A proper barcode label helps you and your clients ensure compliance standards are met within industry standards while managing and tracking inventory from beginning to end.

Zebra Technologies and Imprint Enterprises are here to help you understand the 7 ways Zebra Certified Supplies can help you achieve your business goals, no matter your industry.

1 – Zebra Certified Supplies Stick to Surfaces

Not all labels are equal in quality. Zebra guarantees the staying power of their labels, so labels don’t slide or peel during handling. Need something that can be easily removed? Zebra has that option too.

2 – Zebra Certified Supplies Averts Pricey Damage

3 – Zebra Certified Supplies Lowers Expenses

Zebra labels are designed to eliminate extra carrying costs, waste, and manual workarounds. You can order labels as you need them or set an automated restock before you run out.

4 – Zebra Certified Supplies Won’t Jam

Zebra supplies go through rigorous testing for consistent quality. The label rolls don’t squeeze out adhesive while printing, which can cause your printer to jam. This testing averts costly printing disruptions in your workplace.

5 – Zebra Certified Supplies Remain Legible

The core function of a barcode label is to provide information on what a product is and where it goes. Zebra labels won’t fade, and the barcodes won’t rub off.

6 – Zebra Certified Supplies Work in Tough Environments

Zebra labels are tested in the harshest conditions, using specialized equipment to rate durability to outdoor elements, abrasion, harsh chemicals, and extreme temperatures. These labels can handle heat, cold, dust, and dampness.

7 – Zebra Certified Supplies Prevents Interruptions

Consistent materials mean not having to stop and adjust your printer settings for different label sensitivity. Productivity can increase with up to 40 hours per week saved in worker time, and printing time can be reduced by up to 15%.

The Quality You Want from the Experts You Need

Zebra Technologies is an expert in the barcoding technology field with their rigorous testing of their own products and is one of the largest converters of barcode labels in the USA. Customers who have switched from overengineered and underperforming labels to Zebra Certified Supplies have seen up to $800,000 in savings per year with 68% greater printing output.

A Premiere Solution Partner with Zebra, Imprint Enterprises has the specialists to help you determine what your business needs to step forward, while considering future possibilities. At Imprint, it is about the relationship, not the sale.

Whichever barcode design your company needs, it’s always best to consult with an expert that can help answer any questions you have on the use of the different barcode labels.

Download the Media & Supplies Catalog and Contact Imprint Enterprises today to discuss Zebra’s barcode labeling solutions that are best for you.

Read on for highlights of the topics addressed in this webinar replay or go directly to, Honeywell Media – Getting the Most Out of Your Honeywell Printers to watch the replay.

Understanding Flexography Printing

When getting estimates on labels, it is important to know the basics, such as label width, length, and orientation. The width goes across the printer and the length is the right side of the label as it comes out of the printer. The orientation of the label is referred to as vertical or horizontal.

Rich provides greater detail on the label terminology used. He then goes on to explain:

• • • Flexography (Flexo) Basics
    • Platemaking
    • Tags & Butt Cuts
    • Dies (Tooling)
    • And more

Understanding Thermal Printing

• • • Label & Tag Sensing Options
    • Direct Thermal (Duratherm) & Common Applications
    • Thermal Transfer (Duratran) & Common Applications
    • Thermal Transfer Ribbons
    • ThermaMAX Ribbons

Capabilities of Honeywell Media

Honeywell has multiple capabilities, including 20 presses that Imprint uses to meet your needs. There is a range of colors that can be printed as an overlay to provide a full spectrum of graphics, in various sizes. Rich continues by providing information on the following capabilities of Honeywell media printing:

• • • Printing
    • Finishing
    • Specialty
    • Technical Services Offered
    • Testing Provided in Lab
    • Co-Engineering of Labels and Printers
    • Stocking Locations

Honeywell Resources Available to You 

Honeywell has a variety of resources available through Imprint, whether you are getting a new application or are looking for specific materials. Rich provides an overview of the specific resources that Honeywell offers for label printing needs:

• • • Sample Program

    • Application Briefs

      • • Food Traceability

        • Industrial Manufacturing

    • Product Profiles

    • Recommended Printer Supplies Based on Industry

    • Label, Tag, and Ribbon Reference

Honeywell Programs Available

Honeywell has programs available to help make processes easier for your business, from the previously mentioned sample program to label printing programs, to label replenishment programs. Rich provides brief detail about each of the following programs:

• • • Stocking Program
    • Printhead Replacement Program
    • 90/180 Day Inventory Agreement
    • Replenishment Agreement
    • Blanket Agreement
    • Quick Comparison Guide
    • Leading Product Informational Sheets

Webinar Wrap-Up

Honeywell is an industry leader in barcode media and products, with Imprint Enterprises working as their Platinum Performance Partner. Bob and Rich complete the webinar by answering the following questions:

• • • Do all the product sites have the same capabilities?
    • Do you have or sell any UL-recognized materials?
    • Do you have the ability to perform material testing for applications?
    • What type of specific stocking programs do you have?
    • Do you remember the most famous label your company has created?
    • Does Imprint have any unique use cases?

