Label design basics: making one that actually works
Most labels that fail do it for the same few reasons: no margin, nothing bigger than anything else, a crowded barcode. Here is how to build a part label that reads well and scans first time.
Steps
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Start a label the size of the stock you have
Library → New label → Roll / thermal, and search for the size printed on your roll — 2x1.25 for a part and lot label. The blank label appears at that exact size.
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Leave a margin on every side
Keep everything about 2 mm in from the edges. Add a text item, type the part number, then set Left (X) and Top (Y) in the properties panel to 0.09" rather than dragging it hard against the edge.
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Make one thing the biggest
Select the part number, raise Size (pt) until it fills its box, and turn on Bold. Everything else on the label goes clearly smaller — the number someone is hunting for should win at a glance.
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Add the supporting lines
Add text items for the lot and the quantity at about half the point size, and give them the same Left (X) as the part number so their left edges line up.
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Give the barcode room
Add a barcode, put the part number in Value, and place it with clear space either side. That empty space is the quiet zone and scanners need it to find where the code starts.
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Keep it black on white
A thermal printer burns a dot or it does not — there is no grey. Use solid black text, and White text on black for a word that has to be seen across a room.
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Check it at real size
Press Real size in the status bar. That shows the label at its printed size rather than blown up to fill the screen, which is the quickest way to catch text that is too small.
Worth knowing
- A roll printer can drift a millimetre or two from label to label, so anything sitting on the edge comes out clipped on some of them.
- A label where everything is the same size is a label where nothing stands out.
- Grey fills, gradients and photographs print blotchy on thermal. Solid shapes print beautifully.
Questions
- How big should a barcode be on a 203 dpi printer?
- Bigger than feels necessary. If the label allows it, make the bars at least 12 mm tall and leave a clear margin of about 2.5 mm either side. A barcode that scans on your desk can still fail on a forklift.
- Why does my text get smaller when I type?
- Auto-fit is on, which shrinks text to stay inside its box. That is usually what you want, because part numbers vary in length. Turn it off only when you know your values are short.