Labels

Related sections

• Step-by-step instructions are in Work with labels and Set up labels.
• The full list of actions, fields, and settings is in the Labels reference.

A label gives a record a short code that can be used to find it. The code goes onto the physical item: printed as a QR code on a sticker or written to an NFC tag. When someone scans the code, they’re taken back to the record, or, if they don’t have access, to your public lost & found page.

What labels and codes are

A label is the link between a record in UNIO24 and a code. A code is 8 characters long and is shown as XXXX-XXXX. A record can have several labels over its lifetime, but only one is active at any moment. When you generate a new code or enter someone else’s code, the previous one stops working (status Revoked) and no longer leads to the record.

The QR code doesn’t encode the record itself but the code’s public address. From that address UNIO24 works out which record the code is attached to and decides what to show the person scanning it.

Which records can be labeled

You can label five types of records:

• Assets
• Inventories (consumables)
• Employees
• Locations
• Licenses

The page of each such record has a label button. If no code is assigned yet, it reads Generate Tag; once a code is assigned, it shows the label number.

Label actions

The label button on a record page opens a menu. The menu items depend on whether the record has an active code:

• Show tag — shows the record’s QR code on screen so it can be scanned.
• Print — opens the label print dialog: choose a template and number of copies, check the preview, then print or Download PDF.
• Generate new tag — creates a new code and attaches it to the record. If there already was a code, it’s replaced, and the old sticker stops working.
• Enter code from tag — attaches an existing code to the record, for example from a sticker printed in advance (type it in or scan it).
• Remove tag — detaches the code from the record. The old sticker stops working, but you can assign a code again.

While there’s no code, the menu has only Generate new tag and Enter code from tag; the other items appear once a code is assigned. Step-by-step instructions for each action are in Work with labels.

This is the web app menu. Writing a code to a physical NFC tag is done in the UNIO24 mobile app.

Labeling methods

A label code is just an identifier; it’s put on the item in one of two ways. UNIO24 supports two code carriers.

• QR sticker. The code is printed as a QR code and stuck on the item. Stickers are designed and printed right in UNIO24 (see Templates and presets and Printing) and scanned with a smartphone camera in the mobile app.
• NFC tag. The same code is written to an NFC tag (a sticker or a key fob) through the UNIO24 mobile app. To open the record, just hold the phone to the tag; no camera or line of sight is needed.

Which NFC tags work

The NFC tag is written in NDEF format (a single record with a link), so any blank NDEF-compatible tag works. The app is designed for NTAG213, NTAG215, and NTAG216 chips; their capacity (from 144 bytes on the NTAG213) is more than enough for the link. Tag password protection prevents the tag from being overwritten by accident: its contents can be changed only with the password, while anyone can still scan it. It works only on NTAG213/215/216 chips; other tag types can’t be protected.

How to label an asset

On the record page, generate a code, then put it on the item: print a QR sticker or write the code to an NFC tag with the UNIO24 mobile app. After that, the asset opens when you scan the QR code or tap the NFC tag in the mobile app.

Stickers or NFC: which to choose

Both lead to the same record page; pick the carrier that suits the working conditions.

QR stickers are cheaper and more versatile: any printer and any smartphone camera will do, and printing in bulk is easy. But a sticker needs a clear line of sight and a clean, flat surface, and over time it can wear off, get dirty, or peel. A good choice for office equipment, furniture, tools, and mass labeling in normal conditions.

NFC tags are tougher and last longer: they’re read with a tap, without line of sight (the tag can be hidden under a surface), they’re harder to damage or fake by accident, and they can be password-protected against overwriting. On the other hand, they cost more, are written one at a time through the app, and need an NFC-capable phone. A good choice for valuable assets, harsh or dirty environments (warehouse, shop floor, outdoors), and places where a regular sticker won’t stay on.

You can combine the two if needed: the same asset can carry both a QR sticker and an NFC tag.

How a code leads to a record

A label code encodes a public address. Anyone can open it with an ordinary scan: point a smartphone camera at the QR code or hold the phone to the NFC tag. No UNIO24 app or sign-in is needed; the address opens in a regular browser. What UNIO24 shows depends on whether the person has access to the record.

• Has access. If the person is signed in to UNIO24 and their role has permissions for the record, the record itself opens, for example the asset page.
• No access. If the person isn’t signed in or has no permissions (say, a stranger found the item), the public lost & found page opens instead.

Returning a lost asset

The lost & found page serves one purpose: a labeled item got lost, and the finder wants to return it to its owner. So it doesn’t reveal the record’s data; it only shows how to contact your company. Because the page opens with an ordinary scan (camera or NFC), anyone with a smartphone can return the item, with no app and no account.

You decide what the page shows (see Set up labels):

• a header with the company name (you can hide it);
• Message for finder — any text, for example asking them to get in touch;
• contacts: Contact email and Contact phone.

If the public lost & found page is turned off or the code isn’t active (revoked), the finder sees only a generic message without contacts.

Templates and presets

Two things define how a label looks and prints.

• A preset is the physical label format: Roll (thermal printer) or Sheet (Letter/A4), the label size, and for sheets the number of rows and columns, margins, and gaps. Presets are either built-in or custom and are grouped by region (US and Intl).
• A template is the label design on top of a preset: which elements are on the label and where. Templates are created in the visual Template designer and are always tied to one preset.

A label can hold four types of elements: QR code, Text, Logo, and Shape. A text element can be static or take its value from the record through a binding, such as the label code, object name, asset ID, serial number, model, or company name. When you print, bindings fill in the actual data of each record.

One template is chosen as the default (Settings → Labels → General); it’s offered first in print dialogs.

Printing

Printing goes through PDF and your browser’s regular print dialog: UNIO24 builds a PDF with the label and either opens the print dialog or saves the file. No special driver or direct printer connection is required; any printer that can print a PDF will do. You can print one label from a record page or many at once from a list (see Work with labels).

The printing method depends on the preset: Sheet (Letter/A4) for regular printers, Roll (thermal printer) for label printers.

What to print on

• Regular printer and label sheets. A laser or inkjet printer with sheets of self-adhesive labels in Letter or A4 size (several labels per sheet). Handy for small runs or when you don’t have a dedicated label printer. Laser printing beats inkjet: toner doesn’t smear, stands up better to moisture, and gives a higher-contrast QR code.
• Label printer (thermal printer). Prints on a roll of self-adhesive labels, one at a time. Convenient for large runs and regular labeling. Thermal printing comes in two kinds: direct thermal (no ribbon), where the label fades over time and is sensitive to heat and light; and thermal transfer (with a ribbon), where the image is durable and suits long-term labeling.

Which labels to choose

• For offices and normal conditions, paper self-adhesive labels are enough.
• For warehouses, shop floors, outdoors, and the long haul, use synthetic labels (polypropylene or polyester): they don’t tear and aren’t bothered by moisture. If needed, protect the QR code with lamination or clear film.
• A matte surface is better; glossy labels can glare and get in the way of scanning.
• Choose a label size that keeps the QR code from getting too small, or it’ll be harder for a camera to read.

If conditions are harsh or you need maximum durability, use an NFC tag instead of a printed sticker: it isn’t printed; the code is written with the app.

Useful links

• Work with labels — step-by-step instructions
• Set up labels — step-by-step instructions
• Labels reference — the full list of actions, fields, and settings