10 Things To Consider Before Selecting Barcode and RFID Labeling Software

1. Is a free demo available? Most barcode and RFID labeling software products are available for a free demo but the software may not offer full functionality. NiceLabel provides a free demo of their software, as well as form samples and industry compliance label samples. Presales support is available with our sales department and technical support via email.

2. What operating systems are you using? Are you using Windows, Mac, or Linux? Which versions of Windows are supported (XP or 7)? Is the software supported on both 32 and 64-bit platforms?

3. Which design capabilities will your environment require? Most label design programs have functionality for simple design objects such as text, images, barcodes, clipart, RFID smart tag and 2D symbologies. Before purchasing labeling software, make sure you understand the capabilities of the product you are interested in. Many barcode and RFID labeling companies have multiple products each with different features for objects, variables, functions, and more. The sales department at Niceware evaluates your label printing needs to determine which software is the best fit for your solution.

4. How will the labels be printed? When considering how you are planning to print labels, it is important to target which people in your company will be using the software and where the data will come from. Questions such as database connectivity or how you plan on presenting the print interface to the user are important production related requirements to be aware of. Furthermore, is there a 3rd party application, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) where the labels are automatically printed from? Whether you have one person that is responsible for printing all of the labels, printing in large quantities to multiple printers, or printing from a mobile device; understanding the process of printing labels and taking full control of the label production is key in deciding which label printing tool will provide ease of use and reliability.

5. Is software licensed by seat, by user, or by printer? When the software license is per-seat, it is based off the number of PC's the software can be installed on. If the software is licensed by user, you are purchasing an exact number of user connections to access the software (also called a "network edition" for centralized licensing). For example, a single-seat license means that you can install the software on a single PC and a 5-user license means that 5 individual users can access the program at the same time. Licensing by printer means that you will also have to purchase licensing for every printer you will be sending labels to. NiceLabel licenses by seat and by user which allows their companies to purchase licenses for a single computer or for any number of users that will be accessing the software. In both cases, the software can be used to print to as many printers as you would like.

6. Will your label software communicate with other applications? Any software you choose to integrate with your existing software applications such as ERP/WMS or information business systems should be cost effective and easy-to-use. When thinking about integration, it is important to determine which level of integration you need to reach your goals. Do you require the expertise of a software developer where you would be printing from your application using the NiceLabel print engine? Or do you plan on using a middleware application to allow non-programming integration through a serial port, TCP/IP socket connectivity, or web services? Will you need standalone or direct printing with predefined label formats such as SAP R/3? Consider the various integration methods to control label printing from your software applications before purchasing barcode and RFID label software.

7. How much control do you want to have over label printing? Will you need to manage printers locally or centrally in your network environment? Do you have an interest in printer status management? Various options are available when you need to control the label design and printing workstations or locally installed printers.

8. What support is available? Will technical or sales support be available if questions arise while testing the software? Is training available? Do you need support in creating an integrated solution for your 3rd party application? Will your company require technical support or label design webinars to help put you in the right direction? How fast will support reply to your request? Niceware provides free Technical Support by email, and offers technical support contracts for phone support. Additionally, the Professional Services and Sales Group can help provide a customized solution for your environment. Niceware has free webinars, and label templates!

9. Which printers do you support? Are they inkjet, laser, or thermal? Find out if the label software supports native printer languages or if the software provides printer drivers. NiceLabel can be used to print labels using any Windows-based printer driver and also provides over 1800 NiceDrivers for optimized label printing on thermal printers.

10. Is it customizable or can it be integrated? Will you be able to develop your own application that can integrate with the software? Can you create your own label templates? Is an Application Programming Interface (API), such as web services or ActiveX, offered? Can you create your own customized data-entry form with advanced functionality to simplify label printing for operators? NiceLabel allows for software integration via APIs as well as label template and form creation design tools for user to create custom printing applications. NiceLabel provides a custom data-entry form called NiceForm. NiceForm allows customized form creation with the rich features such as database connectivity, linked forms, and label preview.