How to choose software for your sticker painter?

 

Thinking to to purchase a set of labels and a label printer to go along with, but you haven’t figured out which print Shop software to use? There are several options of the web to print software, ranging from basic software for your label printer to highly specialized and integrated software, available, each of which has the ability to be used on their own or as part of an integrated laboratory information management system (LIMS). Here, we’ll review some of the print Shop software and its pros and cons.

 

Specialized software

• Print Shop software is compatible with both digital (inkjet and laser) and thermal (direct-thermal and thermal-transfer) printers and has become two of the most customizable label printing programs on the market. You can integrate data from excel sheets and sample databases into the templates, encrypt documents, and encode radio-frequency identification (RFID) labels. Some versions also provide an extra bit of flexibility by allowing the users to produce a variety of labels using only 1 design without having to save each file after the completion of each project separately.

 

• Specialized label printing software has become a must when printing barcodes. Providing a wide range of barcode types for both 1D and 2D, along with the ability to configure barcode density, this group of the web to print software affords users many more printing options when compared with basic software.
• This print Shop software might be the optimal solution for printing personalized and custom labels by allowing the users to print serialized information and incorporate logos and designs. However, specialized barcoding software really shows its mettle when it comes to producing serialized barcodes. While basic software can be used for designing rudimentary serialization, such as consecutive numbering, specialized software takes it one step further by allowing users to choose intervals, prefixes, and suffixes.
• Most importantly, it also has the function of letting users import from databases and generates barcodes based on customs data.

 

Using LIMS to print labels

 

• One thing to be considered before choosing any labeling software from the Web to Print store is whether the lab uses a LIMS or not. There exists a wide selection of LIMS, some of which come with their label printing software and some that are not equipped with this facility. A high-quality LIMS software should be able to provide the same benefits as BarTender.
• For the LIMS that comes with Print Shop software, the user must make sure that it’s compatible with the lab’s current printer. Similarly, if a person is utilizing a LIMS that doesn’t come equipped with label printing software. In that case, the user must ensure that whatever software he selects is compatible with the particular variety of LIMS. In some cases requiring greater flexibility and application, one may want to install software like BarTender to supply that additional functionality that LIMS software may not be capable of providing.

 

• The use of LIMS is considered a choice the user has to make separately from the label printing software sought after by the lab. LIMS are implemented to improve sample management and overall lab productivity, goals that can be better and more efficiently achieved with the use of barcode labels.
• The most important thing that must be considered is whether the chosen LIMS, printer and software are compatible without coming in each other’s way. While specialized label software can provide additional functionality, using this technology might not be entirely necessary.

 

Printing with the preloaded printer software

 

• Most label printers are designed with their proprietary software. It includes the likes of ZebraDesigner for Zebra printers, CABlabel S3 Lite for CAB printers, and LabelWriter for DYMO printers. These programs offer a basic set of printing options, providing the user with a set of simple templates to print from. Some printers are also made to offer additional features, like ZebraDesigner and LabelWriter, which allows users to generate barcodes in real-time. However, one flaw is that the barcodes designed this way are usually of a very simple design, hosting very limited possibilities for customization.

 

• Another hassle-free way to print labels is by using Microsoft Word. Most scientists can easily access Microsoft Word through their university or the company they work for. Still, for the people who don’t, Word often becomes an additional expense when buying a laboratory label printer. With the use of Word, templates can be provided for the sheet labels only and will allow users to input label data from excel sheets. Word can be made to generate barcodes with the help of third-party add-ins.

 

• LabTAG, conceived by GA International, has become a leading manufacturer of high-performance specialty labels and a top supplier of identification solutions that have their uses in research and medical labs as well as healthcare institutions.

 

Conclusion-

Selecting the perfect printing software for a label printer can seem complicated, with many options. The choice has to be ultimately based on the laboratory’s needs. The buyer might require certain specific types of barcodes, or he may have to transfer large datasets directly into the software to print a relatively high volume of labels. It is then important to understand what labels will be printed and how and to assess whether the program that is eventually chosen can be compatible with the choice of lab labels, the printer, and the LIMS if it’s being used. Before concluding a deal, all these features must be considered while choosing the Web to Print Store.