Every pick starts with a scan. If the label reads on the first try, nobody notices it. If it doesn't, the operator stops, leans in, tilts the scanner, and tries again. Do that a few hundred times a shift and the label has become a bottleneck.
The good news is that scan speed is mostly decided by a handful of choices you make before the labels are printed. This article walks through them in plain terms: size, contrast, face stock, upper-level labels, placement, color, and arrows.
Why the label is part of the pick
A rack label has two jobs. The barcode has to read fast on the scanners your team actually uses, and the human-readable code has to be easy to confirm at a glance. When either one fails, the pick slows down. When the label is hard to read or easy to confuse, picks also go to the wrong place, which is a bigger problem than a slow one. We cover that side in how location labels cause mispicks.
Size the barcode for the distance
The farther the scanner is from the label, the bigger the barcode needs to be. A label read from arm's length on a pick shelf can be compact. A label on a high beam, read from the floor, needs a larger barcode and taller human-readable characters.
Start with where the operator stands, not with the label catalog. List each level, how far it sits from the scanning position, and which scanner reads it. Then size each label for that distance. The Warehouse Label and Sign Selection Matrix lays out sizes by scan distance if you want a reference.
Contrast and face stock
Scanners read the difference between dark bars and light spaces. Black on white gives the scanner the clearest signal. Colored backgrounds can work, but dark or busy backgrounds behind the barcode make reads slower and less reliable.
Surface matters too. A glossy face can throw glare back at the scanner under bright warehouse lights. A matte or low-glare face reads more consistently from different angles. In dusty areas, a face stock that wipes clean keeps the contrast where it should be.
Long-range labels for upper levels
Upper beams are where standard labels struggle. The scanner's beam spreads out over distance, and less light comes back from a plain label. Retro-reflective labels are built to send the scanner's light straight back to it, which is what makes reading a high location from the floor practical.
Plan on 10+ feet scan distance (typical for a long-range scanner), and match the label to the scanners you own. Ask your scanner supplier for the model's range on retro-reflective labels, then test before you order the full run.
Placement height and position
Put labels in the same place on every beam. When operators know exactly where to look, they find the label faster and scan it straighter.
- Keep labels clear of beam connectors, safety clips, and anything else that blocks the line of sight.
- Mount labels low enough on the beam that product on the shelf doesn't hide them.
- For multiple levels scanned from one spot, consider upright labels or multi-level totems so the operator doesn't have to move.
Write the placement rule down and give it to whoever installs the labels. Consistency is worth more than any single clever spot.
Color coding by level
Color by level helps an operator find the right row before the scanner ever comes up. Pick one color for each level and use it across the whole building. Colors that change from aisle to aisle cause more confusion than no colors at all.
Keep the barcode area itself black on white. Use color in a band or block next to it.
Arrows that point the right way
When a beam carries labels for the slot above it and the slot below it, arrows tell the operator which is which. Up arrows for the slot above, down arrows for the slot below. A wrong arrow is worse than no arrow, because it sends the scan to the wrong location with full confidence.
Arrow direction should come from your location file, not from memory, and someone should spot-check it against the rack drawing before printing.
A quick test before you order
Before a full order, print labels for one bay at each level. Put them on the rack and scan them with your own scanners, from the places where operators actually stand and drive. Note any label that takes more than one try. Fix the size, placement, or material for that level, then order the rest.
Related reading
- How location labels cause mispicks, and how to fix them
- Warehouse Label and Sign Selection Matrix
- Warehouse barcode labels from CIS
- Warehouse rack labels in Atlanta and Georgia
Labeling a facility in Atlanta or North Georgia? Same-day quote. Call 770-561-5285 or email keaton@innovationandsupply.com.