Professional Barcode Software Review

Basic barcode software will only get you so far. If all you need are a few linear or 2D barcodes and the ability to print a low volume per day, basic barcode generating software may work for you. However, if you need to design compliance labels and have to satisfy numerous industry-standard barcode requirements, a professional version will be more suitable. In addition to these more advanced barcode features, they communicate in native printer languages and provide database support.

This class of professional barcode software is good for small to mid-size operations that print quite a few barcodes and have to satisfy strict compliance needs. NiceLabel Pro, TEKLYNX LABELVIEW 9 and Loftware Label Manager are some of the best examples of professional barcode software. In this site, you will find comprehensive reviews on these and other software solutions. There is a side-by-side comparison, to help you make an informed decision on which software is right for your barcode and compliance labeling needs, and lastly we have articles related to professional barcode software to help further your knowledge on the subject. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™

Professional Barcode Software: What to Look For

Before purchasing barcode software, define your barcode needs. It is important to know what barcodes you need, what compliance requirements you have to satisfy and what printers you want to use. We also recommend that you set high standards for customer support. If you have any bad experiences during the presale process, you should consider another company that can meet your needs as well. The following are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate professional barcode software.

Barcodes
We considered what category of barcode fonts the program includes. We also estimated the number of fonts provided. Some software providers list only the core type and others call out all variations of a type; accordingly, the total number is a bit subjective.

Connectivity & Communication
This criterion relates to how barcodes are exported or printed, as well as how data can be imported or linked into the program. The best barcode software can print to any kind of printer, supports native printer languages and Unicode, can work with popular databases and more.

Design Tools
This category consists of tools that are specific to designing barcodes. That includes features such as plain and rich text support, the ability to add rectangles, squares, ellipses and circles, as well as tools for positioning objects on the label. These and more should be included in a complete professional barcode software package.

Compliance & Other Tools
Here we looked primarily for compliance-related features. You want professional barcode software that can provide barcodes that are compatible with the needs of your company. A large library of compliance label templates and symbols is a good place to start. Also, look for software that will do serialization, predefined stock labels and that has other beneficial tools available.

Help & Support
Since most professional barcode software is complex, exceptional customer support is vital. We evaluated all levels of customer support from product training to the support terms. The best barcode software providers give free support through a variety of methods including email, telephone and chat support. Some also go beyond basic support and offer paid services like onsite training, priority care and web training.

These are the main points to look for in this type of software. Most leading professional barcode software will be well featured, but the best will also have quality to go along with quantity. The main differences we found consist of RFID support, the number of barcode fonts provided and the level of customer support that each company provides. Be sure to select the application that best fits the needs of your company now and in the future.