Deciding whether to incorporate barcodes into your point of sale system and products are an important step in the initial set-up of a business.

Using barcodes may stem from a business which operates on an online platform, or for a small brick & mortar/pop-up store where product items are sparse and exclusive, compared to a multi-outlet megastore.

However, the barcode is a common tool for many retailers – large and small - where the scannable code is a unique identifier representing the product on which it is placed upon. Manufactured products do often come with their own barcodes that can be scanned and imported, but in instances where there are no barcodes, Hike POS can auto-generate them for the retailer.

Further still, those barcodes will need to be printed and Hike offers multiple ways in which to that – either with a regular printer or with a Dymo LabelWriter - for more customizable printing options.

Barcodes in general, are designed to give businesses a clear and cost-effective way to save time and improve efficiency. With Hike POS’s barcode and printing capabilities, achieving that is a breeze.

• Generating Barcodes Overview
  
• Auto-Generate New Barcodes in Hike
  
• Importing Existing Barcodes into Hike
  
• Creating & Printing Barcode Labels Overview
  
• Creating Barcode Labels (General Printer)
  
• Printing Barcode Labels (General Printer)
  
• Creating Barcode Labels (Dymo LabelWriter 450/450 Turbo)
  
• Printing Barcode Labels (Dymo LabelWriter 450/450 Turbo)
  

Generating Barcodes Overview

Barcodes are a unique identifier for a product item, where when the barcode is scanned, the product will appear as a sale in the POS.

Hike affords retailers several ways in which to generate barcodes to label their products.

Particularly useful for new business, Hike can either:

1. Generate NEW barcodes for any business that does NOT have them for their products.
   
OR

2. • A) SCAN and input EXISTING barcodes when adding a new product.
     
   • B) IMPORT barcodes using a CSV file.
     

Once you know which option makes sense for your business, Hike makes it easy to execute it with its built-in auto-generation and importing features.

Auto-Generate New Barcodes in Hike

Hike can generate new barcodes and SKUs for retailers to use. The result, gives businesses a barcode in which they can scan to perform functions like Enter Sale and Inventory Count.

Here is an example of a barcode for a Coffee, where the barcode number appears directly beneath the barcode, and the list of variants for the Coffee and price also appear.

In this section, we’ll cover just how to auto-generate your barcodes using Hike.  

To begin, select Products on the Hike menu and navigate to the Products screen.

Note: In order to auto-generate a new barcode you will have to create a new Product. To see a more detailed explanation on how to create a Product in Hike, click here.

Proceed to create a new product as normal but leave the barcode and SKU fields blank. As you will be auto generating your barcode, you are not required to fill out those fields.

Once you have completed, filling out all the relevant product details, click SAVE to save the product and see it appear on your Product List.

Now, from your Product List, click the item again and you fill find that the barcode and SKU number has been automatically generated for you.

Any new product you create will automatically have its barcode and SKU number generated for you, once you have saved the product.

When you’re ready to print your barcode labels, the barcode number and SKU will be the same as your newly created product.

Importing Existing Barcodes into Hike

If you’re using Hike for the first time and are coming from an existing business – or even a new one – the chances, are you already have all your barcodes ready.

Importing these barcodes can be done easily in two ways:

1. SCAN and input EXISTING barcodes when adding a new product.
   
OR

2. IMPORT barcodes using a CSV file.
   

In this section, we’ll cover just how to scan and input existing barcodes when you’re adding a new product. You can read all about how to import barcodes using a CSV file here.

Creating & Printing Barcode Labels Overview

As great as having barcodes for your business is, being able to print barcode labels is just as important! Much like creating barcodes, the function to print barcode labels in Hike can also work in several ways.

Users can either use print barcode labels with either:

• A general (every day) printer – Using Avery A4 print sheets.
  
OR

• Dymo LabelWriter 450/450 Turbo – With continuous feed label.
  

The decision to choose which type of printer you will use to print your barcode labels may depend on a number of factors including:

• Your store set-up: Does your store have room for a general printer compared to relatively small size of a Dymo LabelWriter?
  
• Your products: The Dymo LabelWriter can print smaller (butterfly) labels for items like jewelry.
  

Once you know which option makes sense for your business, it’s easy to connect your printer with Hike and print barcode labels until you’ve stickered every item in your inventory!

Creating Barcode Labels (General Printer)

Now it’s time to start creating your barcode labels.

