Where to place bar codes? 3 tips for businesses

Bar codes may appear relatively simple in design, but printing and placing them requires planning. With an in-house bar code printer, you can control aspects of design that would otherwise be out of your control, saving money and maximizing resources to the fullest. The printer can also render these important symbols in high definition for easy scanning.

On the food product dating page of its website, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) references the need for bar codes and Universal Product Codes to be easily accessed when it’s time for customers to make their purchase. “They are not required by regulation but manufacturers print them on most product labels because scanners at supermarkets can ‘read’ them quickly to record the price at checkout,” the site says.

Here are three tips to remember when designing a barcode:

• Integrate it into your design: While bar code labels can be attached in multiple ways, the best ones work the black bars and code numbers into the existing product label. This can make it easier for a clerk to find and also create a more professional look for the product.
• Keep things consistent: Depending on the shape of the product packaging, you may decide to place the label horizontally or vertically. Though this seems like a big decision, a guidance document from barcode licensing company GS1US suggests that the bar code can be facing up or down vertically, as long as the label matches the rest of the packaging.
• Save space for the whole label: That document also recommends placing the bar code in an area where it won’t be obscured by parts of the product, which means keeping it away from corners and edges, and making sure flaps, staples and other elements don’t cover it up.

With the Primera LX900 Color Label Printer, companies are free to make orientation decisions and adjust their labels as they develop the right method for printing.