Application area
Retail
In a shop the label is what the customer sees: the price on the shelf, the label on a tray of meat or on a product packed in-store. An old price on the shelf means arguments at the till, and a barcode that is hard to read slows the queue. The printer must be simple for staff, fit on a small desk and print correctly from your stock software.
Typical tasks
- Price tags and shelf labels when prices change and for promotions
- Scale labels for products weighed and prepacked in the store
- Barcode labels for goods that arrive from the supplier without a code
- Printing at the shelf with a mobile printer
- Return labels for goods brought back by customers or sent back to suppliers
- Labels for the store's back room: boxes, crates and storage locations
What to look for
Direct thermal or thermal transfer. Price tags that change often and scale labels that live a few days print well with direct thermal, without a ribbon. If a label stays on the shelf for long, in light or near heat, choose thermal transfer. See the article direct thermal or thermal transfer.
Weighed and fresh products. Labels with weight and price are usually printed in the prepacking area, where it is cold and damp. Here label material and adhesive matter as much as the printer: check that the label sticks to a cold or wet tray.
Printing on the shop floor. With a mobile printer, staff change prices shelf by shelf: scan the code, print the new label on the spot. It is usually paired with a mobile terminal connected via Bluetooth, see terminale-mobile.md.
Resolution and format. For price tags and ordinary EAN codes, 203 dpi is usually enough. For small labels with a lot of text (ingredients, allergens, best-before date), 300 dpi gives clearer text. Print width depends on the model, so check it in the specification.
Returns. Goods returned by a customer or sent back to a supplier get their own label with the reason and document number, so they are not put back on sale by mistake. A desktop printer at the returns desk or in the back room is enough.
Integration. Check the interface (USB, network, Bluetooth) and whether your stock or point-of-sale software has a template for the chosen printer. The printed codes are read at the till by scanners from scanere.md.
Lines for retail
| Task | Zebra | TSC | CAB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price tags and shelf labels, office | ZD220, ZD421 | TE, TC | EOS |
| Prepacking, text-heavy labels | ZD421, ZD621 | TE, TC | MACH |
| Printing on the shop floor | ZQ | Alpha | — |
| Store back room, higher volume | ZT231 | ML | SQUIX |
The list is indicative; we confirm exact configurations in the quotation, and prices are given on request. See the selection guide, the Zebra, TSC and CAB lines, or request a consultation.
Retail
Not sure which one to choose?
Describe which labels you print and where: store, warehouse, production or logistics. We will help you choose the printer and consumables and prepare the quote.