Could you imagine a world without bar codes? The checkout line at the grocery store would take forever! And retail employees would have to look up items on price lists - for every item purchased in the store. Talk about a retail nightmare.

Although the first automatic retail system was suggested way back in 1932, the Universal Product Code (UPC), the first system of bar code labeling, didn't actually make it's debut until 1973.

Nowadays, labels and bar codes are seen everywhere. You can even make your own commercial labels with label makers. Check out the Brother P-Touch Industrial/Commercial Handheld Labeling System with Download features, it’s ideal for telecom, asset management, laboratories, and maintenance and repair operations.