Watch the Webinar Replay

Your barcode label is the backbone of your shipment, telling the receiver what it is that they are receiving. If the barcode label is not readable, it can create the possibility of chargebacks or fines. And if you run out of labels, it can create major delays and negatively impact your bottom line.

Honeywell has been a technological innovator for decades, using their products to help others streamline operations. From fast, simple solutions to planning long-term sustainability, the specialists at Imprint Enterprises can help you understand what you need.

Watch the webinar replay, Honeywell Media – Getting the Most Out of Your Honeywell Printers. The experts are there to help you and your business.  If you have questions, Contact Imprint Enterprises today.

The edition your company needs will depend on what you are doing and if you are in one location or spread out across multiple continents (among other factors). If your organization expands, you can easily update or upgrade your BarTender® Plan or system without any hidden costs or complexity of add-on products.

Before introducing the new BarTender® Cloud edition, here is a look at the Professional, Automation, and Enterprise Editions.

Professional Edition

The Professional Edition is designed for departments and small businesses. It has an easy interface with enabling RFID encoding and more sophisticated label and card designs that can engage content from Excel, Google sheets, JSON, and QuickBooks spreadsheets and databases (among other files).

This edition can create forms for entering manual data faster, including search and filter parameter improvements. Professionally designed templates can be used to create templates of your own. Select among 50+ drawing shapes, and resize, reshape, and color them any way you need. Choose from hundreds of symbols and images, import your own graphics, and access the PANTONE Color System.

Select, preview, and print labels and cards from a dedicated Print Station interface. Print speed can be optimized to any printer or marking device. Maximize your printing performance and compliance with important standards. Use your own fonts or those built into the printer.

With many more features, Professional Edition is a great start for your small business. It is security enabled and has status monitoring to alert you regarding printer/print job status and error conditions.

Automation Edition

Intelligent TemplatesTM easily support complex printing scenarios based on a single data source or database field or base it on multiple conditions without scripting them. Lock mandatory content so it cannot be changed by other designers.

Generate anything from simple serial numbers to advanced custom serialization sequences. Format any text any way you want with Rich Text formatting. Recreate legacy labels easily by importing old designs to use as a guide. Link to external graphics to enable dynamic changes.

Added security features include integration with other software for basic automated control. Encrypt documents and manage user permissions. View printer status and reprint previous jobs, from a centralized location. Never worry about lost printing jobs with the automated restart and of monitored databases.

Enterprise Edition

The Enterprise Edition lets you manage, secure, and control your entire enterprise labeling system from one location or across multiple continents. With all the features of the Professional and Automated Editions, the Enterprise Edition is for businesses that require complete connectivity and control.

This is the most powerful collection of features, including integration with SAP and Oracle, and centralized management of printing, security, and administration. Whether from one location or multiple locations across different continents, extends the most complex printing environments with unrivaled connectivity to business systems.

BarTender® Librarian allows large groups of designers, administrators, and other users to manage the storage and revision of label formats and other files cooperatively and securely. This is particularly valuable for highly regulated and secure environments, such as food and beverage, medical, pharmaceutical, military, and chemical. It also has a multi-lingual Phrase Library with Auto-Translation and TMX import/export.

The Integration Builder allows you to create highly customizable integrations for a seamless connection of BarTender® printing capabilities to almost any enterprise business operation. Print to any device using Print Portal App. Print Portal also has custom branding, dynamic web-based printing, and workflow review/approval straight from a web browser.

Introducing the new BarTender® Cloud Edition

The Cloud supports external supplier or partner labeling. Cloud plans are based on the quantity of labels that are printed within a year’s time, and includes extras based on the Automation Plan or Essentials Plan. You only pay for what you need.

Creating, managing, and printing labels is done through Amazon Web Services, a Software as a Service (SaaS) technology. This is what eliminates the requirement to install and maintain a hardware and software infrastructure. The Cloud has data encryption in-motion and at-rest with third party penetration testing for layered security controls.

BarTender® Cloud has a centralized label storage with Intelligent Printing for a secure anywhere, anytime function. Using the BarTender® Cloud, you can design labels using the Template Library and Label Design Service, or easily connect your own data to the cloud using databases, text, or CSV. Printing can be done from anywhere, at any time, even from your own mobile devices.

