Navigate to your label printer’s ‘Printing preferences’ in Windows. First, lower your label printer’s print speed. If the printer prints too quickly, the resin may not have enough time to heat up and transfer. Next, increase your darkness by 5 points and click ‘Apply’ before attempting to print once more.

Most customers have success with a print speed of 4” per second and darkness of 25.

If you print and blank labels begin coming out and do not stop, this is usually due to a gapping issue. Your printer is not sure where one label ends and another begins. Ensure the printer’s gap sensor is positioned under your labels correctly, then consult your printer manual for information on a re-calibration.

If you print and a single blank label comes out, make sure the ribbon inside your printer is facing the right way. Open the printer head and tap a piece of tape or the sticky side of a label to the ribbon. If black resin pulls away, your ribbon is facing the correct way. Make sure the matte side is facing you, and the shiny side is facing the back of the printer.

If you print and ten or more blank labels come out, Windows may be borrowing the ‘paper’ size from another printer or PDF writer. Make sure your default printer in Windows is set to be your label printer and that ‘Let Windows manage my default printer’ is off.

Most scanners can add a ‘prefix’ or ‘suffix,’ which is additional text or actions performed after each scan. These settings are easy to set up, typically by scanning a specific barcode that programs the scanner for you. We recommend an ‘enter’ suffix if you’re scanning multiple vials at once in Freezerworks.

Consult with your scanner manufacturer’s website for help with prefix and suffix settings.

Scanners are a standard peripheral and work similarly to computer keyboards. If you can type and scan into a text file, you can type and scan into Freezerworks.

Before troubleshooting with Freezerworks, try using the scanner on any barcode (tissue box, box of gloves, etc.) directly into a text file. If the barcode is entered into the text file, the scanner should work with any barcode in Freezerworks.

If the scanner does not write the barcode into the text file, try restarting your computer, then consult the quick-start guide shipped with the scanner.

If the scanner can scan other barcodes but cannot scan your vial barcode, the barcode configuration may be sized incorrectly. Try reconfiguring the barcode size on your label formats to be larger or smaller and test. It is also possible that your labels are too light or smudged. If that is the case, check out the FAQ, ‘My labels are printing smudged or faded.’

The Quick Search bar at the top of the Homepage is a great option for single-record searching. The default field for searching is Unique Aliquot ID, but this can be customized to search on any field in your User Preferences.

If you cannot update your Quick Search, Search by Barcode is also a good option for finding one record at a time.

Scanners can be used anywhere a computer keyboard can be used in Freezerworks. Popular uses of scanners include Search by Barcode, Add Samples/Add Aliquots, Homepage Quick Search, List View searching, and QC Check Freezer.

Freezerworks can print labels for your aliquots once the records have been created in Freezerworks. Any data you track in Freezerworks, such as a unique identifier, an aliquot type, or a storage date, can be printed on a label in either a human-readable or barcode format.

You’ll need a printer, a scanner, labels, and ribbon to get started. Please check with support before buying any barcoding supplies from a third party; some labels do not have matching formats in Freezerworks and would require development assistance at an additional cost. We offer free Sample Label Kits so you can test labels out before purchasing.

If you don’t already have a unique identifier for your aliquots, consider using Globally Unique Aliquot ID for barcoding, as it is tied to your serial number and guaranteed unique across all Freezerworks instances.

Please consult the User’s Manual, watch our Labels video series, or contact our support staff for more information.