Can I Design and Print My Own Labels with POS Software?

Many retailers want to know whether they can design and print their own barcode labels, shelf labels, price tags, and hang tags directly from their point of sale software. For stores that manage inventory, scan barcodes, print price changes, or label new products as they arrive, label printing can be one of the most useful POS software features.

The answer depends on your POS software, item data, barcode format, label design tools, label printer, label size, drivers, and setup. Some POS systems can help you create and print labels for products, shelves, bins, and retail merchandise, while other systems may require separate label design software or a different workflow.

Why Label Printing Matters in Retail POS Software

Label printing helps retailers keep products organized, scannable, priced correctly, and easier to manage at checkout. Instead of manually writing prices or relying only on manufacturer barcodes, businesses can print their own labels using item records from the POS system.

This is especially helpful for:

• Retail stores that sell items without manufacturer barcodes
• Convenience stores and grocery stores that need shelf labels
• Liquor stores that need product and shelf pricing labels
• Gift shops and specialty retailers with unique merchandise
• Hardware stores and parts counters with small items
• Clothing, apparel, and boutique stores using hang tags
• Warehouse and stockroom workflows that need bin or inventory labels
• Businesses that receive new inventory and need labels quickly

Types of Labels You May Be Able to Print

The label types available depend on your software and printer setup. Common POS label printing needs include:

Label Type	Common Use	What to Confirm
Barcode labels	Product scanning at checkout, inventory, and receiving	Barcode type, label size, printer compatibility, and item data
Shelf labels	Price labels on shelves, peg hooks, coolers, and product displays	Label size, price fields, department, item name, and promotional pricing
Price labels	Retail pricing on products without UPC codes	Price source, tax handling, sale pricing, and barcode format
Hang tags	Apparel, boutique, gift, jewelry, and specialty merchandise	Tag stock, printer type, hole position, and layout design
Bin labels	Stockrooms, warehouses, and back-office inventory organization	Location codes, item numbers, barcode scanning, and durability
Markdown labels	Clearance, sale, and promotional pricing	Sale price logic, expiration dates, and promotion rules

What Information Can Go on a POS Label?

A good POS label printing workflow should pull useful product data from your item records. Depending on the software and label design, labels may include:

• Product name
• Barcode
• SKU or item number
• UPC or alternate code
• Retail price
• Sale price
• Department or category
• Vendor or manufacturer
• Size, color, or style
• Case pack or unit quantity
• Store location or bin location
• Custom text or notes

The cleaner your POS item data is, the easier it is to print useful labels. If product names, prices, barcodes, or departments are inconsistent, your labels may also be inconsistent.

Barcode Labels vs Shelf Labels vs Hang Tags

Barcode labels, shelf labels, and hang tags all serve different purposes. Before buying a printer or setting up label templates, decide which label types your business needs most.

Label Type	Best For	Typical Hardware
Barcode labels	Products that need to scan at checkout or during inventory	Desktop label printer, thermal transfer printer, or direct thermal printer
Shelf labels	Price tags for shelves, aisles, coolers, and peg hooks	Label printer with compatible shelf label stock
Hang tags	Clothing, gifts, accessories, jewelry, and specialty merchandise	Tag printer or compatible desktop label printer with tag stock
Bin labels	Stockrooms, warehouses, and backroom inventory organization	Label printer with durable label stock

Direct Thermal vs Thermal Transfer Label Printing

Choosing the right label printer matters. Most retail label printing uses either direct thermal or thermal transfer technology.

Printer Type	How It Works	Best For
Direct thermal	Prints on heat-sensitive labels without a ribbon	Short-term barcode labels, price labels, receipts, and labels not exposed to heat or sunlight for long periods
Thermal transfer	Uses a ribbon to print onto labels or tags	Longer-lasting product labels, warehouse labels, durable labels, synthetic labels, and specialty tags

If your labels need to last longer, resist fading, or survive tougher handling, thermal transfer may be a better fit. If you need simple short-term price or barcode labels, direct thermal may be enough.

POS Software Label Printing and BizTracker

Businesses reviewing BizTracker can learn more about available POS software features on the BizTracker Infinity POS page. BizTracker information may be especially useful for retailers looking at barcode label printing, shelf labels, hang tags, inventory control, promotions, and multi-store retail workflows.

If label printing is important to your business, confirm the exact BizTracker software version, label format, printer model, label size, barcode type, and setup requirements before ordering hardware or labels.