Intelligent Printing can automatically connect and print from any printer and has optimized high performance printing for nearly 8,000 printers. Printer driver installation or management is not required with the Cloud Edition. Access and availability to the Cloud is as reliable as your internet connection.

BarTender® 2022 Enhances Efficiency and Productivity

No matter how small you think your business might be, there are increasing barcode regulations and mandates. Why wouldn’t you want to increase productivity and speed efficiency by doing more in less time? The enhanced regulatory and compliance labeling programing can help reduce fees while also minimizing legal exposure.

BarTender® 2022 can meet any organization’s needs with multiple edition options to choose from: Cloud, Professional, Automation, or Enterprise. Get the label generating software that will enable you to create any type of label on-demand, across any location. And with the new BarTender® Cloud edition, creating and printing barcode labels is fast, secure, and efficient without being tied to a software or hardware system.

Contact Imprint today to get you on your way to a more effective and efficient labeling software system.

BarTender® 2022 is an extension of the existing BarTender® code base and has been fully tested and supported. The newest feature and performance updates improve security and the Enterprise Edition database support, and updates barcode support for RFID and GS1 Version 21 and 22 specifications.

BarTender® Cloud and Mobile App

BarTender® Cloud, one of the newest technological advancements from Seagull Scientific, provides barcode labeling capabilities without the ties of maintaining a hardware and software infrastructure. For businesses that do not require their own special design of barcode labels, the Cloud has over 140 predesigned label templates to choose from.

BarTender® has released updates to their Mobile App capabilities, expanding the program to run on Apple devices. Devices must be running on Android 11 or later or operating on iOS. The Mobile App is ideal for warehouse and logistics, field service, and retail. Printing barcode labels can be completed at the source of the work, reducing steps in label printing. The driverless printing provides greater flexibility.

Print Portal

Print Station

The redesigned Print Station has the same responsive modern user interface as the Print Portal with greater streamlined functionality. Print Station can be run from any computer that has BarTender® installed, accessing root files on any local or network directory. Security has been enhanced with additional security settings in the Administrative Setup page.

Looking for files is easier with enhanced file searching, grouping, and sorting. Folder customization can set different colors for individual folders for a personalized experience. Custom corporate branding can is now supported, replacing the default Print Station branding with your company’s branding.

Print Station now supports a standalone kiosk mode using Microsoft Windows 10 Kiosk Mode. The Enterprise Edition has been integrated with Librarian to provide a content management system for documents, including a revision history. Librarian also has workflows to easily manage a document’s status from start to finish.

Expanded Database Options and REST API Improvements

Easily find and access data stored in SAP HANA® databases, supporting connections to SAP HANA 2.0 SPS 03 and later versions. A database connection configuration can be used to apply a custom configuration to new or existing database connections. Database Setup performance has been improved with a more responsive interface.

BarTender® 2022 has a newly expanded REST API for automating systems on a non-Windows platform or across a network, a standard for all BarTender® products for a unified platform. BarTender® 2022 also now supports HTTPS for BarTender® REST API and the Print Portal REST API.

BarTender® 2022 is a Globally Trusted Barcode Software

Why wouldn’t you want to increase productivity and speed efficiency by doing more in less time? The enhanced regulatory and compliance labeling programing can help reduce fees while also minimizing legal exposure.

BarTender® 2022 can meet any organization’s needs with multiple edition options to choose from: Cloud, Professional, Automation, or Enterprise. Get the label generating software that will enable you to create any type of label on-demand, across any location. And with the new BarTender® Cloud edition, creating and printing barcode labels is fast, secure, and efficient without being tied to a software or hardware system.

Enhance your BarTender® experience with the upgraded Print Portal, Print Station, and the mobile app. Explore your options with the new BarTender® Cloud deployment and expanded features in other Editions. Customize your user experience with greater options while making your barcode labels more efficiently.

Contact Imprint today to get you on your way to a more effective and efficient labeling software system.

BarTender® is an all-in-one barcode software solution from Seagull Scientific that is simple and cost-effective. This software program makes it easy for businesses of all size to create, automate, and manage barcodes, labels, RFID tags, and more. BarTender® 2022 is the latest upgrade of a program that has been around for decades. It is a game changer with increased security, enhancements within the Print Station, Print Portal, and the BarTender® Cloud release. Deployment is easier than ever before.

Create any barcode label you need from any network printer or connection, or straight from the Cloud. 

BarTender® 2022 can help any organization on a local or global scale to better manage their labeling lifecycle, increase label quality, integrate with existing business systems, and improve reliability, traceability, and compliance. With this integrated and network connected software program, labels can be printed anywhere anytime, by anyone.

