Rack Position Labels: Print, Stick, Scan

Rack and position labels are the addresses of the warehouse. Without them, "where is this pallet" is a question answered by walking around. With them, the answer is a scan.

Print template

/api/storage-racks/[id]/labels generates a printable PDF for a rack’s positions: each label has the rack ID, the position code (e.g., "A3-2-4" for rack A3, row 2, position 4), a Code128 barcode encoding the full position URI, and a human-readable label. The template is sized for standard label sheets (Avery L7163 or equivalent) so any tenant can print on stock they already have.

Code128 specifically

Code128 is the linear barcode standard that handles alphanumeric content cleanly, decodes reliably on phone cameras, and works with every USB wedge scanner sold in the past decade. Other formats (QR, Datamatrix) have their advantages, but Code128 is the one that "just works" on the broadest range of warehouse hardware. The platform standardizes on it for rack labels, asset UID labels, and pallet barcodes.

Position resolution

When the scanner reads a position label, the platform resolves it to the rack-position row in the database, with the warehouse, zone, and rack hierarchy attached. The scanner’s warehouse mode then expects the next scan to be the asset or pallet being placed there — and writes the move record without the operator typing.

Re-printing

Labels fade, get torn, get covered by other labels. The print template can re-issue any rack’s labels at any time. The position codes are stable (changing a rack’s layout means a new rack ID, not a re-coding of positions), so a re-print produces labels that match whatever was already in the system.