How to Get More Value and Business Efficiency from Your Zebra Printers

If you use Zebra barcode printers, you know the value of Zebra’s high-performance hardware. But you may not be aware of how much more value and business efficiency you can get out of your printers with Zebra’s certified printing supplies.

In this article, we’ll look at some of Zebra’s core printing supplies products, where they are used for superior labeling and tracking, and how your business can save money and improve overall efficiency.

Paper Barcode Labels

For standard barcode labeling applications, Zebra produces Z-Perform and Z-Select paper labels. Both are available in thermal transfer and direct thermal varieties, and are designed to be bright white with smooth facestock and special coatings to provide optimal performance. Z-Perform labels come in several varieties with different adhesives for specific applications, labeling temperatures, and service temperatures and they’re a great way to get excellent printing results on a budget. Zebra’s Z-Select labels take things one step further with ultra-smooth facestock as well as standard, all-temp and removable adhesives.

Synthetic Barcode Labels

In many environments, paper barcode labels aren’t viable because they can’t withstand exposure to moisture, chemicals, extreme temperatures, or potential smearing or scratching. For these applications, Zebra produces a variety of synthetic labels to ensure you don’t waste money having to reprint labels that have been damaged or have fallen off, and your scanning operations aren’t interrupted by unreadable or missing labels. Zebra’s synthetic labels are made with materials such as polyolefin, polyester, polypropylene, or polyimide, plus specialized adhesives such as high-tack or removable varieties. They include Polyol, Polypro, Z-Xtreme, Z-Ultimate, and Z-Supreme synthetic labels.

Color Barcode Labels

Adding color to your barcode labels is particularly useful for branding or for adding icons or colors as visual cues to help workers quickly identify and sort assets. For example, color can be a big boost to efficiency in order fulfillment. Zebra’s IQ Color paper labels make efficiencies possible with standard, bright-white direct thermal labels that allow you to print vibrant colors on them in pre-defined zones

Tags

Printed tags are a great alternative to barcode labels, especially for price tags or hang tags. Fortunately, you can use Zebra printers to print tags for indoor or outdoor use, including Zebra’s Z-Perform and Z-Select paper tags for standard applications and Polypro or Z-Ultimate synthetic tags for applications involving exposure to abrasion, smearing, moisture, chemicals or extreme temperatures.

Ribbons

Thermal transfer printing is only as good as the match between your printer ribbon and the print media. This is why Zebra produces three formulations of thermal transfer ribbons to match your application needs and ensure readable labels and tags. They include wax ribbons for standard printing on paper, wax/resin ribbons for resistance to chemicals on paper or synthetics, and resin ribbons for the ultimate durability against chemicals and heat on synthetics.

Packing Slips

Printing and applying packing slips can be cumbersome and time-consuming, especially when you have to fold slips multiple times, slide them in a sleeve, remove the liner, and put the sleeve on a box. Zebra has simplified the entire process with its Z-Slip all-in-one packing slip. It’s a specially prepared solution that combines a packing slip with a built-in label and protector. Paired with a compatible Zebra industrial printer, you can print, peel, and apply a packing slip in just 11 seconds, which saves time and labor in virtually any packing operation.

To learn more about Zebra printing supplies, how to choose the right solutions, and where they can help you save money and improve efficiency, contact us for a free consultation.