Apparel manufacturers reduce chargebacks with thermal printers

Footwear, apparel, consumer electronics, and other consumer goods manufacturers and suppliers can incur tens of thousands of dollars in chargebacks per year solely from shipping carton barcodes that do not meet specifications. Strict barcode requirements set forth by the International Standards Organization (ISO) must be met, and accuracy is imperative.

Using TSC thermal industrial printers with integrated barcode inspection systems, manufacturers can scan and grade their barcode labels before they are placed onto shipping cartons, reducing chargebacks and enhancing efficiency. Keep reading to learn more about how our thermal printers deliver these results.

High-Volume DCs, Razor-Thin Margins

Major retailers receive hundreds of pallets every hour in each of their distribution centres from dozens of manufacturers. And these retailers run a business model on razor-thin margins. Processing time must be quick and efficient. If an incoming carton’s barcode label can’t be read quickly and easily, then processing time grows and productivity is hampered.

Retailers can require that all vendors produce barcodes that meet strict ISO barcode standards to ensure swift processing of incoming shipments. Manual processing of barcodes costs retailers a significant amount of time and money. Suppliers with barcode- labels that fail to meet required standards could be hit with chargeback fees and may even have their entire shipment rejected. Consistent failure to meet ISO barcode standards could result in renegotiation or cancellation of a supplier’s contract.

Scanning and grading labels before they are placed onto the shipping carton empowers vendors to quickly and easily test and ensure accurate barcodes. Testing barcodes before shipments leave the facility to retail distribution centres is the most reliable way for apparel manufacturers to avoid hefty chargebacks and other issues that could affect their bottom line.

Consistent barcode testing and quality can be achieved using the Printronix Auto ID T8000 and T6000e ODV-2D barcode inspection printers, which come equipped with scanning solutions inside the printer’s footprint. Because the scanner is integrated with the printer controller, there is no need for an external PC, software, or the creation of a “golden image” of the label to produce accurate, ISO-compliant labels. This means:

  • Simplified verification without the need for external scanners
  • Lower costs since no additional software investment is required
  • Expedited quality using built-in printer scanners that automatically find and grade up to 50 barcodes per label

The integrated scanner grades to ISO standards and verifies that each barcode’s data sent to the printer matches the printed barcode. Reading barcodes from a wide variety of data streams, including PostScript and PDF, the integrated scanner finds, verifies, grades, and reports the details of every barcode on every label through the Printronix Auto ID free, standard device management software PrintNET Enterprise. These reports can be exported for integration or stored in the host system to help defend against chargebacks.

There is no need to define requirements in a software program, change the data stream, or set up and use external attachments. Printronix Auto ID industrial printers can get up and running quickly. These printers automatically overstrike bad labels, reducing costly manual processes while improving quality, reducing the risk of chargebacks for non-compliant labels.

Reduce chargebacks with the Printronix Auto ID T8000 and T6000e industrial printers. Featuring ODV-2D barcode inspection technology, TSC says these printers are loaded with benefits that enhance barcode compliance and quality, all at a competitive price.

Premium Mobile Label Printer Series Launched

BIXOLON Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of BIXOLON Co. Ltd, a leading global Mobile, Label and POS printer manufacturer, has announced the launch of its NEW XM7 Series, featuring the XM7-40 4-inch (112mm) and XM7-20 2-inch (58mm) Liner and Linerless Mobile Label printers. Strengthening BIXOLON’s portfolio of mobile printing solutions to the European market, the XM7 series provides premium-level performance at speeds of up to 5ips (XM7-40) and 6ips (XM7-20) at 203dpi to produce quality printing outputs at high volumes, making it ideal for the most demanding of environments within Logistics, Healthcare, Retail or Manufacturing.

Delivering intuitive features and value add software support, the new printer series features rugged, compact designs, an embedded Peeler, TFT Colour Displays, drop protection of 2.1 metres and IP54-protection ratings. Supporting a smart battery with universal USB Type-C Power delivery charging, these mobile label printers provide a wealth of battery health information through BIXOLON’s web-based printer profile management software XPM™, guaranteeing consistent performance throughout prolonged operations.

Offering seamless connectivity at every level, the XM7 Series presents USB 2.0 and Serial interfaces as standard, with optional Bluetooth V5.0 Classic (MFi Certification) and WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n wireless technology which can be connected simultaneously. Supporting easy Bluetooth pairing via NFC allows compatibility with major operations including Android™, iOS™ and Windows™. The series also boasts compatibility with market leading command languages such as SLCS, BPL-Z™, BPL-C™ and BXL/POS to allow for seamless integration with customers’ existing systems.
Boasting a 128 MB SRAM, 256 MB Flash memory as standard and optional 256 MB SDRAM, 512 MB Flash memory enabling the storage of fonts and graphics, alongside firmware upgrades and tools. The XM7 series prints directly from SAP® Smart Forms and is compatible with a range of label editing applications including BIXOLON’s Label Artist™, Label Artist Mobile™ for iOS™ & Android™, alongside the industry leading Bartender® software.

“The new XM7 series compliments BIXOLON’s already highly successful range of mobility printing solutions,” explains Charlie Kim, Managing Director, BIXOLON Europe GmbH. “As the demand continues to grow for labelling solutions in our current economic climate, BIXOLON’s new premium labelling solutions provide stability for customers who require mobile high volume printing across all environments.”

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