Improve the Lifecycle of Labels

With BarTender® 2022, organizations can create and print more commercial-quality designs that also adhere to all brand, industry, and regulatory guidelines your organization might have. This enhances quality assurance and accelerates label production. Review and approve workflows and printing from any web browser on any device, anytime, anywhere, without risking security.

BarTender® 2022 can be easily integrated into any current labeling system or upgraded from any previous version of BarTender® using the existing code base. This smooth integration improves productivity and minimizes downtime, making deployment easier on your IT Department.

Compliance Labeling for Any Industry

Whether it is a simple traceability requirement or a complex regulatory compliance code, this labeling software has flexible serialization to create the unique serial identifiers your organization needs to keep track of everything. And the information is saved directly into a BarTender® document, BarTender® Global Data Field, or into your own SQL-based database.

BarTender® Editions to Best Suite Your Business Needs

No matter how large or small your organization is, BarTender® has an edition that will best suit your needs. The options to choose from include the Cloud Edition, Professional Edition, Automation Edition, and Enterprise Edition.

The Cloud Edition provides a selection of barcode label templates without the hassles of managing the hardware and software to maintain a system. The Professional Edition can print from spreadsheets and databases and create forms for entering manual data faster. The Automation Edition combines forms, actions, and system integrations to build a powerful automated printing solution. The Enterprise Edition lets you manage, secure, and control your entire enterprise labeling system from one location or across multiple continents.

What you need all depends on what you are doing and if you are in one location or spread across multiple continents (among other factors). If your organization expands, you can easily update or upgrade your BarTender® system without any hidden costs or complexity of add-on products.

Updated Features for BarTender® 2022

With the rise of omnichannel shopping and on-demand requests, it is important for businesses to keep up to date. BarTender® 2022 was developed based on technological advances and industry standards to help you keep up with these demands while maintaining top security and reliability. This update uses the existing code base from the previous version, which has been fully tested and supported.

BarTender® 2022 has new features and performance updates, including improvements to Print Station for dedicated local printing and expanding into Print Portal for secure printing anywhere, from any device across your facility. From improved enterprise database support to expanding into cloud deployment capabilities, the newest version can reduce overall IT deployment costs while improving security.

Print Portal has been improved and expanded into Professional and Automation editions, with streamlined functionality, one-click immediate printing capabilities, and more. The redesigned Print Station has the same responsive modern user interface, provides folder customization, can create custom corporate branding, and more.

BarTender® Cloud is secure, reliable, and scalable, using Amazon Web Services to print from a label template library. There are over 140 predesigned label templates with 2 unique label setups to enhance operations. There are no software or hardware requirements to use the Cloud option, offering a simple solution.

BarTender® 2022 Enhances Efficiency and Productivity

Why wouldn’t you want to increase productivity and speed efficiency by doing more in less time? The enhanced regulatory and compliance labeling programing can help reduce fees while also minimizing legal exposure.

BarTender® 2022 can meet any organization’s needs with multiple edition options to choose from: Cloud, Professional, Automation, or Enterprise. Get the label generating software that will enable you to create any type of label on-demand, across any location. And with the new BarTender® Cloud edition, creating and printing barcode labels is fast, secure, and efficient without being tied to a software or hardware system.

Enhance your BarTender® experience with the upgraded Print Portal, Print Station, and the mobile app. Explore your options with the new BarTender® Cloud deployment and expanded features in other Editions. Customize your user experience with greater options while making your barcode labels more efficiently.

Contact Imprint today to get you on your way to a more effective and efficient labeling software system.

BarTender® 2022 can create and print more commercial-quality label designs with increased quality assurance measures through Administration controls. These measures can accelerate label design and production. 

With ecommerce only expected to rise to about $5.4 trillion in 2026, why wouldn’t you want a trusted barcode labeling software system?

Improved Label Designs

Create simple and straightforward label designs with a WYSIWYG editor without having to mess with complicated coding or X/Y coordinate adjustments. By using templates, you can save on the time it takes to manually enter all the information and replace thousands of printer code files with just one file.

BarTender® 2022 still has the wide range of data sources to add more content to your template objects and images, including the Color Picker. A database connection configuration file can also be used to apply a custom configuration to a new or existing database connection.

BarTender® Cloud increases label accuracy and catches errors before they happen. The streamlined label design process reduces the need for complex IT processes by using the label template library or uploading your own labels.

Printing Options

This secure central barcode label manageability system also has a licensing server redundancy solution that provides automatic failover to maintain a seamless print production even when one of the servers goes down.

