Barcodes and labels
Give every product a barcode, print clean shelf labels, and scan at the till so cashiers ring items in a second — no hunting through the grid.
Barcodes turn a slow visual search into a single beep. Instead of the cashier scrolling to find Savon de Marseille among hundreds of products, they scan the pack and it drops straight into the sale. For a busy shop this is the single biggest speed gain at the till.
CEMAC POS can generate a barcode for any product that does not already have one printed by the manufacturer, print it on a label, and read it back with any standard USB or Bluetooth scanner — or the tablet camera.
How it works
Every product can hold a barcode value. Many packaged goods already carry a manufacturer EAN barcode — enter that number and you are done. For loose or repackaged items with no barcode, CEMAC POS generates one for you and prints it as a label you stick on the product or the shelf.
- Manufacturer barcode — type or scan the existing EAN into the product.
- Generated barcode — created by CEMAC POS for items with none.
- Label — printable tag with the name, price and barcode.
- Scanner — a USB or Bluetooth reader, or the tablet camera, feeds the till.
A scanner behaves like a keyboard: it types the barcode number and presses enter. As long as the till search box has focus, scanning simply adds the item, so no special driver or setup is needed.
Generate, print and scan
- Open the product and check the barcode field.
- If the pack has a manufacturer barcode, scan or type it into the field.
- If it has none, tap Generate to have CEMAC POS mint a unique barcode.
- Choose Print label, pick the label size, and print to your label printer.
- Stick the label on the product or the shelf edge.
- At the till, put focus in the search box and scan — the item joins the sale instantly.
Print a short test run first and scan one label back before printing a whole batch. It confirms the size, contrast and quiet zone all read cleanly on your printer.
Common errors and how to fix them
| Message / symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Scanner types numbers but nothing is added | The till search box did not have focus | Click into the search box first, then scan; keep it focused between items. |
| Barcode will not scan at all | Label printed too small or with poor contrast | Reprint larger, on white stock, keeping the blank quiet zone at both ends. |
| Wrong product opens when scanned | The barcode value is duplicated across two products | Make each barcode unique; regenerate one of them and reprint. |
| Scanner adds an extra character or line break | Scanner suffix is misconfigured | Set the scanner suffix to a single Enter, or none, in its config sheet. |
| Generated barcode missing on labels | Label was printed before saving the product | Save the product, reopen it, then print the label again. |
Frequently asked questions
Common questions
Do I need a special barcode printer?
A dedicated label printer gives the cleanest results, but you can also print labels on a sheet with an ordinary printer.
Can I use the tablet camera instead of a scanner?
Yes. The camera reads barcodes directly, which is handy for a mobile or pop-up till with no hardware scanner.
What if two shops use the same generated barcode?
Barcodes are unique within your account, so your generated codes never clash with your own products across your tills.
Try it in your own shop
Start a free 30-day trial and follow along — no card required.
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