Mobile Barcode Printers are Saving Time and Money
By Charlotte A. F. Farley
Consider the routines of your daily life: program your coffeemaker, push a button to lift the garage door, and make sure you haven’t left your cell phone on the counter. Get to work and complain about the slow internet connection as you dash over to retrieve your barcodes from the printer.
Everything has become increasingly more mobile, so shouldn’t your barcode printing system be mobile, too? That’s a rhetorical question, but in case you weren’t sure, the answer is yes. Here’s why: if you need barcodes, then you need a way to create and print accurate labels. Better yet, you need a way to create and print accurate labels in a way that increases your accuracy and efficiency and saves you time (and money). Instead of taking the ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it approach, consider upgrading to a mobile barcode printing solution.
If you don’t already have a mobile barcode printing solution, then you probably print out a ton of labels and then manually transport them to the products that need labelling. Once you implement a mobile system, you eliminate the need to make repeated trips to a stationary printer, which can save your business hours each month (or even hours a week). By reducing the sheer mount of footsteps it takes going from the printer to the inventory, you clearly save time. However, when you eliminate those extra trips, you also remove the chance for distractions—you know, you bump into someone, start chatting, remember something else you needed to do that day, check your email, what have you…all while the barcodes remain sitting at the printer.
You and your staff aren’t tied down to the printing station when you have a mobile printer in your hands, and printing barcode labels on demand significantly enhances productivity: your employees can label new inventory on the spot, finish that task, and move on to the next thing on the day’s to-do list.
While using a mobile barcode printer increases efficiency, it doesn’t sacrifice accuracy for speed; in fact, mobile barcode printers allow for more control and precision in the execution of label printing and placement. When you have a hot-off-the-press barcode in your hands, you greatly reduce the chance for inaccurate label placement and guarantee that all products receive barcodes, which simplifies inventory tracking.
Many mobile printers on the market are now compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows mobile devices to assist in faster transactions and processes. Companies who design and manufacture mobile printers have created solutions to help businesses enhance performance by saving time and money.
Bixolon SPP-R300
Several products out on the market provide superior solutions. One of these mobile barcode printers is Bixolon’s SPP-R300; a convenient 3-inch, rugged mobile printing solution that can be used across a span of industries. Designed for versatility, it provides a range of connectivity options (WLAN, Bluetooth, etc.) and allows users to switch from receipt to barcode printing with one simple switch. A one-touch cover is easy to open and simple for drop-in paper loading. The device comes with optional linerless label printing. The printer features enhanced printing of fonts, graphics, and barcode symbologies. The company offers another versatile mobile solution in the SPP-R200III, a 2-inch thermal mobile printer that is best intended for queue busting, delivery note & receipt issuing, and mobile ticketing. Compatible with all major operating systems, the printer supports continuous printing (10 rolls 40 mm diameter paper) and lasts a full 24 hours once fully charged. The SPP-R300 is especially suitable for outdoor usage, it is damage resistant to multiple drops of up to 4 feet and has water resistant capabilities IP42 and with the protective cover, IP54. Bixolon also offers a wide range of carrying and charging accessories in a variety of colors to accompany their mobile printers.
Another solution is provided by Infinite Peripherals DPP series. They deliver value and convenience for multiple mobile printing needs,
Infinite Peripherals DPP250
including POS receipts, coupons, lab results, and labels. The DPP printer line comes to mind as a fully portable, comprehensive mobile printing solution when used in conjunction with mobile devices and software applications. Specifically, the DPP-250 model is a 2-inch thermal mobile printer –it can fit into your pocket! It comes with a mag-stripe reader and Bluetooth options available. It features a long-life battery (approximately 2 ½-paper rolls). This model, along with the others in the same line, comes equipped with a belt clip.
Brother Rugged Jet
Brother Mobile’s aptly named Rugged Jet series is ideal for any business that requires mobile printing solutions in non-traditional settings. The printers, with IP54 certification, are able to withstand elements such as dust and moisture and come with six-foot drop protection. Users can print from iOS, Android, Windows, Windows Mobile, or Apple AirPrint. Additionally, you can choose the width of your labels (from 1-3 inches), so users only have to use one mobile printer for various mobile applications. Another feature that makes the Rugged 3 series unique is the large color LCD display with interactive menus and graphical instructions. The RuggedJet 3 series is ideal for retail sales floor applications, for printing shelf-edge, product, and mark-down whereas the RuggedJet 4 Series is ideal for warehouse and distribution center applications, especially for mobile printing from handhelds and vehicle-mounted computers in wireless warehouse environments for barcoded put-away, cross-docking, sorting, pick, packing, shipping, and RMA labels.
Finally, the Mobilink P20 Mobile Receipt Printer by Epson.
Epson Mobilink P80
The P20 is an ultra-compact 2-inch receipt printer that weighs only a half-pound. Truly, it fits in the palm of your hand. Epson says that this printer has the highest printing speed in its class of up to 100/mm second as well as a best-in-class operational battery life for ultra-compact printers of up to 8 hours. The Mobilink P20 comes with a 6.5-foot drop rating and is IP54 ready with padded case. Featuring Epson’s ePOS Print technology, it can print directly from compatible POS applications with any mobile devices running an iOS, Android, or Windows operating system.
At the end of the day, you’ve upgraded your cell phone to a smart phone, your VCR to a DVD player, and your standard coffee pot to a K-cup, all of which has streamlined your processes and saved you countless hours of waiting. Isn’t it about time that you upgrade your barcode printing system, too?
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