When you’re choosing labels to identify and track lab equipment, specimens, and other assets in life sciences applications, you want to get the right results for every job without worrying about shopping around for different solutions from different suppliers.
That’s one of the many reasons why labeling experts around the world recommend working with Zebra, a global leader in barcoding and RFID that provides a single source of labeling and supply solutions for every application.
In previous articles, we’ve talked about Zebra’s specialized labels and printer ribbons for life sciences applications, where Zebra’s specialized label materials and ribbons ensure label durability, readability, and scannability in complex use cases involving chemical exposure, cryogenic freezing, steam autoclaving, and other extreme conditions.
But Zebra is also our top-recommended supplier for a number of other crucial reasons, and you definitely want to take a look at these factors when you’re evaluating your label and printing supplies vendors:
- Quality Assurance
Zebra offers unparalleled quality across its product portfolio, including barcode and RFID printers, printing supplies, mobile computers, barcode scanners, RFID readers, and other real-time locating and data capture technologies.
Zebra is an ISO9001:2015 certified company with stringent quality processes and standards throughout its manufacturing, including procedures to ensure the highest possible quality and performance for its life sciences labels and supplies. It also uses consistent label and ribbon materials with absolutely no substitutions, inspects every printing product with computerized vision inspection systems, and even uses color matching software and equipment to ensure unwavering consistency between products.
- Pre-Testing
To ensure that label materials and supplies perform exactly as expected and required, Zebra pre-tests all of its printing products and puts them through a rigorous set of tests. These include extensive pre-testing on Zebra printers, assessment of printhead wear from that usage, verification of adhesive strength and specifications, and pre-tests for harsh environmental application and usage factors such as extremely high and low temperatures, chemical exposure, abrasion, indoor/outdoor elements, and much more.
For example, Zebra’s tests its specialized life sciences labels and supplies under conditions such as cryogenic freezing, steam autoclave, gamma radiation, dry ice, and extreme temperatures that can range as widely as -40° F to 300° F (-40° C to 149° C). It also tests for resistance to chemicals such as Xylene, Acetone, MEK, TCE, 70% isopropyl alcohol, ammonia, bleach, and many others.
In the end, Zebra’s pre-testing ensures that your labels and supplies will perform reliably under the real-world conditions that each solution is designed for, so you get worry-free results at every step.
- Unsurpassed Selection
Not every label or printer ribbon is designed for every application. Some demand synthetic labels and acrylic adhesives for specialized use cases and conditions, while others might be served with a more standard paper label and basic adhesive for less sensitive applications.
This is why Zebra produces a wide array of labels and printing supplies with more than 1,000 possible combinations and over 500 stock products. This way, you can quickly and easily match the right supplies to your specific application and get the right results at the right price. And you don’t have to spend a lot of time looking through all those combinations and options to find the right choice. Zebra has convenient supplies selector guides that will get you to the right solution in no time, or you can contact our labeling experts at Vantage ID Applications, Inc, and we’ll provide you with an immediate recommendation based on your use case and application specs.
- Custom Solutions
One important thing to keep in mind is that your printing supply options don’t end with Zebra’s stock products or existing combinations. Suppose you have highly customized needs that aren’t addressed by Zebra’s existing line of supplies. In that case, its research and development team will work with you to quickly specify, develop and produce the right solution.
As one of the world’s leading suppliers of printing solutions, Zebra has made labeling a true science, and its experts can rapidly develop products to solve virtually any challenge in any use case or industry.
- Prompt and Reliable Supply
With Zebra supplies, there’s no waiting around for your labels to be produced or shipped. Zebra has extensive manufacturing capabilities and multiple supplies facilities across North America, so you can always count on quick and reliable delivery. The company even has full contingency and disaster plans to ensure uninterrupted supply. And with Zebra’s ZipShip program, which covers all Zebra stock labels and supplies, products are on the shelf and ready for immediate dispatch, with a minimum order quantity of just one box.
- Convenient and Flexible Ordering
To further expedite and simplify ordering, Zebra also offers flexible options, including blanket annual supplies orders, make-and-hold orders, and phased scheduled shipments. For example, you can work with our team at Vantage ID Applications, Inc., and we can arrange to have your supplies shipped from Zebra on a fixed schedule, once per year or even on-demand. It’s all up to you, and you can change your arrangement whenever needed.
- Guaranteed Printhead Protection
We’ve saved one of the best benefits for last with Zebra’s Printhead Protection Program. With this program, if you use Zebra printers and agree to use genuine Zebra supplies exclusively, your printheads will be replaced at no cost if they ever need replacing.
This offers great protection against unexpected printhead replacement costs and can quickly add up to thousands of dollars in savings in the event that your printheads become worn and need to be swapped out. But Zebra’s supplies are designed to work in tandem with your printer to extend the life of your hardware, and your printheads, so unexpected replacements should be rare indeed. But if a need arises, you’ll know you’re 100% covered at absolutely zero cost.
To learn more about Zebra labels and supplies for life sciences applications, download our Zebra labels and supplies selector guide or contact our team at Vantage ID Applications, Inc. We’ll help find the right products for your needs and use cases. Vantage ID Applications, Inc. See it all. Track it all. Call us at 1-866-234-8468 or visit us at www.vantageid.com/life-science-solutions.