Barcodes & Labels
How an item gets its barcode, how to print QR or CODE128 labels in three sizes, and where a scan actually works.
Every Product and Material gets a barcode without you asking for one. From there it is two separate questions: what you print on a label, and where a scan of that label is actually understood. The answers are not the same, so this page covers both.
How an item gets its barcode
A barcode is minted the first time a Product or Material item's page is opened and the item has none. It is an EAN-13 number built from three parts:
| Part | Digits | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Prefix | 2 | 20 for a Product, 21 for a Material. |
| Date | 6 | The date the number was minted, as YYMMDD. |
| Sequence | 4 | A random number, re-drawn if it collides with a barcode already in the business. |
| Check digit | 1 | The standard EAN-13 checksum, so a scanner can verify the read. |
Two things follow from this. First, the number carries no meaning you can rely on — it is not a supplier code and it is not sequential, so never sort or group by it. Second, a barcode you supply always wins: set the Barcode column when importing items and the code your supplier already prints on the carton is stored verbatim, so the scanner keeps matching.
Barcodes are minted only for Product and Material. A Service has nothing to stick a label on, so the Print Label action does not appear for it.
Printing a label
Navigate to: Operations → Inventories → select the item → Print Label
QR Code (the default) encodes a link to the item's own page — scanning it with a phone opens the item. Barcode encodes the item's barcode number as CODE128 for a standard laser or CCD scanner.
Small, Medium, or Large. Match this to the label roll your printer is loaded with.
Between 1 and 100 in one job. For a delivery just received, set it to the quantity that arrived.
A print window opens with the labels laid out at the chosen size, then your printer's own dialog appears — pick the roll or paper size there. There is no separate download; use Save as PDF in the print dialog if you need a file.
| Label Type | Symbology | Encodes | Reads with | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QR Code | Matrix (2D) | A link to the item's page — "Scan to open page". | Any phone or tablet camera, or a 2D imager | Stock-takes, checking what a bin holds, anyone with a phone and no scanner. This is the default. |
| Barcode | Linear (1D), CODE128 | The item's barcode number. | A standard laser or CCD scanner, including most POS guns | The till, and any workflow driven by a hardware scanner. |
| Size | Dimensions | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 38mm × 19mm | Shelf edges, small retail products, component bins. |
| Medium | 50mm × 25mm | The default. All-purpose for most retail and warehouse work. |
| Large | 70mm × 35mm | Cartons, or anything that has to be readable from a distance. |
The item name always prints above the code, and the SKU beneath it when the item has one. Price and category are not printed — a label with a price on it goes stale the moment the price changes.
The preview inside the dialog draws the number as EAN-13; the printed label uses CODE128. Both encode the same digits and both scan, so the bars looking different on paper than on screen is expected, not a fault.
Where a scan actually works
This is the part worth being precise about, because "it has a barcode" and "I can scan it here" are different claims.
| Surface | Scanning | Behaviour |
|---|---|---|
| POS mode on a till | Full hardware-scanner support | A scanner types the digits and presses Enter. On Enter the exact barcode is matched — first against the catalog already loaded, then against the server — and the item is added to the cart without touching the screen. |
| Mobile document forms and the mobile transfer sheets | Search by barcode | The item picker searches name, SKU, and barcode together, so typing or scanning the digits finds the item. You still tap it to add it. |
| Promotions — picking items for a rule | Search by barcode | Same shared picker, same three fields. |
| Opening stock import | Matched by barcode | Rows are matched to items by SKU, then barcode, then name. |
| Desktop invoice, bill, GRN and other document lines | No barcode search | The desktop line picker matches on item name. A scan into it will not find the item — use POS mode, or search by name. |
| Stock adjustment forms | No barcode search | The item is already chosen — adjustments are opened from the item itself. |
Goods receipt on the desktop does not accept a scan. If scanning into receiving matters to your operation, work on the mobile forms or a paired till, where the picker does read barcodes.
Copying the number
The inventory page shows the barcode in the item header with a control to copy the number to the clipboard — useful for pasting into a supplier portal or a spreadsheet without re-typing thirteen digits.
Related
- Creating an item — Product and Material are the types that get a barcode
- Importing items — supplying your own barcodes in bulk
- Item types — which types are stockable
- Stock overview — where the barcode is displayed