What You Need to Print Labels from POS Software

To print labels successfully, you usually need more than just software. A complete label printing setup may include:

• POS software with label printing features
• Clean item records with product names, prices, SKUs, and barcodes
• A compatible label printer
• Compatible barcode labels, shelf labels, or tag stock
• Printer drivers or utilities when required
• Correct label template or layout design
• Barcode scanner testing to confirm labels scan properly
• Replacement ribbons for thermal transfer printing, if used

Popular Label Printer Categories

Spartan POS carries label printing hardware and supplies for retail, inventory, warehouse, and product labeling workflows. Common categories include:

• Label Printers
• Desktop Label Printers
• Tabletop Label Printers
• Zebra Label Printers
• Thermal Labels
• Barcode Labels
• Thermal Transfer Ribbons
• Barcode Scanners

Label Printing and Barcode Scanning Should Work Together

Printing barcode labels only helps if your scanners can read them accurately. After creating a label, test the barcode with the scanner and POS system before rolling it out across your store.

When testing labels, confirm:

• The barcode scans at checkout
• The correct item appears in the POS system
• The price is correct
• The barcode size is large enough to scan reliably
• The label material works for the product surface
• The label does not fade, smear, or peel too easily
• The scanner can read the barcode from normal checkout distance

For scanner options, browse barcode scanners, 2D barcode scanners, wireless barcode scanners, and 1D vs 2D barcode scanners.

Common Label Printing Mistakes

Label printing problems usually happen when the software, printer, labels, template, or item data do not match. Common mistakes include:

• Buying labels that do not fit the printer
• Using direct thermal labels when thermal transfer is needed
• Choosing a label size too small for the barcode
• Printing barcodes that are too dense or too narrow to scan
• Using poor item descriptions or inconsistent product names
• Forgetting to test labels with the actual POS scanner
• Assuming all label printers work with all POS software
• Not confirming driver or operating system support
• Trying to print shelf labels on product-label stock
• Using labels that will peel, fade, or smear in the store environment

Questions to Ask Before Choosing POS Label Printing Software

Question	Why It Matters
Can the software print barcode labels?	Important for product scanning, inventory, and item lookup.
Can the software print shelf labels?	Important for grocery, convenience, liquor, and retail shelf pricing.
Can I design my own label layouts?	Lets you control what appears on each label or tag.
Which label printers are supported?	Prevents buying hardware that does not work with your POS system.
Which barcode formats can I print?	Barcode type affects scanner compatibility and item lookup.
Can I print labels from purchase receiving?	Helpful when labeling new inventory as it arrives.
Can I print sale or markdown labels?	Useful for promotions, clearance, and temporary pricing.
Do I need separate label design software?	Some businesses may need advanced tools beyond built-in POS label printing.

Compatibility Guidance

Label printing depends on both the POS software and the hardware. A label printer that works with one system may not work with another, and the same printer may require different drivers, utilities, label sizes, or settings depending on the software.

Compatibility depends on your POS software, operating system, connection type, drivers, accessories, and configuration. Confirm compatibility before ordering.

For additional planning, review the POS Hardware Compatibility Guide, POS Hardware Setup and Troubleshooting Center, and What’s Included with POS Hardware?.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I print barcode labels from my POS software?

Some POS software can print barcode labels directly from item records. Confirm whether your system supports the barcode type, label size, printer model, and template design your business needs.

Can I print shelf labels with POS software?

Some systems support shelf labels for product names, prices, departments, and barcodes. This is especially useful for convenience stores, grocery stores, liquor stores, and retail shelves.

Can I design my own label layouts?

Some POS systems include label design or template tools, while others may require separate label software. Confirm whether you can control fields such as item name, price, barcode, SKU, size, color, and custom text.

What kind of printer do I need for barcode labels?

Most businesses use a compatible direct thermal or thermal transfer label printer. The right choice depends on label durability, label size, software support, volume, and whether you need ribbons.

Do I need a barcode scanner to test labels?

Yes. You should test printed labels with the same barcode scanner and POS system used at checkout to confirm that labels scan accurately and pull up the correct item.

Can I print labels when receiving inventory?

Some POS systems support label printing during or after receiving inventory. This can help stores label new products before they go to the sales floor.

Does Spartan POS sell label printers and labels?

Yes. Spartan POS carries label printers, barcode labels, thermal labels, thermal transfer ribbons, and related POS hardware.

Bottom Line

POS label printing can save time, improve checkout accuracy, support inventory control, and help retailers create barcode labels, shelf labels, price tags, and hang tags from their own item data. The right setup depends on your POS software, item records, printer model, label size, barcode format, and scanner compatibility.

Before ordering, confirm that your software supports the label formats you need and that your printer, labels, drivers, and scanners are compatible. For more help, review Point of Sale Software Questions, browse label printers, or visit Contact a POS Hardware Expert.