When thinking about your equipment needs it helps to have an understanding of the full spectrum of scanning equipment. Next, you need to decide how you plan to use your scanning equipment, and what you want to do with the scanned information. This brief overview should help get you started:

Fix Position Equipment - is used to collect bar code data at a specific location. This type of equipment is directly attached to a computer, and the computer treats the scanner's input just like it would treat input from typing on your keyboard.

1. Contact Scanners - are the least expensive category of equipment, ranging in price form $200 to $500. These data collection devices are usually shaped like a pen, and they must make actual contact with the surface of the bar code in order to read it.
   
2. Non-Contact Scanners - shoot a scanning beam out from the unit, and they can read bar codes without touching them. They have a trigger, with simple point-and-shoot operation. Prices range from $300 to over $1,000, depending on scanning range and equipment durability.

Mobile Equipment - is powered by rechargeable batteries and allows you to move away from one specific location. Pricing, power and functionality vary greatly. This type of equipment can be further broken down into 2 sub-categories by thinking about how you want to use the information that the scanner reads.

1. Batch Equipment - has internal memory and collects scanned data in the unit. The data is then downloaded as a batch file to your computer at a later time, usually through a docking station. The scanner can be hand held, clipped to your belt, worn in a shoulder holster or mounted on a fork truck. It can be either a contact or non-contact scanner.
2. Real Time Equipment - transmits scanned data back to the computer immediately. A basic system can have a 25 to 100 foot range, and transmits data back to a single desk top docking station. More sophisticated systems can be hand held or mounted on fork trucks, and transmit data to a large-scale network of access points (APs) mounted throughout an entire building.

What ever your scanning requirements may be, Verified Label will make sure that your needs are meet, and your project runs smoothly. From small projects to large, our bar code experience gives us an edge in the equipment field. Let us put our experience to work for you.