Writen By:
Stephen Fried
Director, Internet Marketing
www.StoreSupplies.com
Everything you ever wanted to know about pricing labels… but didn’t know whom to ask…
Pricing gun labels - Introduction
Pricing gun labels come in many different sizes and configurations to fill various functions.
Although pricing gun labels have been showing up in ever increasing, varied usages, the most common applications for them are ages of pricing gun labels are for
• Pricing
• Inventory coding
• Date coding
Or a combination of all of these three.
Price marking
One of the most common usages of pricing gun labels is for pricing marking. Used in the retail sector for over 60 years, pricing gun labels have proven to be an
economical, highly efficient method of putting the price on the item for easy display.
Beginning with the first patent for a price marking device back in 1899, the need and efficiency of pricing guns have grown along with the retail sector both in this
country and abroad. One of the first manufacturers to make inroads towards the labeling system used today was Monarch Marking out of Dayton Ohio.
Two line price guns
As retailing became more complex, and other uses were found for the basic price gun, manufacturers began adding a second line of print to the pricing gun. With the
additional line of print, the gun now has greater versatility.
The monarch 1136 is a classic 2 line pricing gun. The band layout here allows for printing letters on top and numbers on the bottom.
Three line price gun
With the advent of complex inventory systems came the need for more information easily accessible on items. One of the most economical and effective solutions has
proven to be a price gun. With such features as ergonomic designs, lightweight, durability and easy loading, many companies now offer three line labelers to maximize
the amount of information that can be printed on one label.
By increasing the size of the label not only has an additional line of print been added, but each line also has additional bands, so that so that each line can contain up to
12 characters for a total of 36 characters printed on the label
Typically a three line price gun will have between 8-12 characters on each row. To change the price each group of characters has
its own knob which is turned to determine the number or symbol shown.
Date coding
As freshness and related health concerns become more and more of an issue in the food preparation sector, date coding has quickly become a staple along many
points in the food preparation chain. From harvest, to processing to the actual cooking maintaining food within the safe usage dates becomes almost impossible
without some form of dating.
Pricing labels have proven to be an efficient and economical of marking food products with an expiration date. Typically, the labels will be affixed at the initial food
preparation and will mark off a best if used by date.
Monarch Marking has a complete line of date coding labels for various uses.
Color-coded FreshMarx day labels use a different color for each day of the week, promoting better organization and quick recognition.
One of Monarch’s most effective innovations is the combination two line, date/price label.
The system consists of seven different labels, one for each day of the week. Using different colors for each day makes the labels easy to spot, eliminating error.
With two lines of print, typically the top line is used to indicate the lot number and bottom line the use by date, or the top line can be used for date and the bottom for
price.
Consecutive numbering
One of the most efficient methods of creating consecutive numbering labels is by using a hand held label gun. Serving as both the printer as well as the applicator, a
trained operator can easily mark products at a speed that is unparalleled. With each squeeze of the trigger the counter is advanced, so that the next number is
printed.
Custom printed pricing labels
All Pricing gun labels can be custom printed with a store name, logo or just about any message. The labels will come with a preprinted message or logo on them, and
still leave room for the pricing gun to print the inventory code or price on the label. The color of the label itself as well as the ink used to print the message can vary,
opening up a tremendous amount of possibilities. Two line pricing labels, often offer the option of printing more than one line of preprinted message on the label.
The Mechanics of a price gun
While each manufacturer will focus on different advantages and features in design, all pricing guns consist of a few core elements:
1. Print head
2. Inker
3. Label feed path
4. Pricing labels
Print head
The print head is the part of the pricing gun that when pressed against the inker will print selected characters on the label.
Print head
The print head is made up of a series of bands. These bands are molded rubber formed with the outline of characters: numbers and letters. When pressed up against
the ink roller the band is then pressed against the pricing label, to form the actual imprint that will show on the label.
Each pricing gun contains a limited amount of bands. The amount of bands on the gun will determine the amount of characters the gun can prints.
One line price gun
The Monarch 1110 a typical price gun has between 5 and 6 bands. Pricing guns also come with more than one line of bands. For example a retailer may
want to show the regular price and directly underneath it the sale price. To allow for this price guns have been manufactured that print more than one line.
Below is a diagram of the possible characters that the Monarch 1110 pricing gun can print. Note that while each postion on the print head can only print one
character at a time, not all characthers must be printed. For instance, if one only wanted to print 4 characters on a label, the other two could be set at a not to print
mode.
Two line price gun
A two line pricing gun will hold two print heads each print head holding a series of bands. The amount of bands per print head (or line) will vary amongst
manufacturers.
The XL Pro 22DC a typical 2 line price gun, has two line of bands. The top line contains 8 bands the bottom contains 7. This configuration allows the gun to print 8
characters over 7. So for example:
This label utilizes 6 of top bands and 6 of the bottom
Here is an example of a two line price gun band layout of the Hallmark 2 line
Some of the more common usages of a two line label is to denote regular price and our price. The top line of the pricing gun will be used to mark the list price, which
will appear behind the red X, and the actual price will be printed below.
