Which barcode asset labels are right for your business?

Using asset labels is a perfect way of tracking varying assets within your company. From recognising the assets that require frequent repairs, to giving you peace of mind that your property is secure, asset labels provide low cost technology for data collection.

Customark offer a catalogue of standard asset label designs

Which can be supplied on rolls or sheets, in a variety of materials and styles. As well as standard label designs we also offer the option of printing unique barcode and serial numbers, which offers an excellent way to track goods whilst being moved or shipped around in today’s busy workplace. But with so many barcode options available it is difficult to understand which is the right one for you and your business.

Code 39, code 128 or interleaved 2 of 5, are popular formats when it comes to choosing a barcode; knowing which barcode you require is down to the application and how they need to be scanned.

Code 39 barcodes tend to be the most popular choice as they are widely used in many industries for a number of applications, including: electronics, healthcare and government. This barcode is a 1D, alphanumeric code which can include all of the 128 ASCII character set, giving code 39 barcodes the ability to extend to any length. However, one of the disadvantages to using this barcode is that it is a low density code which takes up more space than a compact code such as code 128, therefore may not work as well on smaller labels. Although if space may concern you then a 128 barcode may be a better option to consider.

Code 128 is an internationally used barcode obtained from the ASCII 128-character set (0-9, a-z, A-Z and some other characters). This compact code is capable of containing multiple types of information, for example, a batch number and a sell by date, which is why it’s often used in applications where large amounts of  data is encoded into a small space, thus making it slightly more complicated to decode in comparison to code 39. Code 128 works well for many applications and is often used in warehouse and distribution applications.

Interleaved 2 of 5 (ITF) barcodes are number only barcodes used to encode pairs of numbers. Commonly used in inventory, shipping and for tracking on forms, labels and other documents. As digits are encoded in pairs within this barcode, one of the downsides is that there must be an even number of digits to encode, however a zero is usually added to the beginning / end if there is an odd number.

As well as these popular barcode styles we can additionally print many other styles including EAN/UPC barcodes and QR formats. At Customark we have over 45 years of printing experience and we understand the importance of reliability, particularly when it comes to barcodes scanning accurately. We pride ourselves on providing a quality service at all times, thus eliminating any errors, minimising any disruptions to your company operations. Our in-house team of print experts are on hand to help with any queries you may have; if you have any specific requirements or require any advice please contact out team on 01384 264700 or email: sales@customark.co.uk

Alternatively order from us directly online at: www.assetmarkinglabels.co.uk