What DPI? Tips on Deciding Between 203, 300 or 600 DPI Print Resolution

When determining a 203 dpi, 300 dpi, or a 600 dpi printer, you need to consider the print clarity and readability, print speed and the label format required for your application.

This video from Zebra Technology not only highlights these considerations, but offers guidelines and dpi examples. - See more at: http://www.multisystems.com/what-dpi-tips-on-deciding-between-203-300-or-600-dpi-print-resolution/

The Top 5 Basic Questions for selecting a Barcode Reader.

Need to select the right Barcode Scanner for your application? Here are the 5 most easy-to-answer question that will help you determine the best barcode scanner for your application,

1. What barcode symbology are you going to read?

The main two types of barcodes are One Dimensional (1D), also called Lineal barcodes and Two-Dimensional (2D) barcodes. 1D barcodes are commonly recognized as being several parallel lines, like the ones used on retail stores and supermarkets. Most common 1D barcodes include UPC for Retail, Code 39, Code 128 among others. 1D barcodes can be decoded using almost any kind of barcode reader, while two-dimensional barcodes, like the recently often seen QR Codes and Datamatrix, need a different technology to be read. If you are using a 2D barcode, you need to make sure you are acquiring a scanner that read 2D barcodes. Bi-dimensional readers can read 1D, but laser scanners for 1D cannot read 2D barcodes.

 2. What is the condition of the barcode you are reading?

In addition to the type of symbology you will read, you need to determine what is the size and resolution of the barcode. If you need to read very small barcodes (3 mil) on a manufacturing plant you may need a High Density (HD) reader. If the barcode you are going to read is way too far or high on a warehouse, you may need a Long Range reader. Some scanners can even intelligent enough to read and decode direct part markings and blurred or damaged barcodes on boxes.

3. Is the scanner compatible with your application?

What you want to do with the information of the barcode you are reading? Do you want only to read the barcode a place the decoded information on a field. Do you want to make a transaction with that information? There are different software for warehouse management, inventory, mobile solutions, etc. Make sure you are acquiring a scanner that is compatible with your existing application. Request a demo if necessary, make sure to double check.

 

4. What is the environment where the scanner will be used?

On a manufacturing or industrial atmosphere, you need to make sure the equipment can resist tougher working conditions than in office or retail scanners. You need to take in consideration what kind of dropping abuse to concrete or vibration will be exposed. You may also want to compare the IP rating for each device. The IP rating classifies the degree of protection against the intrusion of particulate like dust, dirt and water into the casing, which may cause electronic failures.

Additionally, if you work in extreme temperatures, you’ll need to verify the scanner operating temperature, storage, and recharging temperature. For example, cold storage environments can be very tough on the equipment. Long-term use of non-optimized equipment in cold conditions can cause screens and housings to become brittle, and repeated condensation can cause internal components to corrode, short-circuit and fail.

5. Where the Scanner will be connected.

You need to verify your ports options. Common applications, where the scanner will be attached directly to a PC can use USB, Serial or PS2 (Keyboard Wedge) ports. If the scanner is going to be connected to a workstation, POS terminal or mobile computer, you need to verify that the available ports are compatible. Several adapter are available to connect to different type of ports.

There are also options of portable and cordless scanners that can read up to 100 ft. for mobile flexibility. These scanners can be connected through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi communication protocols. Remember that a base or cradle is required for charging and data transmission.

There are also different options of scanners handling and stands that helps you speed up your scanning reading, like fixed or online barcode readers, Omni-directional reader and even more intelligent machine vision cameras that can read, decode and capture much more information than barcodes.

Maintenance and service options form factory-certified personnel helps you extend the equipment uptime.

MultiSystems provides a wide array of 1D and 2D handheld, mobile and fixed mounted barcode scanners for a range of industries and applications. We integrate these readers into our customers environment to ensure optimal performance.

Contact us today to  learn how we can help you select the correct barcode reader for your application.

Jamaica Broilers enhances efficiency with MultiSystems Catch-Weight Warehouse Management Solution

Jamaica Broilers enhances efficiency with MultiSystems Catch-Weight Warehouse Management Solution for complete Food Traceability. Solution include unique product identification of weigthed cases, warehouse management system and sales force automation with pre-sales and truck sales modules. For more information, visit us at http://www.multisystems.com/.

Posted Originally by Jan Nash on Thu, Feb 17, 2011 @ 08:42 AM in blogs.zebra.com

 

Puritan Bakery bakes and delivers fresh hamburger buns and breads daily to restaurants around Southern California. Short product shelf life means Puritan delivers based on customer demand, so customers have to have their orders in by noon the day before.

Puritan’s delivery drivers used to carry mobile devices, but those devices weren’t connected to backend systems—so until drivers returned to home base, they didn’t know that orders had changed; accounting staff couldn’t start reconciliations because they didn’t know what was loaded and delivered; and management couldn’t make timely business decisions because they didn’t have real-time visibility into order and delivery status. What’s more, drivers had to walk back to their trucks to print customer receipts, adding to delivery-stop time.

Learn the steps Puritan took so that …

• Mobile devices automatically updated office systems about orders in real time
• Office staff instantly received order information for reconciliations
• Data for next-day planning and management insight available faster
• Drivers completed routes 30 minutes faster than before

View the Puritan Bakery video, or read the Puritan Bakery case study.
To learn more about how to optimize direct store delivery processes, click here



Posted Originally by Jan Nash on Thu, Feb 17, 2011 @ 08:42 AM in blogs.zebra.com 

Food Traceability and Safety a Must. Bar Coding and RFID a Plus.

This Blog was posted originally by Jan Nash on Tue, May 10, 2011 @ 06:00 AM on blogs.zebra.com

An article in April’s NRF STORES notes that for retailers and others throughout the food supply chain, “Strict new food safety laws … are some of the factors that are making supply chain visibility a business imperative.”

One of the most recent laws is the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. Its passage in January now means the industry must institute end-to-end food traceability. Anyone along the food supply chain—from the grower to the grocer—is required to be able to produce at a moment’s notice from whom they obtained the food and to whom they sent it. Since the legislation will require food growers, manufacturers and distributors to record food origins from the field to the fork, finding the appropriate and affordable traceability technology will be critical. Bar coding technologies are an important first step in this compliance. Read more about the Act and some of the proposed food tracking technology solutions in our previous blog article.

Then, you might want to check out our

Blog posted originally by Jan Nash on Tue, May 10, 2011 @ 06:00 AM on blogs.zebra.comwhite paper, which examines how the food industry can take advantage of bar code and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies to improve safety, reduce operating expenses, meet compliance requirements, and improve efficiency. It covers:

• How bar code and RFID support compliance with regulations such as the Bioterrorism Act , EU Food Law, and The Food Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 2749)

• Traditional uses and advantages of bar code data collection

• Emerging technologies and standards, including Reduced Space Symbology® (RSS) bar codes, Electronic Product Code™ (EPC) RFID technology, and the GS1 Global Traceability Standard (GS1 DataBar™).

RFID is also a promising food traceability technology. For a cool example from University of Arizona researchers, read our past article “RFID Tracks Both a Field’s Productivity and the Field’s Produce.”

Are you a grocer, distributor or grower facing the need to comply with food safety regulations? What technologies will you deploy to meet those requirements?