Barcode printing: which printer to buy and how to use it
Zemam prints barcode labels for your items and scans them at the point of sale. The key point: printing goes through your browser and the printer's OS driver — so you're not locked to any brand; any label printer with a driver works. You can print on a thermal roll or on ordinary A4 sticker sheets.
The idea in a minute
Internal codes print as CODE128 of the SKU automatically. If the item has a manufacturer barcode (a 13-digit EAN-13), Zemam prints it as a real EAN-13 and validates its check digit.
How it works
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1. Scanning: any USB scanner
Any ordinary USB barcode scanner works with Zemam — it behaves like a keyboard. A scan finds the item at the point of sale and in search. Zemam reads CODE128 codes and EAN-13 numbers.
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2. Printing: Inventory → Print Labels
Open Inventory → Print Labels, pick the items, how many labels per item, and the template, then print. Printing goes through the OS printer driver — so any label printer with a driver installed on the machine works, with no special setup in Zemam.
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3. Two output modes: thermal roll or A4 sheet
Thermal roll: 40×30, 50×25, and 100×50 mm sizes for a thermal label printer (one label at a time). A4 sticker sheets: 21, 65, or 14 labels per sheet (common Avery sizes) for any laser or inkjet printer — with a “start at label N” option so you can reuse a partly-used sheet without wasting labels.
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4. Barcode type: internal (CODE128) or manufacturer (EAN-13)
If you create your own codes, Zemam prints CODE128 from the item's SKU automatically — enough for any shop scanning at its own till. If the product has a global manufacturer barcode (EAN-13), enter it in the item's barcode field and Zemam prints it as a real EAN-13, warning you if the check digit is wrong.
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5. Which printer should I buy?
For rolls: a direct-thermal label printer in 40×30 mm, USB, with a Windows driver — the cheapest to test and the most common. For sheets: any laser or inkjet printer you already have + A4 label sheets (Avery). If you also want to print receipts, that's a separate device: an 80 mm ESC/POS thermal printer.
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6. The full loop
Enter the barcode on the item → print the label → stick it on the product → scan it at the till and the item rings up instantly. That closes the loop: what you printed scans correctly the first time.
In short
Not locked to a brand — any label printer with a Windows or Mac driver works, thermal roll or A4 sheet.
Your internal code prints as CODE128 automatically, and a manufacturer EAN-13 prints correctly with check-digit validation.
What you print scans at the point of sale — any USB scanner reads it and rings up the item.
Want your barcodes and printer set up from day one?
Talk to us — we'll help you pick the right printer and set up your item codes and templates so you print and scan correctly the first time.