How to print barcode labels for inventory on A4 sheets and count stock with your phone

A small stockroom rarely needs a label printer or warehouse software to get started. A spreadsheet, an ordinary printer, A4 label sheets and a phone are enough to label shelves and products and to count them later without tallies on paper.

Here is how to choose the barcode type, prepare the list, print labels that scan and use them for a stock count.

Choose the right code for each label

• Code 128 for your own item numbers. It holds letters, digits and common symbols, so codes such as SKU-0042 or A3-SHELF-2 fit as they are. QR Studio accepts up to 160 standard Latin characters, but shorter values give wider bars that scan more easily.
• EAN-13 or EAN-8 only for numbers that already exist. These retail product numbers are assigned through GS1, so do not invent them; reuse the number already on the product. QR Studio rejects a number whose last digit, the check digit, does not match.
• QR for anything longer, such as a description or a link to a product sheet. It reads from more angles than a linear barcode but needs a squarer space.

Prepare the list as a CSV file

Save your item list from a spreadsheet as a UTF-8 CSV file with a header row. QR Studio needs one column with the code content; an item name and a format column are optional.

• Code content: the value the code will contain, for example the SKU.
• Item name: the text printed above each code on the label. Without it, the code content is used as the name.
• Format: qr, ean13, ean8 or code128. Rows without a format become QR codes.
• Size: up to 1,000 rows per import. Split longer lists into several files.

Import the list and print the labels in QR Studio

1. Open Tools → Import CSV and choose the file. Map your columns to Code content, Item name and Format.
2. Check the summary of valid and invalid rows, fix invalid ones (such as an EAN with a wrong check digit) in the spreadsheet if needed, then import the valid codes.
3. Open Tools → Label studio, choose two, three or four columns, enter how many labels you need per code (1 to 100) and select the codes.
4. Create the PDF. QR Studio prepares an A4 sheet on its server with a white background and cut lines, the item name above each code and the digits printed under each barcode. You can download finished files again from Tools → Label jobs.
5. Print one test sheet on plain paper at actual size (100%), not "fit to page", and scan a few labels before you print on adhesive stock.

Get labels that scan on the shelf

• Use fewer columns for long values. Each barcode is scaled down to fit its cell, so a long Code 128 value on a four-column sheet ends up with thin bars. Choose two or three columns, or shorten the item numbers.
• Prefer matte labels and a laser printer; glossy film reflects light and inkjet ink can smear.
• Stick labels flat, not across a curved edge, with white space around each code.
• Re-test after a week; dust and handling show up quickly on the busiest shelves.

Count stock by scanning

1. Open Tools → Stock count, name the count, for example "October warehouse count", and start it. The draft saves automatically, so you can pause and continue later.
2. If you know what should be there, enter the expected quantity per code, or import an expected list from a CSV file with the columns value and quantity.
3. Tap Count with camera and scan each item; every scan adds one. To count the same code again, move it out of the frame and bring it back. A damaged label can be entered by hand.
4. The count list shows counted, expected and the difference per code. Undo last change reverses an accidental extra scan.
5. Export the count report as CSV for your spreadsheet, then complete the count; a completed count can no longer be changed.

Limits worth knowing

One label PDF holds up to 100 different codes; split a larger catalogue into several jobs. Importing, saving, label PDFs and count drafts run through the QR Studio service and need an internet connection, so check the signal in the storeroom first.

Every imported code is saved to your library and counts toward your plan's saved-code limit. QR Studio Pro, an optional subscription, raises that limit; Tools → Account & team → Plan & usage shows how many codes your plan includes and how many you have used. In a team workspace, the owner's plan applies.