What's the best bar code label for small items?

[Bloomer2]

We are a small business and we're considering upgrading to Square for Retail Plus so that we can use bar codes to make our checkout process faster and more efficient. However, we sell a ton of very small items (i.e. Christmas ornaments) and we use jewelers/barbell tags to price them. I am having a very hard time finding the following:

1 ) is there a barbell tag that is compatible with one of the Square-supported bar code label printers?

2 ) is there a minimum size for the bar code in order for it to be read by one of the Square-supported bar code scanners?

I think I have read all of the related content on the Support sites, but maybe someone knows of a work around? Thank you so much for your help!

[AshleyK]

Hi @Bloomer2 Thanks for reaching out! I will list the compatible bar code labels/sizes we currently support. I've heard a lot of sellers try to use the barbell labels and have had a lot of trouble reading the SKUs on them. I would personally recommend using a larger label even if the items are small so that you can be sure the labels will be read. 

Dymo Bar Code Printer: LabelWriter 450

Dymo Label: 3/4” x 2 - 1/2”
Dymo Label: 1/2” x 1 - 7/8”

Zebra Bar Code Printer: ZD410

Zebra Label: 1” x 1”
Zebra Label: 1.2” x 0.85”
Zebra Label: 1 - 1/2” x 1”
Zebra Label: 1 - 1/2” x 1/2”

Note: The Zebra ZD410 requires a label roll with a 1” diameter core.

For both the Dymo LabelWriter 450 and Zebra ZD410, make sure to purchase a direct thermal paper label. Thermal transfer paper is not compatible with either of the above bar code printers.

Avery Labels to Standard Printer

• Avery 5161/8161 - Easy Peel Address Labels 1” x 4”
• Avery 5160/8160 - Easy Peel Address Labels 1” x 2 - 5/8”
• Avery 5167/8167 - Easy Peel Return Address Labels 1/2” x 1 - 3/4”
• Avery 5195/8195 - Easy Peel Return Address Labels 2/3” x 1 - 3/4”

Note: If you’d like your labels to contain a scannable bar code, make sure your items have a SKU assigned to them. Learn more about creating and managing items online.

[mysticalcrystal]

I'm interested in the same. I have a crystal shop and want labels for small items. 

[JJ_]

Hey there @Bloomer2 and @mysticalcrystal 👋

At this time jewelry tags (barbell tags) printing is a feature request. This article has a list of our supported barcode label printers and sizes at this time, for your convenience. 

I will make sure to share your interest in a feature like this with our product team.

[Laurenmer]

I would like to add my request for barbells to the list. I previously used Lightspeed as my point of sale and they had unlimited options for printing barcode labels, including barbells. I used the barbells for the jewelry I sell and had no trouble scanning them. The old ones I still have will even scan with square, I just can’t create new ones, which is rather frustrating. I have too much jewelry to logistically have a catalog system that would take way too long for my employees to use so I just hand write the numbers on blank barbell tags. It is not ideal, as keying in the numbers has resulted in mistakes and items being sold at the wrong price. If I had known this was going to be such an issue before I switched to square I would have chosen a different POS, to be honest 

[Candlestore]

@Laurenmer ;

Do you have your catalog from Lightspeed as a CSV file or did you upload your entire catalog to Square that you could export as a CSV file? Here is a guide to Barcodes  Barcode Guide 

By doing so you could enter another column in the spreadsheet and  as a header name it Barcode.  Then follow these instructions for making your own barcodes in bulk.  You may have to Choose "More Fonts" in Google sheets and search for Barcodes.  Google sheets has Libre Barcode 39 and a few other versions of Barcode 39 that should work with Square or even Libre Barcode 128.  Here is a video on how to edit Google Sheets to create barcodes.  Create Barcode with Google Sheets 

Then you can search the file for the product you need to print the barcode for, then choose Print then choose Print Selected Cell.

Depending on which Label Printer you have it may have software included that can generate Barcodes for you.

Dymo label Printer Video here : Dymo Label Printer Software  Shows how to connect to CSV files also.

Zebra label Printer Video here : Zebra Label Design Software  Shows how to connect to CSV file, some of Zebras videos are over an hour long this one is under 14 min.

If you have a different label printer you maybe able to locate a video how to print barcodes using their software or a video like the 2 I attached showing how to connect csv and database files to your label printers software and print the barcodes from there.

I know this is more a hassle then just choosing an item and saying print 10 barcode labels of Item XYZ, but by doing so it opens up more possibilities to you own label designs. On your small jewelry (barbell) barcode labels you might be able to have your store logo and size of chain for your buyers on one side and then the other side has a barcode only.  I use the Zebra label printers for my store and use a 2D barcode reader.  By doing this my 'barcode' is at most a 3/8 inch square type barcode.  I know if I used Square software to create my barcodes I would have some short (8 Characters) and some very long (30 Characters) barcodes that would mean I would need very long barcode labels.  This is because Square uses 1D barcodes and is capable of having SKU's of 40 characters.  I created my SKU's before Square could make an SKU for you which is why some of mine get so long since they are just the name of the item including size.

[Laurenmer]

Keith, thank you so much for your response. I have no problem printing barcodes, I use them for apparel no problem. My issue is with the label format itself. There is no way to print on a barcode at all. In fact, I can only find 3 different label sizes to choose from. When I used Lightspeed I often had to create my own catalog numbers that were short enough to print a barcode on such a tiny label, but it worked. I just think Square needs to update their label printing to include more sizes for different kinds of labels.

