Free Barcode generator

Free Barcode Generator

Barcodes are a powerful tool that can help you improve how your business runs. These machine-readable codes on the products you sell speed up common tasks for your business. They also help minimize errors in tracking your inventory. Big and small businesses alike can benefit from barcodes.

The barcode itself can be read by scanning a barcode scanner or even your smartphone camera. This allows for easy data entry and tracking of inventory, which helps keep things running smoothly in the business world. Even if you have never used barcodes before, getting started is easy.

How Barcodes Help Businesses of All Sizes

A barcode is simply a type of machine-readable code, which means it's designed to be read by machines rather than humans. The barcodes on the products you sell in your store or online are scanned and then matched up with the product information in your inventory management system.

When you've finished barcoding your inventory, data entry is as fast and simple with a barcode reader, or even a smartphone.

Instead of typing in item details at checkout, your staff can quickly process a customer's order by scanning in the items' barcodes.

Order processing can also be simpler and faster when you're dealing with putting together and shipping online orders right in your warehouse.

You don't even need to be limited to putting barcodes on only your products. Barcodes can point to online orders, office supplies, suppliers--anything your business needs to keep track of efficiently.

You might think that as a small business, you don't need to worry about barcoding yet. But the key benefit of barcodes for a small business is the time you save, both for you and your staff.

How to Get Started with Barcodes as a Small Business

Using barcodes in your business can help you save time and minimize errors, but getting started can feel intimidating. It doesn't have to be if you take things one step at a time.

The first thing you need to do is determine what you need barcodes for. Specifically, what aspect of your business will best benefit from being tagged with barcodes?

For many businesses selling products, it's an easy answer: the products you sell! But these aren't the only things that can benefit from barcodes. You can easily manage orders and after sales through barcodes, issue tickets with barcodes to speed up admissions, and many more.

You will also need a barcode scanner to read your barcodes, as well as a software or app that can process the barcodes you have scanned. The best fit for your company might vary, so take your time in going through the features of each software or app you're considering.

How to Generate Free Barcodes

You don't need to pay for barcodes, especially if you don't plan on supplying other businesses who have strict requirements. You can easily generate your own barcode for use in your business with the free barcode generator we provide here.

Simply key in your product ID in the “Barcode Text ” field and provide an email address where we can send you your new barcode. Your barcode will also show up immediately once generated, but you can always refer back to the email we send if you need to get your barcode again.

Once you've generated your barcode, you can start printing them on sticker labels in order to affix it to your products.

For best results, print your barcodes black on white paper to make sure the lines are crisp and clear. The higher contrast will help your barcode scanner read the barcodes quickly and correctly.

Need more than just a barcode? Check out our free QR code generator if you need to store more information than just alphanumeric text.

How to Use Barcodes Effectively

You'll want to make sure that the barcodes are scanned correctly. There are a few best practices when it comes to scanning them well!

• Make sure the printed barcodes are crisp and have good contrast against the background of the paper or sticker the barcode is on. This will help your barcode scanner read the barcode correctly.
• Don't block or cover anything on your barcode. This could cause barcodes to be read incorrectly and can lead to some costly mistakes in processing and shipping products.
• Make sure the surface of the barcode is smooth and flat so that your scanner can read the lines correctly. A barcode placed on an irregular surface can appear to be bent or warped to the scanner, which will hinder quick reading.
• Give ample room for your barcode to breathe by avoiding too much visual noise around the barcode. Your scanner may have difficulty determining where your barcode is if you have too many things going on around your barcode.
• Think about what processes or items you are barcoding before purchasing your scanners. Wired scanners are more inexpensive, but will require being wired into a computer and outlet for power. This is enough for countertop processes. However, if you have a warehouse full of items barcoded and your staff are mobile, they may need wireless scanners to prevent bottlenecks.

UPC Barcodes vs SKU Barcodes

UPC (Universal Product Code) barcodes are standardized barcodes designed for items that need to be tracked globally across different business entities. Many globally-sold products use UPC barcodes, but you will need to register with Global Standard 1 to get a unique code for your company.

By registering, you can sell global marketplaces like Amazon, access information about your unique product online, and so on.

An SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), on the other hand, is more of an internal code for your products. You can create SKU codes as you need and in any format you need, so it can be unique to a company. However, they are not standardized, and you might run into problems if you supply your products to other businesses or try to sell on global marketplace platforms.