As mentioned at the top of the page, Hike offers retailers two options to create & print their barcodes:

• General Printer – Using A4 print sheets
  
• Dymo LabelWriter 450/ 450 Turbo – With continuous feed label
  

In this section, we’ll cover how to create barcode labels using a General Printer. You can read all about how create barcode labels using a Dymo LabelWriter here.

Additionally, Find out how to setup your Dymo LabelWriter 450/450 Turbo here

To begin, select Products on the Hike menu and navigate to the Print Labels screen.

Once you’ve selected the Print Labels screen, you will see a number of options you have to create out a barcode label.

These next steps provide users with the options to customize the print label specifications as well as add the products of which barcodes will be printed.

Label Type

As we are printing via a General Printer, let’s select the A4 Label Sheet option.

Note: To use an everyday general printer, you will need to use Avery print sheets, which are available from most stationery stores. The A4 sheets contain either 33 or 65 labels on each sheet.

Further to that, you can select one of the below 4 sizes:

1. Avery 3 X 11

1. Avery 5 X 13

1. Avery 4 X 8
   
2. 57 mm x 22 mm

 Select the option that is right for you.

Adding products

To add the products that you want barcode labels of the simply type the name of the product in the Find Products search bar, click on the search bar, and select the approriate items. Click ADD & CONTINUE, once you are done.

After adding the products, choose from the drop-down box the outlets from which the products are stored.

You will then have the option to select how many barcodes will be printed by adjusting the Quantity value, next to each product.

Click X if you wish to delete any of the products.

Label Settings

The Label Settings box on the Print Labels page, indicated what will be printed on your barcode.

Print Price

Select to have the price displayed underneath the barcode.

Show Tax Inclusive Prices

If tax inclusive enabled, select the option to have the total price be inclusive of tax.

Print Name

Select to have the product name displayed underneath the barcode.

Print SKU

Select to have the SKU displayed underneath the barcode.

Print Barcode Number

Select to have the barcode number displayed underneath the barcode.

A generic barcode template (Coffee) is available to see how your barcode will look as you select or de-select the various Label Settings options.

Now it’s time to start printing your barcode labels on your General Printer.

Printing Barcode Labels (General Printer)

Once you have selected all your various barcode settings, and the relevant products, it’s time to start printing your labels on your General Printer

Firstly, select PRINT at the bottom of the Print Labels page.

Once you’ve selected PRINT you’ll be directed to the Print Preview page.

Before you’re able to actually print however, you’ll need to ensure you’ve adjusted a few of the print settings, to ensure that your barcodes are perfectly printed onto your Avery print labels.

Print Settings

Destination

Firstly, ensure that you’ve selected the right printer!

Pages/Copies

Set the following as it’s default setting or as per your need – if you need more than 1 copy for example.

Layout

Keep the layout as Portrait, as per your A4 Avery Label Sheet.

Select +MORE SETTINGS to open up some more printing options

Paper Size

Set the Paper Size as A4 – you are printing an A4 Print Label after all!

Margins

Set the Margins as NONE to ensure your barcodes fit the labels correctly.

Quality

Set the Quality as 600 dpi (dots per inch)

Scale

Your scale will adjust automatically adjust in the print settings, HOWEVER it’s important to ensure that the barcodes are in alignment with the labels. This may mean that users adjust the scale for a proper fitting.

Adjusting the scale, could be a result of longer product names.

Hike Recommends: We recommend that you first test your printing on a blank A4 sheet of paper, before printing on your Avery Print Labels. Doing this will allow you to ensure that your Printing Labels match your barcodes, to ensure that there are no errors.

Once you’ve completed the relevant setting, select PRINT and that’s it! You’ll be adding barcodes to your products in no time at all.

Creating Barcode Labels (Dymo LabelWriter 450/450 Turbo)

Now it’s time to start creating your barcode labels on your Dymo Label Writer 450/450 Turbo.

As mentioned at the top of the page, Hike offers retailers two options to create and print their barcodes:

• General Printer – Using A4 print sheets
  
• Dymo LabelWriter 450/450 Turbo – With continuous feed label
  

In this section, we’ll cover how to create barcode labels using a Dymo LabelWriter 450/450 Turbo. You can read all about how create and print labels using a General Printer here.

The Dymo LabelWriter 450/450 Turbo affords retailers with a compact and portable solution to printing barcode labels with Hike.

