Barcodes & labels

A label connects the physical item to its digital record: scan the barcode — item open. And anyone without an account can still report an issue via the same label.

There are two routes here, and both work: print QR labels from Mango (below) or buy pre-printed numbered labels and scan each one once as you stick it on (Buying labels instead of printing). Printed labels speak for themselves because the name and inventory number are on them; bought ones save the printing and take more abuse. Mixing is fine — an item may carry several barcodes.

Printing labels

1. In the items table, click “Print labels” at the top right (on narrow windows just the printer icon) and pick the rows you want — or print a single label straight from the detail page. Locations (rooms, shelves) can get labels too.

2. Pick the sheet format (Avery L7160 or L7163) and download the PDF. Stickers already used on a partially used sheet can be skipped.

3. Print, stick on — done. Every label shows the name (up to two lines), the inventory number or a short code, what scanning is for, the organization name and the QR code.

Once a few items are captured, the “Set up your organization” checklist on the dashboard reminds you about label printing. One click there first shows an example label and the two routes to choose from — “Print your own” continues into the print dialog, “Link labels you bought” explains the path described below.

A label can be taken off again at any time: remove its row from the item’s barcode list, and the sticker points at nothing until it is stuck on something else. A new label is one click away.

Which labels to buy?

The PDFs are laid out for standard self-adhesive A4 label sheets — so you need a one-time supply of sheets for your printer:

• Avery L7160 (product page): 63.5 × 38.1 mm, 21 labels per sheet — the compact standard format for most items.
• Avery L7163 (product page): 99.1 × 38.1 mm, 14 labels per sheet — the wider format when names should be easy to read or space allows.

Compatible sheets from other manufacturers with the same dimensions and layout work just as well — the format codes L7160/L7163 are the de-facto standard and usually printed on the box. Available on Amazon or from office suppliers. For most environments, ordinary paper labels are fine; for workshops, outdoor use or frequently handled devices, the same formats come as weatherproof film labels. Tip: print the first page on plain paper and hold it over the sheet as a test before using the label sheets.

Buying pre-printed labels instead of printing

The second route skips the printer entirely: order a roll of sequentially numbered barcode labels — asset labels covering a number range, as sold by barcodeetiketten.de and similar suppliers. Polyester or vinyl beats paper here: these labels are meant to stay on the device for years.

How it works:

1. Stick a label on the item — the number itself doesn’t matter, it only has to be unique.

2. Open the item (at the computer or in the mobile app) and scan the label you just applied in the “Barcodes” section. From that moment the code belongs to this item.

3. Next item. In pairs it goes twice as fast: one sticks, one scans.

From then on a bought label behaves like a printed one: a scan opens the item, selects it in a picker, or counts it during stocktaking. The difference: the label carries nothing but a number — anyone who wants to know what it is has to scan. And the public reporting page for people without an account rides on Mango’s QR label; wherever you need that route (gym, corridor, hall), print a QR label in addition.

Scanning — no app needed

The QR code works with any smartphone camera: it opens a public page with name, photo and category — without revealing location, ownership or internal notes. From there, anyone without an account can report an issue; the report lands as a ticket with the responsible people.

Signed-in users are taken straight to the full detail page when they scan.

Handheld scanners at the computer

Any USB or Bluetooth handheld scanner that types like a keyboard (Zebra, Honeywell, Netum, … from about 30 francs) works without drivers and without setup — the factory default “barcode + Enter” is enough. What a scan triggers depends on the context:

• Anywhere in the app: jumps straight to the item.
• Item picker open (fulfilling an order, adding items to a room): selects the item — scan, scan, scan.
• Open stocktake: counts the item.

Your own barcodes (existing barcode stickers, serial-number labels) can be attached to items on the detail page in the “Barcodes” section — directly by scan (handheld scanner or camera via the section’s “Scan” button) or by typing; search and every scan path find them just the same afterwards. The mobile app also shows the barcodes on the detail page and attaches new ones by camera.

No scanner: the webcam

No handheld scanner around? The laptop’s built-in camera is enough: the scan icon at the top of the header (and additionally in search (⌘K) and in open stocktakes) opens a camera window; in the item picker, the viewfinder appears right inside the picker instead of a second dialog. Hold the label in front of the camera, done. Scanned items appear as cards right below the viewfinder: tapping opens the item, the icon next to it assigns it without a detour — the window stays open, and multiple scans stack up. In the phone browser, “Scan” sits in the middle of the bottom navigation bar. The browser asks once for camera permission. In the item picker and in stocktaking, a camera scan acts exactly like a handheld-scanner scan; the camera stays active for the next scan.

Tip

The mobile app has the scanner built in: a QR label opens the item, unknown barcodes capture a new item (single item or quantity) or get attached to an existing one.

Pairing your phone as a scanner

The most convenient path without scanner hardware: click “Use your phone as scanner” in the camera window and scan the QR code shown with the mobile app’s scanner tab. From that moment, every barcode the phone scans appears instantly in the scan context at the computer — in the item picker the item is selected, in an open stocktake it is counted, otherwise its detail page opens. The phone shows a receipt list of the scans it sent; disconnect via the button on either side (otherwise the connection expires automatically after a workday). Prerequisite: the phone is signed in with an account of the same organization.