BTW, I uploaded my entire inventory at once when I switched to Square in December of last year, and the barcodes came with everything so all that inventory was able to scan.

[Candlestore]

@mysticalcrystal ;

When I need a small label I have been using a Zebra 420 printer and using 1/2 height by 1.5 inches wide labels.  Normally we use these labels to put our burning instructions on our Votives.  But we also use them for small price labels.  We print on a label with multiple Prices then cut them in-between each price or barcode.  We can print about 7 -9 barcodes on these labels this way.  They are great for flat small items but not for wrapping around a small item as the barcode wraps around too.   I started using 1/4 to 3/8 inch QR or Aztec codes for these type of items and a 2D scanner.  1/4 inch Aztec Codes usually work but 3/8 Aztec and QR always work with my scanner.  I know with the 1D barcodes you can use lower heights but the length will vary based on the size (length) of your UPC if you made ones like I did out to 30 characters (Limit of QuickBooks, Square is limited to 40 characters for UPC if I remember correctly)

Just throwing out another work around if you can not find small labels that work for you..... make your own out of what you have.  🙂

[Arie]

Thank you for sharing this helpful workaround @Candlestore! 

[mysticalcrystal]

Do you print them in square using the zd420 printer? Zebra is on shortage for the zd410 across the market bc it is no longer being manufactured. They do have a replacement upgrade. It’s odd square hasn’t gotten in front of that to let us know that printer is no longer going to be supported but there will be a replacement. Would love to know what software you use to print your barcodes. Thanks for your response above! I look forward to your next response too. Thank you!!

[Candlestore]

@mysticalcrystal 

I use a computer to print my barcodes from that I can access the Square Dashboard on.  Its a HP with I5 on it and windows 10.  I do not print right from Square.  But what I did was bought the 420D from amazon used The 410 is a 2 inch wide Label Printer the 420D can print up to 4 inch wide shipping labels. Currently $256-$576 on amazon. 

While looking this up for you I found a new Zebra Label printer that is wireless:

ZSB_DP14-4-inch Print Width -- for $229

ZSB-DP14-4 

or

ZSB-DP12-2-inch Print Width -- for $129

ZSB-DP12-2 

Now since these are new I have not used them but looks like they use the same software I use with different drivers.  For the 420D I have i had to download and install the Drivers and Software from Zebra.  I use Zebra Designer 3 which only works with Zebra Label printers ( maybe other Zebra Printers) .

With this software I have created 2D barcodes both QR and Aztec that work with my 2D scanners.  I use the 2D codes so my labels are the same basic size and can have the name of my items as my Barcode.  

I just found out that my 420s will no longer be supported after 2022, not sure if they have replacements or if the wireless is a replacement.

So what I do is I open the Zebra Designer Software, enter the size of my labels and save it as a blank label.  Then I open the blank label, Choose the barcode icon and then enter the text I want the barcode to have.

The on the side panel I can choose from a list of 1D and 2D barcodes that are in the software.  Choose one and then size it with the software.  When sizing the barcodes, if I go from 10 mils to 11 mils nothing happens....11 - 12 mils... nothing.... 12-13 mils then it gets bigger and stays this size till about 17mills.   this is to keep the spacing correct and keep the barcodes that they can be read.  If I would just take an image and enlarge it the spacing maybe off not allowing your scanner to read it.

 Now once I have the Barcode size I want and the text on the barcode label I want.... Oh yes you can add text and more to the labels for them to be printed.  I only use text and the Aztec code now mostly, since the human eye can not read an Aztec code, and I print multiple labels out before leaving the printer.  Basically my Aztec code is the Item name and the text below the Aztec code is the name of the Item also.  So I copy my Item name out from Square and Paste it to this software as the 'Barcode' and the Text on the label.   Once it all looks good and I print 1 out to test it with my scanner ( since I try to make them small 1/4 inch square), then I save this label as the item name in a folder on my computers desktop labeled "labels".  In this folder I have other folders for categories and items etc so I can quickly find the label I need to print.  So after it is designed and I have a template setup I can just copy and paste the item or SKU right into my label software and hit file save as (paste) then repeat..... yes this is time consuming if you have a ton of items.   I just found that you can import Your SKU and data into Zebra designer 3. How to Import data to Zebra Designer 3 

I have not tried importing data though.

Tips Using the software 

Any other questions let me know

[Candlestore]

@Bloomer2 ;

Sorry for the year lapse but if your still looking for help here since I never saw it before, There are minimum standards for barcodes, height and spacing requirements.  These are not set by Square for which barcode scanners support which Barcodes.  I use to work for a print shop with postal barcodes and they needed to be a certain height and a certain length with a certain amount of space between each bar in the barcode.  Each barcode has different requirements and other characteristics such as amount of characters, types of characters, numbers only etc.   If you use a barcode printer do not just shrink or stretch the image to fit your label as this will adjust the width of the bars, the height and the spacing of them making the unreadable by any scanner possibly. 

I bought a 2D scanner and a Zebra 420 Label printer, down loaded the software and it has barcode generators built in, but you need another computer to run the printer and the associated software from.  It does not just connect to Square to print out the barcode labels either.  Now if you have a computer you use for Square Dashboard access you can use that computer for the Zebra Printer and software.   So I created organized folders and Barcode files that are easy to find and I just do a few clicks and tell the printer how many of barcode XYZ I need. 

Here is more information on barcodes:

the-comprehensive-guide-to-1d-and-2d-barcodes/