Here is an example of a Sato 216 2 line label:
Additionally, two line labels can be used for date coding, where the top line of print would be used to denote an inventory code or fresh date, and the bottom line
would be used for the price or the best if used by date.
security slits prevent price switching
security slits break apart when pulled of original item
One of the easiest ways to prevent people from taking a price label from one item and placing it on another is to purchase price labels with security slits. When an
individual attempts to take the price label off of an item, the label rips along the security slits and cannot be put back on another item. The standard is for pricing labels
to come with security slits.
Metal pricing guns
There are some manufacturers who produce a metal gun. For example the Hallmark 1 line , is a sturdy, easy to use one line price gun. While the gun has a
firm feel to it, the added weight and bulk make it difficult to operate and in most envoirment would not be worth the trade off from a typical plastic price gun.
Versatile band layouts
The Hallmark 1 line has a highly versatile band layout that allows for both numeric as well as alpha numeric printing . Here is a 6
band gun, the first band can print any letter from A – S, and the last five bands can print either numbers or special characters. To save on bands, the decimal point
has been added to the fourth band, and does not require its own band.
Pricing gun ink roller
Each package of pricing labels comes with a ink roller. The ink roller is synthetic material that functions similarly to a sponge, wrapped around a plastic core. In the
factory , the ink roller is soaked in ink, then wrapped in an air tight plastic wrapping to contain the moisture. The ink roller will remain fresh for 2-3 years after its
manufacturer data, and will typically last for more impressions that a typical box of labels.
the inker come in blister packs to protect them
As the cost of inkers is not significant, we do not recommend re inking them but rather purchasing new ones. Each gun requires a specific inker, and can
not use an inker from a
different manufacturer or model.
Promotional labels
Promotional pricing labels are labels that are used to highlight a sale or special promotion. Typically larger in size than a standard label, these labels offer an ideal way
of bringing customer attention to a particular detail.
The Monarch 1156 is an example of a promotional label. The label itself is quite large for a pricing label it is Label size is 0.75" x 1.22", and the large band printing
helps make this label stand out. Below is an example of the band print set up.
Writen By:
Stephen Fried
Director, Internet Marketing
www.StoreSupplies.com
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A




ONLINE shopping mall brings sellers and buyers together
By: Darwin Potter | 13/11/2009In November 2009 - Sydney, Australia. Apex Pacific, a global leader in the field of internet marketing software development, today announces the official launch of Emart "", a state-of-the-art online shopping mall platform devoted to help retailers to sell their product online or offline. Emart takes the Australian shopping mall online. The site is a combination of shopping directory, price comparison and shopping cart system tha...
Countywide, Landsafe and KB Homes Named in Appraisal Scheme Lawsuits
By: T. Bledsoe | 13/11/2009While appraisers are forced to work with appraisal management companies just to stay alive, there are some AMC's that we should be wary of. The current lawsuit filed against Countrywide, Landsafe, and KB Homes is a prime example of what appraisers should be staying away from. This article explains the lawsuit and how these mega-companies tried to manipulate the system using appraisers.
Top 5 Reasons to Buy an Appraisal Management Company List
By: T. Bledsoe | 13/11/2009While some appraisers are still receiving jobs regardless of new HVCC regulations, this is the exception and not the rule. It has become necessary for most appraisers to sign up with appraisal management companies just to stay alive in today's market. While some of the larger AMC's can have major problems or drawbacks, there are hundreds of smaller AMC's that provide great customer service and are respectful to all parties involved.
Signing Appraisal Management Company Contracts
By: T. Bledsoe | 13/11/2009With hundreds of appraisal management companies available vying for both appraisers and lenders, it has become necessary for them to create contracts that both protect and harm the appraiser who is forced to sign them. This article will explain the major concern in these contracts, indemnity clauses, and what appraisers can do to protect themselves.
HVCC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
By: T. Bledsoe | 13/11/2009HVCC rules can be a bit confusing, especially when updates change the rules and the internet is inconsistent in its information. This articles will answer many of the questions appraisers have about appraisal management companies and the lenders who hire them.
Making a cool-looking Centerpiece out of Postcards or Flyers
By: Ben Fellowes | 12/11/2009How to make a really great promotional table centerpiece out of print products such as, flyers and postcards!
Accounting Information System
By: altax | 12/11/2009The very name of “Accounting Information System” enlightens us of software or computer based system to manage accounts. Now this type of accounting system is followed commonly in every organization. One of the main reasons behind following AIS is to bid good bye to the voluminous paper work that comes along with accounting.
Important Things to Know About the Translation Business
By: Albert Carter | 12/11/2009For those who are fond of languages, translation and interpretation can be an interesting career. Here are a few key points to know about this particular professional field
Penny Stocks - the Secrets to Success
By: Ron kaye | 09/11/2008 | InvestingInformation and timing are the most important things for an investor. These two aspects of investing become more important when penny stocks are concerned. Penny stocks are renowned for their “high risk, high reward,” as the adage goes, but then it takes a lot of effort on the part of the investor to know and understand which penny stocks would be worth the risk.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Pricing Guns and Price Labels
By: Ron kaye | 15/06/2008 | Small BusinessPricing gun labels come in many different sizes and configurations to fill various functions. Although pricing gun labels have been showing up in ever increasing, varied usages, the most common applications for them are ages of pricing gun labels are for