Printing labels and QR codes

Why print labels

Putting a label on your kit is the single thing that turns Assets from "a register sat in the office" into something that works on site. Once an Asset has a label on it, anyone with a phone can scan the QR code and be taken straight to the Asset's record — no typing in tag numbers, no searching the list, no asking the storeman.

You'll want labels on:

• Power tools and hand tools so they can be scanned in and out at the stores
• Plant and machinery so site teams can identify what they've got
• Hire kit so everyone knows exactly which item came from which supplier
• Survey gear, IT equipment, and anything else that moves around

A label costs almost nothing. The kit it's stuck to often costs hundreds or thousands. The maths is easy.

The QR code on the detail page

Every Asset detail page has a QR code in the sidebar. Scan it with any phone camera and the phone takes you straight to that Asset's page. This is the same QR code that ends up on the printed label, so you can test it works before you print.

You can also use this for ad-hoc scanning — point your phone at the screen on a colleague's monitor and you'll be on their Asset on your phone in seconds.

Opening the labels modal

To print or download a label, click the View Labels button below the QR code in the sidebar. The Asset Label modal opens.

The modal shows a preview of the printable label, with:

• The Asset Tag at the top in bold
• The Asset Name below the tag
• A QR code in the middle
• A barcode below the QR

This is exactly what will come out of your printer when you press Print.

What's on the label

Two scannable codes give you flexibility on site:

• The QR code points at the Asset's detail page. Scan it with a phone and you'll be on the page in your browser
• The barcode encodes the Asset Tag number. Scan it with a handheld 1D scanner — the kind you'd find in any warehouse — and the tag is read directly

Most teams use the QR code from a phone, but the barcode is useful for stores teams that already have handheld scanners and want to use them for fast check-ins.

Printing a label

1. 1

   Open the Asset and click View Labels in the sidebar.

2. 2

   Click the Print button in the modal.

3. 3

   Your browser's print dialog opens. Pick your label printer or your normal printer.

4. 4

   Set the paper size to whatever sticker stock you're using — common label sizes (50x50mm, 75x50mm) work fine with the proportions of the printed label.

5. 5

   Print, peel, and stick the label on the kit somewhere visible and protected.

Downloading a label

If you want to save the label as a file rather than print it directly, click Download in the modal. You'll get a PNG image with the same layout as the print preview, named after the Asset Tag.

This is useful for:

• Sending labels to a print shop that doesn't have access to your system
• Embedding labels in documents
• Bulk-printing labels through a label-printing application
• Keeping a backup so you can re-print a damaged label later

Bulk label printing

There isn't a built-in "print all labels" option for many Assets at once. To print labels for several pieces of kit, open each one in turn and print or download. For very large rollouts (a yard reorganisation or a new project kit-out), the download option is the practical one — save them all as PNGs and batch-print externally.

For everyday use this is rarely an issue — once your kit is labelled, you're really only printing labels for new arrivals.

Real-world examples

• New tool delivery — a delivery of 20 new drills arrives, each one is added to Assets, and the storeman prints a label for each before they're put on the racks
• Yard sticker day — once a year, the asset manager spends an afternoon printing labels for any kit that's missing one or has a worn label
• Barcode-driven stores — the stores team uses a handheld 1D scanner at the door to check kit in and out using the barcode on the label, much faster than typing tag numbers

Next steps

• Detail page overview — for where the QR code and View Labels button sit.
• Creating Assets — for the auto-suggested tag that ends up on the label.