gen 2 tags, making them compatible with today’s environment.

Our situation began with a customer that bought the RFID setup in 2006 along with Gen 1 RFID tags, which worked perfectly. A reorder of tags in 2008 provided the customer with tags that both had the chip in a new location and a Gen 2 tag. Gen 1 was discontinued in the market place and is no longer available. First the customer tried to write to the Gen 2 tag and all the tags defaulted and voided as a bad read. The customer attempted to recalibrate the printer so the printer would see the new location of the chip. This created more voided tags. Finally through troubleshooting it was found that the firmware in the printer was only for Gen 1 and not Gen 2. A quick firmware update and the problems are solved. Now the RFID tags print like a charm.

Troubleshooting RFID tags is becoming more of an issue now that the market is picking up and more tags are being used in Wal-Mart and DOT operations. Other big companies are demanding the use of RFID tags as well like Best Buy and Sam’s Club. Companies that demand RFID compliance on all products shipped into their distributions systems are called an open loop system because multiple companies will be reading the RFID tag. It is critical to have a read verification on all tags in this environment to prevent penalties.

An RFID closed loop system is where the RFID tag never leaves the company that encoded the tag. This is common in asset tracking, document tracking and laboratory situations. In these applications the RFID tag read is critical for internal documentation requirements to prevent rework, loss of assets, or work.
Whatever the application, a properly coded RFID tag is critical and the above case scenario is not uncommon. Knowing the solution quickly will prevent a lot of downtime and wasted RFID tags.

The demand for custom labels in Chicago is continuing to grow with all the food processing and confectionery business centralized in the central US for easy transportation around the country. Chicago is also a hot bed for manufacturers, technology, health care, distribution and many other custom label consumers like cosmetic labels in Illinois.

Custom food labels and confectionery custom labels in Chicago have a high demand for quality, and for applicators that can affix the labels to the product without smashing the contents within like bread, snack products, and cookies. Many times these labels have custom colors for branding with a logo and an area for the food business or confectionery to print a date code or ingredients that will be variable text on each label. These can be accommodated in a thermal transfer or direct thermal label, depending on how long the product will be on the shelf in the supermarket or deli. These can also be made for scales where the variable weight and price will be printed onto the labels.

Manufacturers use custom labels Chicago for a number of reasons. The most common reason is to brand the product they are making. These are usually 4 color process labels with a UV coating that will prevent the label from fading over time. Manufactures also use custom labels to label parts and shelves in the tool cribs they use to maintain the manufacturing operation. These custom labels can also be used in the shipping process when the product is shipped into distribution. Many distributors require special barcodes to be placed on all products that are shipped to their centers. These manufacturers also use labels to mark racks in the finished goods area of the operation.

Another manufacturing application is custom UL labels. If the manufacturer is making a electronic consumer product then a UL label is required adding more custom requirements to this business sector. This also applies to the technology sector.

The technology sector in Chicago uses custom labels on circuit boards, computers for asset tracking, and special custom tamper evident labels that can show if a product has been tampered with. The circuit board labels are usually very small and some need to be produced for clean room environments. These are tricky and can be made right here in custom labels Chicago.

Within the health care industry in Chicago there are many sub groups and custom label applications from labeling test tubs to labeling patients wristbands to match the medications that are assigned to that particular patient. The health care industry also has their own distribution setups where custom labels are used to organize files, shelves and shipments.

The distribution industry includes transportation and consumes many labels but not all of these labels are custom. Many of these distributors use stock 4×6 labels to label shipments, but if they want to brand these with a custom logo, these custom labels can be made right here in Chicago. Rack labels, product labels, and shipping labels are very common in this business sector.

There are many other businesses in the Chicago area that need custom product labels including cosmetic labels in Illinois and all over the country. So, if you are a business in Chicago and need custom labels, you must realize the demand for custom labels is high. The capacity to meet that demand is even higher. Custom food labels, UL labels, Clean Room labels, tamper evident labels, custom 4 color labels and even cosmetic labels in Illinois and across the country is our specialty for all of these industries.

It is a crazy world out there and barcode labels are really making an impact on tracking that world. Look around in the store whenever you buy something. There will always be a barcode on it. Businesses are using them to track inventory in a closed loop environment too. Heck, I even use them to track my office supplies so I never run out of valuable printer toner or copy paper. That is going a little overboard, so lets really get into what the deal is with barcode labels.

I would bet that the most common barcode label out there is the direct thermal barcode label. That is because it is a paper label that is used on most UPS shipments every day and is only used for a temporary purpose so they are consumed at a really high rate. The direct thermal barcode label will fade over time. Fading occurs because the direct thermal label will react to heat. So only use this label if the image is only to be read for a few weeks and will not be in the elements.

