I'm looking for advice on how to create and print new location labels for the racks in my warehouse. The original labels were done professionally over 20 years ago, but many locations have changed since then, and we need to update our system. Currently, the labels are 5 inches long and 2 inches tall, glossy white with black lettering, including a large barcode for scanning. I currently use a Brother P-touch for our inventory items, but its labels are too small (only 1 inch). We also have a Printronix T6000 for shipping and an older Zebra 105SL printer. I want to try the Zebra printer with polyester/resin labels, but I'm looking for any other affordable methods or materials for this kind of printing. Additionally, I need recommendations for simple software to design the labels and connect with the printer. I also need around 100 labels, and they should be easily readable from about 20-30 feet up. Thanks for any tips!
5 Answers
Do you have a picture of the current labels? Also, why do you need to scan them from 30 feet away? It seems a bit excessive unless your racks are really tall.
We use 4x6 labels on various printers. Direct thermal labels tend to fade, especially in warmer warehouse conditions, so thermal transfer is definitely the way to go. We also make sure our barcodes and text are as large as possible for readability.
What's your budget looking like? I've had good experiences with the CPM 100 for labels - they might be a bit pricey, but they are top-notch quality.
With your Zebra printer, you'll want thermal transfer labels to hold up over time. Definitely check if your Zebra 105SL is still in good shape with a test print first. For software, while Zebra Designer is free, some features are limited. Try Bartender for a more robust option if needed!
You might want to check out Bartender software for designing your labels. I've hosted some licenses at work for our inventory team, and while I haven’t used it directly, we’ve relied on it for a long time. It may offer the flexibility you need.
That's a great idea! I used Bartender years ago and set up a process where it generated labels automatically based on a CSV file from our ERP system. Worked like a charm, especially with color-coded labels for different categories.
Yeah, if the racks are high, I get it. Just a bit curious about the scanning distance!