BarTender® 2022 can be easily integrated into any current labeling system or upgraded from any previous version of BarTender®, and BarTender® Cloud requires updating to BarTender® 2022. A smooth integration improves productivity and minimizes downtime.

Meeting Compliance Minimizes Chargebacks and Fines

You and your customers may have specific barcode label standards that must be adhered to for multiple reasons. From manufacturing, through supply chains, to business and/or consumer, BarTender® 2022 barcode labeling software can meet virtually any compliance labeling requirement:

• • • Medical devices meet UDI compliance labeling
    • Pharmaceutical and Healthcare meet global serialization regulations
    • Automotive meets AIAG requirements for traceability
    • ANSI and ISO requirements are met for grading

Whether it is a simple traceability requirement or a complex regulatory compliance code, this labeling software has flexible serialization to create the unique serial identifiers your organization needs to keep track of everything. And the information is saved directly into a BarTender® document, BarTender® Global Data Field, or into your own SQL-based database.

Unique Device Identifier (UDI)

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires using a unique device identifier (UDI) on barcode labels in food, beverage, and medical fields. These labels must be readable by man and machine (scanners). If the labels are not done to specific standards, your company is liable for more than just fines and chargebacks. Private label distributors are susceptible to the possibility of a legal exposure.

 All labels must be readable in plain text, as well as machine readable with scanning using AIDC (automatic identification and data capture) technology. With barcode labels having to comply with ISO/IEC 15415 or ISO/IEC 15416, it is important to get a barcode labeling software system that can meet these requirements from the start.

Global Serialization for Pharmaceuticals 

The United States, European Union, China, and Brazil have specific serialization requirements, with more countries joining to include this requirement. Examples of the requirements include DSCSA, FMD, and 21 CFT Part 11. BarTender® supports pharmaceutical companies with built-in compliance standards.

The easy to learn platform can add accurate data with a simple drag and drop method. The standards are built into BarTender®, including GS1’s linear and Data Matrix pharma barcodes and traditional linear, two-track, 2D and color Pharmacodes.

Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG)

The AIAG created standard industries to improve efficiency and accuracy. A single alphanumeric symbology, called Code 39, was established in 1984. This symbology included information like part numbers, purchase order numbers, quantity, and other data identifiers.

Proper barcode labeling tracks automotive parts from manufacturing, through distribution, to the end user. This can impact automotive safety and tracking for accountability during recalls. One wrong digit misprint can have a huge financial impact on everyone involved in the chain. 

BarTender® eases that by having the compliance requirements built into the software.

BarTender® 2022 is a Globally Trusted Barcode Software

Why wouldn’t you want to increase productivity and speed efficiency by doing more in less time? The enhanced regulatory and compliance labeling programing can help reduce fees while also minimizing legal exposure.

BarTender® 2022 can meet any organization’s needs with multiple edition options to choose from: Cloud, Professional, Automation, or Enterprise. Get the label generating software that will enable you to create any type of label on-demand, across any location. And with the new BarTender® Cloud edition, creating and printing barcode labels is fast, secure, and efficient without being tied to a software or hardware system.

Contact Imprint today to get you on your way to a more effective and efficient labeling software system.

Zebra Technologies and Imprint Enterprises have the tools, knowledge, and expertise to help you move forward with the future of barcode technology, such as which barcode terminals are best for your food manufacturing environment. Terminals can have a variety of keypad configurations, can support multiple wireless technologies, are capable of scanning barcodes and/or RFID, and more.

What’s Important to Know About Terminals

Terminals can be a vital component to your wireless infrastructure because of their mobility, ruggedness, and ability to scan quickly and efficiently. Terminals are used when your employees need mobility to perform a function, scanning through a workflow for real-time information and data. Real-time information provides employees with always having health and safety at their fingertips.

Imagine your employees are picking orders. Using a mobile device that enables access to a host interface provides immediate interaction with a database. The employees can see in real-time what orders need to be pulled and what items need to be scanned to the order. As the data is scanned, the host updates the inventory. Inventory problems can be minimized with real-time data.

An Option for Any Stage of Business

Whatever stage your food manufacturing business is at, starting out or planning long-term future growth, Zebra has options to support you. Imprint’s specialists are always available to help you understand the differences with Zebra’s terminals.

