Barcode Label Solutions Blog

Part 3: Finding the Right Label Solution: Label Where Used and Label Exposure

Posted by Kathleen

(7/13/20)   Hey, it's Kathleen - this is Part 3 of our series of questions we ask to identify your label requirements  in order to find you the right label solution.  The questions are underlined and italicized within the paragraphs for your convenience.

Today's discussion is about Where the Label is Used and Label Exposure.

Label Where Used

Quite simply:  Where is the label going to be used?  Will it be used inside (such as a building like a warehouse or office), outside (outdoors) or both inside and outside.  It's important to know this because it will greatly determine what type of label material and adhesive would be required. 

Now we've got the information on where the label will be used.

Next question pertains to Label Exposure 

Label Exposure

Chemicals, solvents, moisture, ultraviolet light


Will the label be exposed to chemicals, solvents, moisture and ultraviolet light, etc.?

If you answer yes to any or all of these questions, then it's important to gather as much information on each that apply.

Are there labels and adhesives that can withstand the above?  You bet.  But what specific label material and adhesive depends on the specific exposures.

For instance, exposure to chemicals and solvents.  What are the chemical(s) or solvents the label will be exposed to?  Providing an Material Safety Sheet (MSS) is often very helpful.  An MSS is a technical document which provides detailed and comprehensive information on the chemical such as physical properties, toxicity, reactivity.  An MSS can be obtained from the manufacturer of that product.  Identifying  these key components will aid towards finding the right label material and adhesive that will withstand the chemical's or solvents successfully.

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Tags: Factors to Consider-Finding Right Label Solution

Part 2: Finding the Right Label Solution: Label Life and Temperatures

Posted by Kathleen

(7/10/20)   Hey, it's Kathleen - this is Part 2 of our series of questions we ask to identify your label requirements  in order to find you the right label solution.  The questions are underlined and italicized within the paragraphs for your convenience.

Today's discussion is about Label Life and Temperatures

Label Life

Quite simply:  how long does your label need to last?  Is it days, weeks, months, a year or years?  If it's a shipping label, for instance, then it only needs to last days - from the time the label is applied to the carton to the time the carton is delivered.  There - job done.  Label has lived its life.  The label solution:  simply a paper direct thermal or thermal transfer label. 

However, if it's an asset or inventory label, it will likely need to last years.  In that case, you would need a longer lasting, more durable label.  The label solution:  a synthetic thermal transfer.  Now we've got the label life information.

Next question pertains to Temperatures. 

 

Temperatures:  Apply and Use Temperatures

Apply Temperature

This pertains to the temperature of the object or product at the time you're applying the label to it.

For instance, let's say you're labeling a frozen box of seafood. 

At the time the label is applied, what will be the temperature of the object/product (i.e., the frozen box of seafood) to which the label is being applied?  And this question is best answered in a temperature range scale. 

Let's say the temperature range of the frozen box of seafood is between -50F to -25F.  

Now we've got the apply temperature information.

 

Use Temperature

This temperature pertains to  what the temperature range the label will be exposed to over its life?

Let's take the frozen box of seafood again.  And it's kept in a freezer until it's ready for final sale, for instance.  And you've determined the temperature range of the labeled box will exposed to over its life is -120F to -20F.

Now we have the two important temperature range specifications necessary towards finding the right label material and adhesive that must withstand:

The Apply temp of -50F to -25F

The Use temp of -120F to -20F

Another step towards  towards finding the right label material and adhesive that must withstand the above specified temperature label requirements.

 

Discussed in our next blog will be: 1) label where used and 2) label exposure.

 

Don’t be overwhelmed - we can help you identify your label requirements and help find you the right label solution using our comprehensive label questionnaire that we can review together over the phone if you wish - contact us.

 

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Tags: Factors to Consider-Finding Right Label Solution

Part 1: Finding the Right Label Solution: Surface Material & Conditions: Sometimes it Takes More Than One Label for a Solution

Posted by Kathleen

(7/09/20)   Hey, it's Kathleen - discussing factors to be aware of when finding the right label(s) for your various products with different surface materials and surface conditions.

Here's a common scenario we hear - is this your situation?

"I have several products with different surface materials and surface conditions that I'd like one label for -- one is wood, another is foam rubber, and the other is plastic." 

As part of labeling application specifications, some times we receive requests for “one label” that will work on a variety of surface materials -- for instance, raw wood, powder coated, rubber or plastic materials.  Surface materials have different surface properties. All surface materials are not alike, therefore, one label face stock/adhesive would not necessarily be a solution for all surfaces.    In addition, it’s not only the surface material that must be taken into consideration, but it’s equally important to understand all the applicable surface conditions of each surface material to determine the right label face stock and adhesive.