Compatible labels sizes with Dymo are the Standard Address Labels (LW 99010), Large Return Address Labels (LW 11352) and Jewelry Dumbbell Label (2-UP) 30299.

Find out how to setup your Dymo LabelWriter 450/450 Turbo here

To start creating labels using Dymo, select Products on the Hike menu and navigate to the Print Labels screen.

Once you’ve selected the Print Labels screen, you will see a number of options you have to create and print out a barcode label.

These next steps provide users with the options to customize the print label specifications as well as add the products of which barcodes will be printed.

Label Type

• First, you’ll need to select Continuous Feed Label, to print using Dymo.
  
• Note: Where a general printer will print multiple barcodes on the one page, a Dymo printer will print each barcode one after another.
  

• The Dymo LabelWriter 450/450 Turbo allows you to print label barcode stickers in below sizes:
  
• 28mm x 89mm - LW Standard Address
• 25mm x 54mm - LW Large Return Address (11352 / S0722520)
  
• 10mm x 19mm - LW Price Tag, Jewelry, Dumbbell - 2-up (30299)
  
• 25mm x 25mm - LW Square Multipurpose (S0929120)
  
• 13mm x 25mm - LW Multipurpose (11353 / S0722530)
  
• 12mm x 50mm - LW Suspension File (99017 / S0722460)
  
• 32mm x 57mm - LW Multipurpose (11354 / S0722540)
  
• 19mm x 51mm - LW Multipurpose (11355 / S0722550)
  
• 36mm x 89mm - LW Large Address (99012 / S0722400)
  
• 12mm x 50mm - LW Suspension File (99017 / S0722460) (alt)

Select which size is appropriate for your products and continue.

Adding products

To add the products that you want barcode labels of the simply type the name of the product in the Find Products search bar, click on the search bar, and select the approriate items.

Click ADD & CONTINUE, once you are done.

After adding the products, choose from the drop-down box the outlets from which the products are stored.

You will then have the option to select how many barcodes will be printed by adjusting the Quantity value, next to each product.

Click X if you wish to delete any of the products.

Label Settings

The Label Settings box on the Print Labels page, indicated what will be printed on your barcode.

Print Price

Select to have the price displayed underneath the barcode.

Show Tax Inclusive Prices

If tax inclusive enabled, select the option to have the total price be inclusive of tax.

Print Name

Select to have the product name displayed underneath the barcode.

Print SKU

Select to have the SKU displayed underneath the barcode.

Print Barcode Number

Select to have the barcode number displayed underneath the barcode.

Note: If you are using a Jewelery Dumbbell Label – you will be unable to print the product’s name and barcode number.

A generic barcode template (Coffee) is available to see how your barcode will look as you select or de-select the various Label Settings options.

Printing Barcode Labels (Dymo LabelWriter 450 / 450 Turbo)

Firstly, select PRINT at the bottom of the Print Labels page.

Once you’ve selected PRINT you’ll be directed to the Print Preview page.

This is an example of a Jewelry Dumbbell Label:

This is an example of a 28MM x 89MM Label:

Before you’re able to actually print however, you’ll need to ensure you’ve adjusted a few of the print settings, to ensure that your barcodes are perfectly printed onto your Avery print labels.

Print Settings

Destination

Ensure you’ve selected the printer destination as your Dymo LabelWriter 450 / 450 Turbo.

Pages/Copies

Set the following as it’s default setting or as per your need – if you need more than 1 copy for example.

Layout

Select Portrait or Landscape.

Select +MORE SETTINGS to open up some more printing options

Paper Size

The paper size should be the size code of the label that you are using.

Margins

Set the Margins as NONE to ensure your barcodes fit the labels correctly.

Scale

Your scale will adjust automatically adjust in the print settings, HOWEVER it’s important to ensure that the barcodes are in alignment with the labels. This may mean that users adjust the scale for a proper fitting.

Adjusting the scale, could be a result of longer product names.

Hike Recommends: We recommend that do a test run of your printing first – of at least 5-10 barcodes, to ensure that the alignment is completely perfect. It can be a time-consuming mistake if not!

Once you’ve completed the relevant setting, select PRINT and that’s it! You’ll be adding barcodes to your products in no time at all.

As mentioned earlier, Dymo TypeWriter 450/450 Turbo will print each barcode individually.