Starting Out Options

For food manufacturing SMBs that are just starting out, the following terminal are good options:

Durable and Flexible Options

For food manufacturing SMBs that are looking for a terminal option that provides greater flexibility and durability, the Zebra MC3300 is a better option:

• Data capture up to 70 ft (21.3 m)
• Configurable forms: pistol grip, turret with rotating head, straight shooter
• IP54 sealing
• Wi-Fi enabled
• Backwards compatible with MC3200 accessories
• Android OS

Long-Lasting Options

For food manufacturing SMB’s that are wanting professional and long-lasting solutions, the following are the best terminal options to choose from:

Zebra MC9300

• • • Ultra-rugged construction
    • 3-in WVGA touchscreen
    • Corning® Gorilla® scanner window
    • Drop spec 8 ft (2.4 m), 6 ft (1.8 m) drop to concrete
    • IP67 and IP65 sealing per applicable IEC sealing specifications
    • Standard operating temp -4°F (-20°C) to 122°F (50°C)
    • Cold Storage operating temp -22°F (-30°C) to 122°F (50°C)
    • Android OS with LifeGuardTM for Android

Barcode Labeling is an Interconnected System

When you incorporate a complete Zebra Technologies barcode labeling system within your food manufacturing business, the process becomes more simplified which enhances operational efficiency. Every aspect of barcode labeling technology creates an interconnected system that can help your company thrive and grow into the future.

Zebra Technologies & Imprint Enterprises have over 30 years of experience each to help move your SMB food manufacturing company into a technological future that is more efficient. Zebra is an expert in the barcoding technology field with their rigorous testing of their own products. Zebra has multiple R&D facilities to test their products and is one of the largest converters in the USA for barcode labels.

Imprint Enterprises is a Premiere Solution Partner with Zebra Technologies. Imprint is a company that grows with you, providing your food manufacturing business with a total, competitively priced solution. Imprint builds a lifelong relationship with you and your company that is based on quality and trust.

With Zebra & Imprint, there are multiple options to suit your growing needs and your budgetary requirements. From just starting out to a long-lasting solution, Imprint’s specialists can help you determine what it will take to get you where you want to go. You can have a comprehensive barcoding solution that will decrease overall costs, increase efficiency, and achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Contact Imprint Enterprises today to discuss Zebra’s barcode labeling solutions that are best for you.

Over the past few decades, technology has continually advanced. Moving into the future and growing your business includes embracing this advancing technology. Zebra Technologies and Imprint Enterprises have the tools, knowledge, and expertise to help you move forward with the future of barcode technology, starting with printing barcodes at your facility.

A proper barcode label helps you and your clients ensure FDA compliance standards are met. A barcode label provides information on what a product is and where it goes. Labels are used to track inventory, which is vital to supply chains, inventory management, transportation, asset management, sales, and more.

What’s Important to Know About Printing 

When printing your own barcode labels, there are certain factors to consider. Printing requirements involve determining the parameters of your barcode printer setup:

• • • How big of a label do you need to print?
    • What kind of design do you want to print?
    • Do you want to incorporate a UPC label?
    • How many labels do you want or need to print at any one time?
    • Will the labels be printed in a centralized method or a distributed method?
    • How many work areas will need printer capabilities, or will there be one printer room?

Font Size Matters

Once you know how your company will be printing labels, the next factors to consider involve the font size on the labels and the size of the barcode itself. The smaller the font size, the higher the resolution the printhead of the barcode printer needs to be. Printheads come in 203, 300, or 600 DPI (dots per inch). The smaller a label needs to be, the higher the DPI resolution must be to accommodate the size of the label.

Compliance Matters

While you’re growing your business and building your clientele list, it’s important to know if there are specific barcode label industry compliance standards that your manufacturing company must adhere to. If labels are not done to specific standards, your company can be liable for more than just fines and chargebacks, there is a possibility of a legal exposure as well.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires using a unique device identifier (UDI) on barcode labels in food and beverage industries. Labels are required to list ingredients, potential allergens, and specific serialization requirements. Not meeting the standards opens the potential for legal ramifications.

These standards play key roles in identifying, tracking, and tracing products as they move through supply chains across the world. Whether it is a simple traceability requirement or a complex regulatory compliance code, incorporating barcode technology can help your food manufacturing company minimize fines and exposure.

A Printer for Any Function

Barcode printers typically come in three varieties: desktop, tabletop, and mobile. Desktop printers are typically smaller and lighter than tabletop printers. Tabletop printers are more durable and can do more functions than a desktop, such as label rewinding and peel and present. If your company needs to print a thousand labels at a time and rewind them back into a roll (label rewinding), then a tabletop printer is the way to go.

Peel and present label printing is a method of sending a label job of, for example, a thousand labels to a printer where the job sits in a queue so that one label can be printed at a time, peeled off, and applied. Then it repeats until the queue is emptied.

Another option is using a mobile barcode label printer that can print barcodes as employees are walking around working. This is a good option for mobile workflows to minimize interruptions of walking back and forth to a centralized printing location.

