Freedom of choice is a wonderful thing. For many enterprise IT departments, the Linux operating system has brought democracy back to computing, removing the obligation to use proprietary PC solutions. Open source code means users and third party software suppliers can develop different software applications that are tailored to individual company needs. Linux barcode design is a case in point. You can pick and choose from a wide range of possibilities, including web enabled interfaces, to design and administer barcodes for pick lists, packing slips and different company assets.
Wondering how you can handle specialist label specifications? Or integrate your company logo into your barcodes to make your product shipments instantly recognizable? It’s practically a certainty that with all the Linux apps available today, you’ll find the one you need to handle any kind of barcode symbology, size, captions and graphics. If you’re wondering where to start, try Zint Barcode Studio, which is open source software in its own right with extensive capabilities. By exporting the barcodes you design in graphics formats like EPS, PNG and SVG, you can also move them directly into other applications, for example, for final positioning on invoices or mailing labels.
Why you should also know what not to choose
Linux and Linux applications are, of course, software. To get a quality physical barcode label out at the other end of the process takes additional hardware, meaning a printer. The printer you use has to be able to give you all the printing precision and durability that you need for your barcode labels, with best-in-class reliability and label print speed. And, hey, if you chose Linux because you also wanted to get more out of your IT budget, wouldn’t it be a good idea also if your barcode label printer was a cost-effective solution with low ongoing maintenance costs?
First of all, as soon as you start thinking about printing barcode labels with adhesive backing or with different dimensions or shapes, then start thinking about a barcode label printer - and not an office printer that was really only designed to handle standard size sheets of plain paper. The usefulness of barcodes comes from being able to stick them onto products, packs, assets and locations, and trying to use a laser printer for example can turn out to be a disaster. Your Linux barcode design can end up smearing across the print media needed to resist the wear and tear of organizational life, while adhesive leaking out because of the overly high temperatures of a laser printer can gum it up and stop it working for good.
Getting your Linux freedom and the performance
So opt for a purpose-designed label printer for volume barcode label printing requirements. You’ll have the choice between direct thermal or thermal transfer printing. Thermal transfer printing gives more durable barcode labels and also improves printer longevity while lowering maintenance costs. Smart choices also include selecting a barcode printer that is easy to install and use, because it operates according to a standard industry printer control language. IntelliBar printers from IntelliTech do this, using the international standard of PCL5, which is available in all versions of Linux.
IntelliBar printers also give you precise and rapid label printing, with speeds of up to 12 inches per second. Given the capability of applications to generate print runs of as many as 10,000 labels at a time, it’s clearly important that your printer can handle this kind of quantity reliably and quickly at any time. That way, whether you’re printing standard barcodes, 2D QR codes, composite symbols or customized barcode designs with additional graphics, you can be sure of a timely, quality result. Free yourself from Linux version dependency. Enjoy the results of your Linux barcode design like you were meant to, with a quality, cost-effective barcode label print solution from IntelliTech.
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