Maximizing your Scanner Read Range & Label Usage

Tracking Your Devices

Cordless devices bring a new level of flexibility and mobility around your workspace. But just like your car keys or cell phone, cordless scanners can also be easy to misplace during the craziness of the workday. Gain peace of mind that you can easily find those scanners by turning on the Out-Of-Range Alarm. While this feature doesn’t come pre-activated, you can easily set it up in the scanners’ settings.

Here’s how:

• Turn on the alarm by going to the settings and setting the time out duration to > 0
• Program the alarm duration (which can be from 0 – 3,000 seconds)

Once the alarm is set, it will sound if the scanner is moved too far away from its base. The alarm will stop if the scanner is moved closer to the base, when the base connects to another scanner, or when the duration of the alarm expires.

Increasing 2D Imager’s Read Range

Barcodes can come in a wide range of sizes and can get down to a 1/8th inch square when using a 2D code.  2D barcodes are a bit more complex than traditional 1D (linear) barcodes as they organize information vertically and horizontally. This allows 2D codes to hold more information and take up less space than a 1D code. 2D codes require an imager scanner to be read properly. Previously, we covered tips on different scanning modes on your devices, but we didn’t cover how to increase a 2D Imager’s scanner read range.

1. Print a bigger and better quality 1D barcode OR move to a “smaller footprint” 2D data matrix barcode.
2. There is limited tweaking that we can do to improve depth of field.  If you tweak one thing you affect something else – like speed or the scanner’s ability to read bad barcodes. 

Sometimes in a controlled environment you can tweak exposure settings, which may help.  This is something that has to be done “under the hood.”  But for it to have any affect, you need controlled/consistent lighting, which is not something you typically find in a warehouse.  

Thermal Transfer Labels

Every type of business may require a certain kind of label, which is why we offer multiple types. We get asked a lot, “What are the advantages of Thermal Transfer?”  Thermal transfer labels have a major advantage over other types of labels: image durability. If you have a harsh work environment, thermal transfer is a great choice, as the image is much hardier. These labels also boast a superb resolution of barcodes, text, and graphics. They also have a longer printhead life compared to direct thermal printers. The cherry on top is that they can be colored-coded depending on the color of label – black, white, red, green, or blue!

If you are looking to purchase the dual media needed for thermal transfer, reach out to our Hardware experts for the best pricing on labels and ribbons.