Finale Knowledge Base

Labeling your Warehouse Sublocations and Products

Once your facility setup has been completed and you have entered all of your sublocations into Finale – the next step will be to ensure that all of your sublocations have a physical barcode printed and affixed to your shelving.

Of course, you'll need to ensure that your products have barcode labels on them too, if they don't already.

While it is technically possible to "click to pick" when you are selecting a sublocation or product – the ability to be able to scan this information certainly makes the scanner workflows more efficient and minimizes the risk of human error.


General Best Practices for Labeling

  • Each sublocation should have at least one barcode attached to it. This is a specific sublocation barcode, and you can print them out of Finale.

  • We see most of our customers affix the sublocation barcodes to their shelving using a plastic holder.

  • Each and every unit of product that you have in inventory will need to have a barcode on it.

  • You can opt to put a product barcode on a bin or tote and scan that instead if you absolutely need to.

  • You can customize the label to print to your desired size and even customize the information that is on the template.

  • If you are on a Silver-level plan or above, reach out to our support team for help to edit your labels, or check out this resource here to try it yourself: Report, Document and Label Customization Basics .


Selecting the Right Label Templates to Print

Whether you are printing thermal labels on a roll or using popular templates from companies like Avery – you'll be able to print your labels out of Finale with no issue.

Navigating from Reports > Labels, you'll see that there are a number of different options to choose from.

  • You can opt to print barcodes or QR codes. The Finale App is compatible with both.

  • The default label size for a roll is 1" x 2-5/8" but remember that these can be customized.

  • The default label size for a sheet (regular printer paper sized) is 5160, which equates to 30 labels altogether also at the 1" x 2-5/8" size.

  • The difference between the "stock" and "non-stock" templates depends on whether or not you are using the Lot ID tracking in Finale. If you are NOT tracking Lot IDs then you'll use the non-stock option.

  • The Short Code refers to the Finale-generated barcode number of your products.

  • If you prefer to use your product ID (SKU) or your own barcode number (ex: UPC) on your Finale barcode templates, reach out to our support team for help making this edit!


Additional Resources for Printing Barcode Labels

Click here for the label printing video bank


Frequently Asked Questions

What plan level is required for access to the mobile barcode scanner?

The mobile barcode scanner is available on Gold Plans and above.

Is the physical scanner included with my Finale Inventory subscription?

We do not provide or sell any hardware. If you are upgrading your plan for access to Finale's Mobile Barcode Scanning features, you must purchase a scanner on your own, and can use one of our preferred vendors if you wish.

What are the hardware requirements for the mobile barcode scanner?

ANDROID-OS Based Minimum hardware requirements:

Operating system version: Android OS 8.1 or greater

Hardware specifications:
• WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n
• Touch Display
• 1GB RAM / 8GB Flash
• 1D/2D barcode scanner or embedded camera

I am using the free trial of Finale Inventory, how do integrate my mobile scanner with my trial account?

Please contact Descartes Customer Support to enable access.

How do I change the Orientation of the Barcode scanner screen?

The mobile barcode scanner software has a Toggle screen hot spot on the top of every screen in the app. Click the area under the title bar to swap your orientation.

How do I type a quantity on the scanner?

Press the Up arrow, on the bottom-of your screen in the app, BEFORE you scan the items you intend to receive or count. That will open up a quantity box for you to type into.

How do I use my own scanner with the Finale Inventory scanner app?

Ensure that your scanner is running on Android-OS 8.1 and that you are on the appropriate plan level to access Finale's barcoding features. The barcoding app can be downloaded directly from the Google Play Store.

Where do I purchase the scanner?

We have two preferred vendors that are recommended to purchase your scanner with however you may ultimately purchase a scanner from anywhere you wish. Our preferred vendors are Barcode-Arena and AML. Please note that Finale's Mobile Barcode Scanner app is only compatible on Android devices.

How do I know what version my scanner is running?

From the main screen of the Finale IMS Barcode Scanner app, click More until you reach option #18 About. Selecting this option will tell you exactly which version of the app you're running on that device.

What is the difference between a USB/Bluetooth scanner and a Mobile Scanning device?

USB/Bluetooth scanners can plug directly into a phone or computer for the purpose of scanning a barcode, whereas a Mobile Scanning Device acts as one handheld tool to run Finale's Mobile Barcode Scanner app and scan barcode information simultaneously.


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