Why You Should Ditch Crystal Reports for Printing Barcode Labels Today!

Printing barcode labels with Crystal Reports can feel like trying to write a novel in Excel: technically possible but frustrating and exhausting. If you’ve ever wrestled with barcode labels in Crystal Reports, you know the pain. From installing obscure font packs to battling print driver quirks, the process quickly becomes a test of patience rather than productivity.

In this post, we explain why Crystal Reports is not the right tool for barcode label printing and how switching to professional label design software can save you time, stress and unreadable barcodes.

The Hidden Challenges of Using Crystal Reports for Barcode Labels

Crystal Reports is a powerful reporting tool, but it was never designed with barcode label printing in mind. Yes, it can produce you something that resembles a barcode but it's often stretched to become unreadable, doesn't have enough space around it to scan or a nightmare to design and print to look the way it needs to. Let us explain why:

Complex Font Installations

To generate barcodes, you often need to install multiple obscure barcode font packs. These fonts are not always easy to find or install correctly, and missing fonts cause printing errors.

Print Driver Headaches

Getting the barcode to print correctly sometimes feels like a ritual. You might find yourself tweaking print driver settings endlessly, hoping the barcode doesn’t distort or disappear and praying to the printer Gods when all else fails.

Wandering Layouts

Even if you carefully align your label on screen, the printed version can shift by a few millimetres every time. This misalignment can cause scanning errors or wasted labels.

Overcomplicated Reports

What started as a simple label often balloons into a massive report with dozens of sub-reports, formulas and shared variables. Managing this complex mess drains time and increases the chance of errors.

These challenges add up to a frustrating experience that slows down your workflow and more importantly wastes resources.

Why Loftware Solves All Of These Problems

Loftware is built specifically for creating and printing barcode labels. It offers a much smoother experience, correctly formats barcodes and is simple to use by almost anyone with little training. Imagine benefitting from:

Simple Drag and Drop Design

You can create labels visually without wrestling with complex formulas or font installations. Just drag the barcode element onto your label and customize it. Labels print exactly as designed, eliminating shifts and misalignments that cause scanning problems.

Industry Standard Barcode Generation

The software handles barcode standards and quiet zones automatically, so your barcodes scan correctly every time, meaning your goods won't be rejected by customers or are incapable of being scanned in the first place.

No Complex Printer Driver Settings

Loftware have created their own industry leading printer drivers that work seamlessly with their software and ensure your labels print out correctly. Set parameters in the label template and by-pass complex printer drivers settings that can be over-ridden by the printer.

Faster Setup and Fewer Errors

Emulating a Microsoft GUI, design and print software looks and feels familiar to use. A comprehensive knowledge base takes users through how to design and print labels step-by-step. Even integration with data sources is simple and quick. All of this reduces the risk of printing incorrect labels and improving customer satisfaction.

Take Action Today

If you’re still using Crystal Reports for barcode labels, it’s time to rethink your approach. The extra effort and frustration are not worth it when Loftware offers a clear path to faster, error-free barcode printing.

Contact us for a free demo of Loftware today - your future self and your printer will thank you!