An Option for Any Stage of Business

No matter what stage your business is at, Zebra has the options to support your growth. From just starting out to knowing your business will expand into the future, Imprint can help walk you through Zebra’s barcode printer options.

Starting Out Options

For food manufacturing SMBs that are just starting out, the following printers are good options to print hundreds of labels a day:

Durable and Flexible Options

For food manufacturing SMBs that are looking for options that provide greater flexibility and durability, the following printers some of the better options to print thousands of labels a day:

Zebra ZT111 Industrial Printer

• • • Easy integration and backwards compatible
    • Printer Emulation capabilities
    • Operates in direct thermal or thermal transfer mode
    • Print speed of up to 10” per second at 203 DPI
    • Three button keypad
    • Connectivity options include Serial, Ethernet, and USB Host

Long-Lasting Options

For food manufacturing SMB’s that are wanting professional and long-lasting solutions, the following are the best options to choose from to print tens of thousands of labels a day:

Zebra ZT411 Industrial Printer

• • • Durable for harsh industrial environments
    • 3” full-color touch display
    • Industry specific configurability
    • Print speed of up to 14” per second at 203 DPI
    • Operates in direct thermal or thermal transfer mode
    • Connectivity options include USB, Serial, Ethernet, Bluetooth, and Dual USB Host,
    • RFID option

Barcode Labeling is an Interconnected System

When you incorporate a complete Zebra Technologies barcode labeling system within your food manufacturing business, the process becomes more simplified which enhances operational efficiency. Every aspect of barcode labeling technology creates an interconnected system that can help your company thrive and grow into the future.

Zebra Technologies & Imprint Enterprises have over 30 years of experience each to help move your SMB food manufacturing company into a technological future that is more efficient. Zebra is an expert in the barcoding technology field with their rigorous testing of their own products. Zebra has multiple R&D facilities to test their products and is one of the largest converters in the USA for barcode labels.

Imprint Enterprises is a Premiere Solution Partner with Zebra Technologies. Imprint is a company that grows with you, providing your food manufacturing business with a total, competitively priced solution. Imprint builds a lifelong relationship with you and your company that is based on quality and trust.

With Zebra & Imprint, there are multiple options to suit your growing needs and your budgetary requirements. From just starting out to a long-lasting solution, Imprint’s specialists can help you determine what it will take to get you where you want to go. You can have a comprehensive barcoding solution that will decrease overall costs, increase efficiency, and achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Contact Imprint Enterprises today to discuss Zebra’s barcode labeling solutions that are best for you.

Food manufacturing businesses must be able to keep up with changing regulations, technological advances, and increasing omnichannel shopping. In fact, in today’s climate, food manufacturing productivity and effectiveness are greatly affected by their ability to keep up with the demands of regulations, clients, and the economy.

Zebra Technologies and Imprint Enterprises have the tools, knowledge, and expertise to help you move forward with the future of barcode technology, including which barcode scanners are best for your manufacturing facility.

What’s Important to Know About Scanning

It's important to know what kind of barcodes your food manufacturing SMB is needing to scan to determine what kind of Zebra scanners are best suited to your needs. There are different forms of barcodes, depending on the product it is placed on and the lifecycle requirements of the barcode itself.

1D, or linear, barcodes can only hold approximately 20-25 characters. 2D barcodes can have a higher data density in a smaller space. 2D barcode labels use patters, shapes, and dots to encrypt more data information and can include images, website addresses, and binary data.

In most food industries, such as manufacturers and retailers, use 1D barcode labels. With Zebra Technologies, you can have the option to be able to scan what you need, whenever you need to. Most scanners are rugged, and some even have the ability to withstand sanitization and sterilization measures to minimize contaminations.

Once you know what kind of barcodes you will be scanning, it’s important to determine if you will need tethered scanners or cordless scanners. Tethered scanners are typically connected to a host computer via USB cable, which powers the scanner. Cordless scanners are portable and typically connect via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to host computers.

An Option for Any Stage of Business

Zebra has options to support any stage of business growth. From just starting out to facilitating a growing demand, Imprint can help walk you through Zebra’s barcode scanner options.

