How to label your inventory with QR codes
Label the places first, then the things that move, and reuse the barcodes already on boxed stock. Size labels for the distance they're read from. Most teams finish a store room in an afternoon.
What you need
- Your items in a list or in ItemTally (import a CSV first if you have one)
- Label sheets for an office printer (Avery L7160 or J8165 on A4), or a Brother printer with 62 mm continuous rolls
- Polyester or laminated labels for vans, workshops and outdoor kit
- A phone with a camera
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Decide what gets a label
Label places (shelves, bins, cupboards, vans) and things you lend or track one by one (tools, cameras, laptops, cases). Boxed consumables that already carry a manufacturer barcode don't need a printed label; you'll attach that barcode instead.
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Number things in a way you'll never need to change
Use short codes with a prefix and a running number, such as AT-0001 or IT-000214. Don't build meaning into the number (department, room, year): things move, and then the label lies. ItemTally gives every item a code when it's created, so the label and the register always agree.
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Print shelf and bin labels first
A label on each shelf tells anyone scanning it what lives there, which makes putting things away and counting quick. In ItemTally, Print all shelf labels prints one for every folder on Avery L7160; scanning one offers to count that place, move things there or show what's there.
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Print item labels in one run
Select the items and print. ItemTally prints on Avery L7160 (21 per A4), Avery J8165 (8 per A4), a Brother 62 mm roll (DK-22205, cut at 29 mm) or 50 × 25 mm tags, with the name, location or serial under the code if you want them. On a half-used sheet, set the start position to skip the labels you've already peeled. Not using ItemTally yet? The free label generator prints QR codes and barcodes on Avery sheets.
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Attach the barcodes that are already there
For boxed stock, scan the barcode on the box. An unknown code offers Create item with this code or Attach to an item. Once attached, anyone scanning that box lands on the right item, and so does a USB scanner gun.
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Stick labels where they'll be read
Flat, visible and out of the way of hands and wear: the back of a laptop lid, the side of a case, the flat face of a tool body. Keep the code printed as text under the QR so a scratched label can still be typed. Avoid wrapping labels round tight curves.
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Test with a scan, then do the rest
Scan a few labels at the distance people will really use, in the room's real light. Labels print at 100% scale; if a test page doesn't line up with the sheet, check the printer isn't set to fit to page.
Labels that survive the room they’re in
Paper labels are fine on office shelves. In vans, workshops and anywhere hands are greasy, use polyester or laminated labels. A flat tag zip-tied to a cable or handle lasts longer than a sticker stretched around a curve. For textiles (costumes, uniforms), use sewn-in or laundry-safe labels.
Kits and people get codes too
A kit has its own label: scanning it puts every item in the kit into the basket at once. People can have a personal QR card, credit-card sized: their phone opens their My things page, and at the counter scanning it starts a handover to that person.
When to reprint
Reprint a label when it no longer scans on the first try. Reprinting keeps the same code, so nothing in the logbook changes.
Try it on your own stuff. Free for one editor and ten borrowers, with unlimited items. No card.
Start freeQuestions people ask
What size should a QR label be?
25 mm square scans comfortably with a modern phone at arm's length. Go to 38 mm or more for labels read across a room, in poor light or on a high shelf.
Do I need a barcode scanner gun?
No. A phone camera reads QR codes and barcodes in the browser. A USB or Bluetooth scanner helps at a fixed desk doing many scans an hour; ItemTally's scanner accepts one anywhere.
Will my old labels from another system still scan?
Yes, if you bring the codes across. Put the old codes in a column when you import and map it to Barcode or code; ItemTally attaches them, so the old stickers keep landing on the right item.
Should I use QR codes or barcodes?
QR codes for things you label yourself: they scan from any angle with a phone. Keep the barcodes that come on packaging. ItemTally reads both.
What happens when a label wears out?
Reprint it. The code stays the same, so the item's history doesn't change.