Anywhere people need to sell or track physical items, there are labels and barcodes. But label printers often don’t come with software, and the available software is expensive and not very user-friendly. Minnesota-based developer and entrepreneur Caylan Larson thinks most label printers are actually good machines, ruined by bad software.
The software began to catch up to the hardware when Caylan released the beta version of Label LIVE in 2018. The program’s simple, intuitive interface gives users control over design, barcodes, serial numbering, and all manner of data formatting. It works out of the box with dozens of printer models, rolls or sheets of labels, black/white or full-color, on Mac or Windows, without additional drivers for thermal printers.
Printing labels from Excel spreadsheets and other spreadsheet sources is especially easy in Label LIVE, thanks to the powerful features that Caylan created in consultation with thousands of users in industries from food production to auto parts to clothing to coffee to cannabis to jewelry.
SourceForge talked with Caylan about the challenges of developing intuitive software, Label LIVE’s tools for data, and working with customers from around the world to develop elegant solutions to labeling workflows.
How did Label LIVE get started?
I had some experience with using Zebra printers to make shelf tags for a grocery store. And I thought, “Why can’t I design and print labels on my Mac using a Zebra printer? Why is it so tough to make a barcode label and print it?” There was no Mac software that let you plug the Zebra printer in, drag in a barcode, drag in some text, and integrate spreadsheet data. You couldn’t do it.
I make hardware work with software. I’m an integrator. My unique advantage is that I have a background in communicating with customers and clients. I’m able to develop the solution that the customer wants, listen to their specifications, and deliver something that is both functional and beautiful.
Label LIVE solves about a hundred different use cases, all through the same user interface: A simple screen with four tabs in the corner to help you set up your label, design your label, integrate data, and then print the label. That’s all there is to it. Label LIVE works on both Windows and Mac.
You can add text, images, shapes and barcodes. You can then import spreadsheet data and quickly integrate and print a batch of labels, either directly or by generating a PDF that’s sent to a printer driver.
Why is label printing like this?
What it amounts to is that if you need to print something on a printer that has limited resolution, like thermal printers, you need to make sure that you have software that knows exactly how to structure the dots that appear on the label so that it reads and scans correctly.
For a software developer to internalize those complex things and then present those choices to the user is a very heavy lift. It’s challenging to make software like this that works. To prove the point, visit online stores and read the 1-star reviews for any label printer. Almost all of the complaints are about software issues.
Label printing is terribly fraught with panic and fear for the user. When it works, it just fades into the background. When it doesn’t work, it’s a really big deal. By and large, Label LIVE is there because a customer has a pain point they need to solve.
Who uses Label LIVE?
I can look back at the last 50 companies who’ve purchased a license, and they’re all in different industries using a variety of printers. It could be a coffee roaster wanting to print a “roasted on” date label with a ROLLO printer, a grocery store printing shelf tags on a Zebra, a nuclear isotope facility that’s labeling a warehouse with SATO printers, an Amazon seller printing FBA and transparency barcodes using GoDEX, a quilt shop using DYMO, a large concert venue with Brother printers, or a large automotive company organizing parts with a mydpi printer.
Here’s an example of a law label (aka “mattress tag”) being designed and printed using Label LIVE. Each variable can be changed, and the label is instantly updated. The “SIZE” becomes capitalized. The “FILL WEIGHT” is automatically converted from oz to lb/oz. The “DATE” is formatted and kept current.
How do you make it work for customers with such varied needs?
As a solo developer, I have a deep relationship with my customers. The Label LIVE contact form, email address, and support phone number go directly to me. Customers have helped me identify all sorts of highly specific problems they encounter when printing labels. The challenge is to come up with features that don’t just solve one customer’s problem, but also solve future problems that are like that problem. Sometimes we have to work very hard to come up with a name for a new feature—for instance, dynamic copies—because it does a very specific, crucial thing. I have to constantly balance the visibility of new features so they don’t overwhelm new users, but remain accessible enough for customers to intuitively find them when they need them.
How does Label LIVE handle spreadsheet data?
Think of each row on your spreadsheet as an individual label that will print, and each column as a piece of data (called a variable) that will appear on the printed label.
In this spreadsheet every row is a product. It has a column for NAME, PRICE, etc. and a column for QTY that shows how many of each product you received. You may want to print 2 labels of the first product, 7 labels of the second, etc. You just want the QTY variable (column) to represent how many copies you make of the labels. Label LIVE does this with minimal effort.
Notice how graphics and colors are defined in the spreadsheet. Label LIVE allows you to change almost every part of your label based on data. Users don’t know they need it until they use it. They love Label LIVE because it saves them a ton of time.
I’ve worked through these data features over the years, so that users can basically manipulate their spreadsheets to tell Label LIVE how to print their labels. Users can hide and show text based on conditions, control quantities of different kinds of labels all in one batch, or switch up colors and graphics from label to label, or calculate prices based on weight. Label LIVE also makes it easy to manage the formatting of prices, dates and times, weights, quantities, and serial numbers.
Can you give an example to illustrate a problem a customer might be trying to solve when they import an Excel or CSV file?
Here’s a simple one: A coffee roaster selling a few dozen varieties of coffee beans, but with different package size, grind and roast profile. The label can look like this:
You have a spreadsheet with data about the coffee origin and flavors. Label LIVE’s Data tab lets you edit these values, and add additional fields like package size, roasted on date and anything else you can dream up. You can go from managing 500+ label designs to one standard but very flexible design.
Label LIVE has a built-in spreadsheet feature. What functionality does that provide, as distinct from just importing external data?
Some users don’t want to open up another app to maintain their data. The built-in spreadsheet is ideal for someone who just wants to create a quick list of items to print. It’s also good for setting up a batch of labels that you might need to print over and over again. The built-in spreadsheet is useful for printing Avery-style sheets where an inkjet or laser printer prints multiple labels on a single “page.”
If you need any kind of advanced features or you’re going to use that data elsewhere, then you really should use a dedicated spreadsheet program like Excel or Numbers. You can easily import and export data to and from Label LIVE, so it’s not trapped on either solution. If you want to get less hands-on with spreadsheets, Label LIVE also offers different view options that further simplify the interface for label printing operators.
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Feeling stuck with frustrating label printing software? Try Label LIVE free for 14 days on your Windows PC or Mac computer and find out how easy it can be.
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