Starting Out Options

For food manufacturing SMBs that are just starting out, the following scanners are good options:

Durable and Flexible Options

For food manufacturing SMBs that are looking for options that provide greater flexibility and durability, the Zebra DS4600 series provides a better option:

• Capture laser etched direct part marks, high density and low contrast codes, and 4-in wide barcodes
• Reads 13 mil 100% UPC barcodes up to 8.5 in (21.5 cm) away
• 800 MHz microprocessor, megapixel sensor
• Zebra’s exclusive PRZM Intelligent Imaging technology
• IP52 Sealing

Long-Lasting Options

For food manufacturing SMB’s that are wanting professional and long-lasting solutions, and scanners that can withstand sterilization and sanitization measures, the following are the best options to choose from:

Zebra DS3608

• • • Ultra-rugged tethered scanner
    • Scan 1D/2D barcodes up to 5 ft (1.5 m) away
    • High resolution imaging sensor scans damaged barcodes
    • Zebra’s exclusive PRZM Intelligent Imaging technology
    • IP67 Sealing
    • Drop Spec 8 ft (2.4 m) drop to concrete with 5,000 tumbles
    • Extreme temperature rating

Barcode Labeling is an Interconnected System

When you incorporate a complete Zebra Technologies barcode labeling system within your food manufacturing business, the process becomes more simplified which enhances operational efficiency. Every aspect of barcode labeling technology creates an interconnected system that can help your company thrive and grow into the future.

Zebra Technologies & Imprint Enterprises have over 30 years of experience each to help move your SMB food manufacturing company into a technological future that is more efficient. Zebra is an expert in the barcoding technology field with their rigorous testing of their own products. Zebra has multiple R&D facilities to test their products and is one of the largest converters in the USA for barcode labels.

Imprint Enterprises is a Premiere Solution Partner with Zebra Technologies. Imprint is a company that grows with you, providing your food manufacturing business with a total, competitively priced solution. Imprint builds a lifelong relationship with you and your company that is based on quality and trust.

With Zebra & Imprint, there are multiple options to suit your growing needs and your budgetary requirements. From just starting out to a long-lasting solution, Imprint’s specialists can help you determine what it will take to get you where you want to go. You can have a comprehensive barcoding solution that will decrease overall costs, increase efficiency, and achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Contact Imprint Enterprises today to discuss Zebra’s barcode labeling solutions that are best for you.

The upgradable ZT111 and ZT231 from Zebra Technologies brings quality to affordability. With fast printing speeds, built-in intelligence, and time-saving tools, meeting your growing barcode labeling demands is easier. Maximize the workspace in your company with either of these light and compact barcode label printers that also have bi-fold doors to reduce the height needed to open them.

The ZT111 & ZT231 industrial printers are easy to integrate into your existing network, have easy-to-use interfaces, and LED status icons. Obtain the enduring quality you expect from Zebra with a printer that will perform for years.

Holding Industry Standards

A regular barcode label printer is not built to withstand an industrial environment, nor is it meant to be a workhorse. Keep up with productivity demands with an industrial printer that is easy on your budget. Stop replacing a subpar barcode printer with more subpar barcode printers that that cannot meet your needs.

Both the ZT111 and the ZT231 have more uptime, more processing power, and more tools with onboard analytics and printhead element out detections that help with maintenance management. When you incorporate a Zebra Technologies industrial printer within your business, printing barcode labels becomes more simplified which enhances operational efficiency.

A Smarter Choice Today and Tomorrow

ZT111 Industrial Printer Features

The ZT111 operates in direct-thermal or thermal-transfer mode on labels up to 4 inches. The construction is a metal frame with plastic enclosures and a bi-fold media door with a large clear window. It comes with Print DNA Basic Software and is Energy Star ® certified. Other features include:

• • • Backwards compatible with Printer Emulation capabilities
    • Print speed of up to 10” per second at 203 DPI
    • 300 dpi high-resolution printing option
    • Side-loading supplies path for simplified media and ribbon loading
    • Thin film printhead with E3™Element Energy™ Equalizer
    • Connectivity options include Serial, Ethernet, and USB Host
    • Print DNA Basic Software
    • ZebraDesigner Essentials

ZT231 Industrial Printer Features

Securely Manage Barcode Printing while Growing Your Business

Both industrial printers are built for use in manufacturing, transportation & logistics, healthcare, and retail. Protect the data in your facility from cyber-attacks with Zebra’s PrintSecure, part of Print DNA. Zebra’s unparalleled program provides peace-of-mind with Secure Boot upon start-up, Protected Mode while in use, and Simplified Printer Decommissioning for relocating the printer.

Together, Imprint and Zebra Bring You Options

Zebra Technologies has over 30 years of experience and is a leading expert in barcoding technology. Zebra rigorously tests their products in multiple R&D facilities, making sure you receive the quality you deserve.

Imprint Enterprises is a Premiere Solution Partner with Zebra Technologies. Imprint is a company that grows with you, providing your business with an affordably priced solution. Imprint builds a lifelong relationship with you and your company that is based on quality and trust with Specialists that can help you determine what you need.

Contact Imprint Enterprises today to discuss which of Zebra’s industrial barcode label printers are best for you.