While thermal printing has been around for decades, there are still many myths surrounding thermal labels. With so much riding on the proper identification of your samples, it’s important to get the facts straight when choosing your labels. Below, we’ve listed some of the most common misconceptions about thermal-transfer printing and addressed why these statements are inherently false.
So, you’ve decided to make the switch to a thermal-transfer barcode printer. Whether this is because your label printout keeps smearing due to chemical exposure or your having difficulty scanning your barcodes, there are some key factors you can expect to encounter when making the switch from laser to thermal-transfer printing.
Many labs are inundated with a high volume of samples on a regular basis. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology labs can process thousands of samples daily, while medical labs are regularly bombarded with patient specimens. Because tube labeling can take up a significant portion of your day, having a system in place that can streamline the process is a necessity. For large labs, that includes having an automated labeling system.
When you hear 3D printing, what do you think of? Perhaps you imagine creating inanimate objects like chairs, wrenches, or toys out of construction materials (e.g. plastic, ceramic, or metal). The uses of additive printing have evolved way past that and now serve an important role in medicine and research.
So, you’ve decided to purchase a set of labels and a label printer, but you haven’t figured out which software you should install to design your labels with. There are several different options, from basic software that comes with the printer to specialized software, such as BarTender™ and Label Matrix™, each of which can be used on their own or as part of a laboratory information management system (LIMS). Here, we’ll review some of the pros and cons of each option.
Previously, we established that thermal printers are ideal for printing barcodes. The use of barcodes has multiple advantages, including improved data management and lower costs. With a wide range of uses, barcodes can be used everywhere from retail stores, to hospitals, and industrial work sites. However, barcode labels are not one size fits all, with different types of 1D and 2D barcodes each having their specific uses. Here we’ll give a brief overview of the different options available, to help you chose the barcode that will best suit your needs.
When choosing the print-on-demand labeling solution that’s right for your application, it is important to take into consideration what printing method you will be using. The choice of a printer can greatly affect the durability of your labels, as well as the type of applications they can be used in. There are several options available to choose from, each with their own benefits and drawbacks.