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How to Create and Print Barcode Labels for Products

Updated

Barcode labels help you maintain accurate inventory by enabling quick scanning instead of manual counting. This saves time, reduces errors, and improves warehouse efficiency.

Quick Start: Pulse includes pre-configured label templates ready to use immediately. Create custom templates only if you need specific sizes or layouts.
Looking for Bin Labels? Warehouse location labels are managed in the same screen. See How to Print Bin Labels for Warehouse Locations.

Default Label Formats

These templates work immediately without any configuration:

  • Barcode Label 1 x 2
  • Barcode Label 1 x 3
  • Barcode Label 1 x 3 (Format 2)
  • Barcode Label Dymo 330 2 5-16 x 4
  • Barcode Label Sato CX200 1 x 2

You can print labels from these screens in the Admin panel:

  • Product Catalog Manager
  • Inventory Adjustment Receipt
  • Purchase Order Item Receipt or Purchase Order Receive
  • Item Fulfillment/Assembly Build Receipt or Inventory Transfer Receipt
Note: Only create a custom template if the default formats don't meet your needs.

Creating Custom Label Templates

Step 1: Access Template Manager

Navigate to Settings > Manage Label Templates and click Add New.

Step 2: Enter Basic Settings

  • Template Name: Descriptive name (e.g., "Barcode Label 1 x 4")
  • Label Width: Width in inches (e.g., "4")
  • Label Height: Height in inches (e.g., "1")
  • Label Type: Select Product Label for inventory items. (For warehouse location labels, see How to Print Bin Labels)
  • Label Orientation: Select Horizontal or Vertical

Step 3: Copy a Template Example

Choose the template that matches your label size, then copy and paste it into the Template Content field.

3" x 1" Label (Most Common)

<template>
<data type="textline" width="3" height="0.15" value="{{SKU}}" textAlignment="center" fontSize=".12" marginLeftAndRight=".125" marginTopAndBottom=".02" />
<data type="linebreak"  />
<data type="textline" width="3" height="0.15" value="{{ProductName}}" textAlignment="center" fontSize=".08" marginLeftAndRight=".125" marginTopAndBottom=".02" />
<data type="linebreak"  />
<data type="barcode" width="2" height="0.4" value="{{Barcode}}" textAlignment="center" marginLeftAndRight=".5" marginTopAndBottom=".03" />
<data type="linebreak"  />
<data type="textline" width="3" height="0.12" value="{{Price}}" textAlignment="center" fontSize=".1" marginLeftAndRight=".125" marginTopAndBottom=".02" />
</template>

4" x 1" Label

<template>
<data type="textline" width="4" height="0.2" value="{{SKU}}" textAlignment="center" fontSize=".1" marginLeftAndRight=".125" marginTopAndBottom=".025" />
<data type="linebreak"  />
<data type="textline" width="4" height="0.2" value="{{ProductName}}" textAlignment="center" fontSize=".08" marginLeftAndRight=".125" marginTopAndBottom=".025" />
<data type="linebreak"  />
<data type="barcode" width="3" height="0.4" value="{{Barcode}}" textAlignment="center" marginLeftAndRight=".5" marginTopAndBottom=".05" />
</template>

2" x 1" Label (SKU and Barcode Only)

<template>
<data type="textline" width="2" height="0.2" value="{{SKU}}" textAlignment="center" fontSize=".1" marginLeftAndRight=".125" marginTopAndBottom=".02" />
<data type="linebreak"  />
<data type="barcode" width="1.5" height="0.5" value="{{Barcode}}" textAlignment="center" marginLeftAndRight=".25" marginTopAndBottom=".05" />
</template>

Step 4: Test and Save

  1. Click Preview to see your label layout
  2. Enter a test SKU to verify it looks correct
  3. Click Add to save your template

Your custom template now appears in the label printing dropdown throughout the Admin panel.

Available Variables

You can customize templates using these variables:

  • {{SKU}} - Product SKU/item number
  • {{Barcode}} - Scannable barcode
  • {{Price}} - Product price
  • {{ProductName}} - Product name/description

Quick Customization Tips

Remove elements you don't need: Delete entire lines including the linebreak. For example, to remove price, delete these two lines:

<data type="textline" width="3" height="0.12" value="{{Price}}" ... />
<data type="linebreak"  />

Make product names smaller: Change fontSize=".08" to fontSize=".06" for long product names.

If elements print on separate labels: Your heights are too large. Reduce the height values (e.g., change height="0.2" to height="0.15").

Common Error: Missing the closing /> or </template> tag will cause validation errors such as Invalid Template Content. Always copy from the working examples above.

Need Help?

If you get validation errors, start with one of the working examples above and make small changes one at a time. Most issues come from missing closing tags or incorrect syntax.

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