DataBar And EAN Barcode Printing Made Easy With Citizen Printers
The latest generation of printers from Citizen Systems Europe, the leading manufacturer of label, barcode, portable and POS printers, has been developed to make both DataBar and EAN barcode printing simple and fast. As a result, pharmaceutical labelling applications can be upgraded with minimal disruption and expense.
DataBar symbols (formerly called RSS) are being promoted as a replacement for traditional EAN/UPC barcodes found on virtually all items sold in shops and supermarkets. DataBar barcodes have the advantage of being able to store more information than EAN/UPC barcodes, due to their space efficient design. The new format can also contain serial numbers, batch/lot numbers, and expiry dates, enabling traceability and streamlining many manual processes.
With both DataBar and EAN/UPC barcodes needing to be printed to a high quality to be compatible with scanners, Citizen's 300 dpi printers offer an effective solution. For example, the CLP 631 and the newly launched CL-S703 are ideally suited to printing both barcode types. The 300 dpi print heads can produce crisp, clear results required for the high quality printing of EAN/UPC bar codes and are equally at home printing DataBar barcodes accurately and to specification at 200 dpi resolution.
With the transition from EAN to DataBar likely to be made over the next few years, the Citizen printers allow users to print both types with minimal investment. By enabling DataBar labels to be printed in-house, the printers open up new opportunities for users, including the ability to add batch information to pre-printed packaging, or label irregularly shaped products.
The latest Citizen printers make barcode printing simple, due to a number of innovative features. For example, many of the printers feature Citizen's Hi-Open™ design, providing easy access and simple media loading while maintaining the compact dimensions of the unit, in addition to ARCP™ technology, which has been designed to eliminate ribbon wrinkle. Models such as the CL-S703R printer feature an internal front-loading rewinder, which is perfect for print-and-peel applications where small runs of labels are used.
Unlike conventional machines that typically print DataBar bar codes at 200 dpi using two printer dots per barcode element, Citizen's 300 dpi printers print three dots per barcode element to maintain the correct size and format.
Citizen Systems Europe
Citizen Systems Europe operates from locations throughout Europe covering the EMEA region. It offers a wide range of printers for industrial, retail, healthcare and mobile applications specialising in label, barcode, portable and point-of-sale printers. In each case, the company's products are sold and supported by a network of specialised partners.
Citizen Systems Europe is a wholly owned subsidiary of Citizen Systems Japan and part of the Citizen group of companies, a global organisation that manufactures products ranging from its world-famous Eco-Drive watches, calculators, mini-printers and industrial printing systems to machine tools, quartz oscillators, LEDs and other electronic components.
SOURCE: Citizen Systems