While STEMSOFT does not recommend any particular printer vendor, our clients have successfully used printers from a variety of vendors including Zebra and Brady.
When selecting a printer, it is recommended that you take the following into consideration:
Does the printer offer a standard Windows printer driver? STEMSOFT applications require a windows printer driver to print your labels.
Does the printer support windows fonts, or does it require you to use printer-resident fonts? STEMSOFT can work with either printer-resident or Windows fonts and includes a licensed code 128 windows barcode font. Printer-resident fonts are generally less flexible however they are included in the price of your printer. Additional Windows fonts, including 2-D barcode fonts, must be licensed at additional cost.
Does the printer support the media you need? Not all printers can handle all types of printable media.
Does the vendor offer local support? Given the number of moving parts in a printer, it is almost inevitable that at some point you will need service and support.
Barcode Scanners/Readers:
STEMSOFT does not recommend any particular barcode scanner (wand) vendors or models. When selecting a scanner, it is recommended that you take the following into consideration:
Does the reader support your chosen barcode symbology? Not all barcode readers support all types of barcodes. Make sure that the model you select includes support your preferred font including Code 128, CodaBar or Data Matrix.
Is the reader a Keyboard Wedge? STEMSOFT supports keyboard wedge readers only. This means that your computer sees the input from the reader as being indistinguishable from keyboard entry. This can be accomplished both through software and hardware.
Does the form factor of the scanner meet your needs? There are a wide range of readers available including wireless readers, hand-free readers and readers designed to read from shorter or longer distances.
Barcode Fonts:
STEMSOFT does not recommend any particular barcode fonts.
STEMSOFT does currently license a Code 128 font which is included with your installation of StemLab™.
If you do not already have a 2D font, STEMSOFT has successfully worked with Morovia DataMatrix Fontware from www.morovia.com
If the decision is made to purchase another barcode font set, it is a requirement that the font package include a Crystal Reports compatible function.