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Tags: Factors to Consider-Finding Right Label Solution

IntelliBar Mi46 Network Printer Now Has a Wireless Solution

Posted by Kathleen

Tired of stringing ethernet cable everywhere you want to place a printer? Here’s something you might try if your Wi-Fi signal reaches the location where you want to place a networked printer such as our IntelliBar Mi46 or legacy M48N100, M412N100 or M88N100. For around 50 bucks (on Amazon), purchase a NetGear AC750 Range Extender and an Ethernet cable. Once the range extender is set up (directions included), it will pick up your Wi-Fi signal and you can then use the ethernet cable to connect your printer’s ethernet port to the ethernet port on the range extender. Wah-la!

FYI… Want to know the quality of your Wi-Fi signal where you want to place the range extender and printer? Try this: download this app to your smart phone “Wifi Analyzer” (I got it from the Play Store). It will tell you nearly everything you want to know about the Wi-Fi signals present at the location.      Any questions, don't hesitate to contact us

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Tags: Connectivity

Specialty Lumber Tags Withstand High Temperature Kilns

Posted by Kathleen

 

Ever run tagged lumber through a 200+ degree hot kiln and find your tag curled, distorted or burnt off to a crisp?  And you've invested in thousands of these tags?   how high did your temperature rise?

With IntelliTech's proven custom tag made for this particular application, the  synthetic printed/barcode tag withstands the high kiln temperature without any distortion of the tag or scannability of the barcode whatsoever. 

Lumber production is a complex process where green timber is sawn, dried and processed. The natural air-drying of lumber can be a long process, so often times lumber will be kiln-dried to expedite the process.   The temperature of the kiln can get up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. 

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Tags: Custom barcode labels

Label Maker for Mac Lion, Mountain Lion and Other OS Felines

Posted by Susan Fields

As a Mac aficionado, you probably know that Mac Lion (Mac OS X Lion to give it its full name, or Mac OS X version 7) was released in 2011 as the successor to Mac OS X Snow Leopard (version 6). The names are pretty enough, but this kind of release is a headache for some users using the Mac platform as a base for applications and peripherals. Why? Because Mac Lion is not backwards compatible with its predecessor – Apple dropped support for a number of functions or programs. So what’s the situation for people wanting to use a label maker for Mac Lion, for example?

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Tags: MAC barcode label printing

What a real OS X label printer offers that other printers do not

Posted by Susan Fields

If you can run a business using Mac OS X, shouldn’t you also have the same power to do the printing you need – especially label printing for things like for product and distribution barcodes? It sounds reasonable, but things haven’t always been that simple. In the past, unless the printer you wanted to use had a specific Mac OS printer driver available, you had to grit your teeth and do your printing via a PC. For specific types of printing such as barcode label printing, OS X label printers that did work out of the box tended to be small desk top printers only.

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Tags: MAC barcode label printing

Barcoding technology topics among most read blog posts

Posted by Susan Fields

Since 2012, the IntelliTech International barcoding blog is to give our readers useful advice on getting the most out of their barcoding technology. We’ve covered a wide variety of topics, from very specific to broader overviews. Some of our most popular blog posts have been about technology. Since our readers are looking for answers, we thought we’d give you a quick recap.

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Tags: barcode label printers, thermal barcode label printers, lower total cost of ownership

Looking Ahead at Barcode Label Solutions in 2017

Posted by Susan Fields

The different uses of barcode label solutions continue to grow and grow. 

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Tags: barcode labels, barcode label solution

“Think different” with a thermal transfer printer for Macs

Posted by Susan Fields

Get the MAC ebookSo what makes a thermal transfer printer for Mac such a good idea? Assuming that your requirement is to print out adhesive labels for barcoding or similar, it’s bound to be a smarter choice than trying to use an office printer. After all, who wants to have adhesive bleeding into a laser printer mechanism, ink jet smears on the facestock or barcode labels that become rapidly unreadable once they’re printed and out there in the real world? Thermal printing scores a big advantage over laser printing in particular, because the high temperatures of lasers can melt the label adhesive. In addition, there are the IT acrobatics necessary to print individual labels from an office printer without wastage and the labor-intensive process for trying to print onto special media. It doesn’t take much to see that for anything other than standard cut sheet printing office printers are an unhappy choice, and that thermal printing is the way to go.

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Tags: MAC barcode label printing