The thermal transfer barcode label is probably the next highest use label. This is a label that can be permanent adhesive or removable and is printed on with a ribbon. This makes the image more permanent and is used to barcode all kinds of product within distribution. Not only do companies use them to label product, but they also use these barcode labels to label rack locations in their warehouses. One of the best uses we have seen is to print the barcode labels and then put them on a magnetic strip. The magnetic strip is then put on the rack in the warehouse so if the warehouse is ever reconfigured, instead of having a mess of labels to peal off, just move the magnet.

Now, any of these labels can be made from paper, polyester, polystyrene, polybopp, kimdura, and many other materials. The material all depends on how much money you want to spend and what the application is going to be. If it is weather resistance you need in a barcode label, then any of the above synthetics will work. They each have different durability components. A polybopp or Kymdura will probably be the least expensive in the synthetics. The thing to keep in mind with the Kymdura is that unlike the polyester, it will rip. There are many other material like Kapton ( for very hot applications- up to 1000 deg Fahrenheit), Valeron (for the automotive industry) and many more.

Adhesive is the next area of mystery in barcode labels. Most applications are fine with a permanent adhesive. There are exceptions where a removable adhesive is needed. Now we need to remember that no adhesive is totally removable if it is on the product for an extended period of time. Removable adhesives will become permanent after years of it being applied. There are also ultra removable adhesives that will leave little to no residue. One of my favorites is a Tire adhesive. This is a gooey thick adhesive meant for barcode labels that go on tires or rubber. The warning here is that they may gum up your thermal transfer printer a bit.

All of the above barcode label materials and adhesives can be used and made into clean room barcode labels. For clean room applications, barcode labels need to be free of loose fibers and contaminates that can infect a clean room. This is done in a controlled environment and the packaging is then air locked and sealed for shipment to the clean rooms. This is really a special application and shows the diversity in barcode labels in the market.

Finally, we are looking at “what does a core” have to do with barcode labels? Well, some barcode printers require a 1 inch core in the center of the roll of barcode labels to make it work in the printer. Other barcode printers require a 3 inch cardboard core in the center that the labels are wound around. Other printers can actually use no core or a fan-folded barcode label. We have even seen an application for a 5 inch core. Now that is crazy! Anyway, the core is just how the barcode labels are finished and used in the appropriate printer.

Most of these barcode labels in any of the forms or materials listed are sold blank for the users to print on them using their equipment. There are many times that customers will not want to print the barcode labels themselves and have the labels sent in preprinted. Preprinted barcode labels are common if the barcode specification is really complex. The user relies on a barcode label expert to preprint these barcode labels and send them as a preprinted barcode label. They can be packaged and made with any of the above materials for any application.

Well, this little bit of information can really help when trying to make the proper decision on barcode labels for your business. So, fit the proper material to the proper application and your barcode labels will work like a charm.

What is “Cleanstart” ribbon? “Cleanstart” is a barcode ribbon that has a special printhead cleaning feature at the start of every roll from IIMAK. IIMAK is one of the largest US based manufacturers of barcode ribbon. After installing your new roll of ribbon into your printer, simply close the printhead at the start of the white “Cleanstart” cleaning strip and pull it through the closed printhead. Reopen the printhead and feed the ribbon through for the final setup and installation. Close the printhead and begin printing.

If the quality of print is not improved then more troubleshooting is needed. Many of these printers are very temperamental and the slightest adjustment can make all the difference. Check the heat setting on the printer to make sure it is hot enough. This can usually take care of some of the lines or fading in the image that is printed.

The next step in troubleshooting the printer would be to check the platen roller. That is the rubber roller that is right under the print head. Many users will damage the platen roller by taking a knife to it to get excess label adhesive or paper stuck to the roller off. This is a MAJOR no-no! NEVER take a knife or blade to the platen roller. This roller is critical in keeping the quality of print consistent. Look for a nick in the roller and if there is one, have a service representative replace the platen roller.

So there is no nick in the platen roller? The next step is to inspect the printhead with a light and look right on the black sensor that meets the labels when closed. You will have to open the print head to see. Check the printhead for white spots. White spots on a printhead indicate damage and wear from the course of its print life. If there are white spots on the printhead, this is a good indication that it is time for a new printhead. The printhead life can vary in length based on how well it is maintained. Wiping your printhead with an alcohol pad before every use will ensure its cleanliness and protect it from residue buildup. The same positive results will occur with the proper use of a “cleanstart” ribbon. Proper maintenance will result in the maximum life span of the printhead.

Now, if your troubleshooting indicates that you need a new printhead, then there are a few decisions to make. Do you want to buy the exact OEM printhead? Or do you want to buy a quality compatible printhead? Many times it is the same manufacturer that makes both. There are very high quality off brand printheads on the market that can save you a lot of money. OEM printheads are usually required for some warranties, but if you can, we suggest going with a private brand, high quality printhead as a replacement because they are much less expensive and work just as well. For more information call the folks at Adazon on 847-235-2700 and the experts there can point you in the right direction.

There are a few things to take into consideration when thinking about asset tracking software.

• What asset tracking software makes the most sense for your business? A hosted solution that is based on your server and maintained by your IT department on the network or a stand alone asset tracking software that is on one PC in the building.
• What is the total cost of ownership? Is the up front cost low only because there are a lot of hidden costs for upkeep and upgrade fees later?
• What is the main priority? Do you need a total solution to cover all your bases, or are you looking for a smaller, niche program to fit in with your overall ERP System?
• Is Customization and scalability important to your business plan? Do you want the solution to grow with your business needs in the future?

Once you have a baseline set with the answers to those questions, then you can look at a few of the solutions on the market. The solutions we have reviewed are the Redbeam Asset Tracking software solution, the Intellitrack Asset Tracking Software solution and then a custom package that is tailored for your ERP system and hard coded in.

Well, as you may know, the least expensive route to go is with the Redbeam asset tracking software. This package is a powerful stand along solution that is affordable and meets 90% of any asset tracking needs. The package is very limited in its ability to be customized, but it is based on an Sql Database and data can be dumped into text files for manipulation in MS Excel of other spreadsheet programs. Data can also be uploaded into the database on provided templates. The software comes in a standard addition and a mobile addition. The standard addition begins for a 1 user application at $495.00. This price allows the smallest business to automate their asset tracking with software that is dynamic and rich in features.

The Redbeam asset tracking software is a complete fixed asset database with the ability to use cabled barcode scanners attached to PC workstations. The software keeps asset records up to date and periodically allows users to take a physical inventory of assets. Data fields include barcode ID, location, department, maintenance, purchasing, warranty, lease, deprecation, information technology and 50 other user definable fields. The mobile addition works with the ability to collect data on scanner-enabled mobile computers.

Intellitrack also offers a complete asset tracking software solution. The Intellitrack product has many of the same features that the Redbeam software has, but the main difference is that it is completely scalable for your business. As business needs change, the software can grow with you. Intellitrack’s asset tracking software can even be RFID enabled taking advantage of the latest in smart label technology. Of course this package has a higher ticket price. The base software starts at $1,800.00 with 1 batch devise license.

Finally the last option we recommend is either using the Intellitrack base and customizing that to meet the full needs of your company or go with a total custom solution where software developers with develop and integrate an asset tracking software solution to your exact needs. This can range from $20,000 on up depending on how open your current system is.

Using the Redbeam product can accommodate most of the asset tracking applications. Our recommendation is the try the free demo’s by either of these 2 software developers and test them for yourself. We have many clients on both of these packages ranging from general offices tracking computers to police agencies tracking evidence in the evidence rooms. They are very satisfied and find no reason for a custom package to meet there asset tracking software needs.

The basic label rewinders pretty much rewind your labels for you. By rewinding the labels as they print, you prevent a situation where you have a tangled mess of labels that stick together and get folded and creased rendering some un-usable.

Now that we know we need a label rewinder, which one should you buy? Well, we at Adazon have testing many of the label rewinders on the market and have come up with the following recommendations.

First of all, we are a full line supplier and can get any brand label rewinder a customer wishes to have, so there is no bias here on brand. This is just our opinion of which rewinder is the best from our perspective.

We are big fans of the LabelMate Label Rewinders and this is why. They are built tough and built to last. They are quiet and have great torque when needed. They have great controls for speed, direction and torque. These label rewinders are a real winner in the industry. LabelMate makes quite a few different models ranging from $315.00 for the Mini-Cat 10 label rewinder all the way to $2795.00 for the twin-slit-100-deluxe rewinder. But the most common is the Labelmate Cat-2 label rewinder which by far is the most widely sold rewinder in the offering. The Cat-2 has a list price of $795.00, so it is not the least expensive, but it is well worth the cost for the quality.

The Labelmate rewinders also come with may accessories for core sizes and paper guides to help make the label rewind process that much easier. There are many other brands of label rewinders that we tested and most came from overseas and had similar components to each other and most likely come from the same factory in China. The Labelmate brand is all made in the US and it really shows. We recommend making the Labelmate rewinder your choice as well.