Bar code labels that are manufactured by companies and are retailed to other establishments are called preprinted bar code labels. Preprinted bar code labels are bought and used by establishments that do not have infrastructure to make their own.

Preprinted bar code labels are encoded using computers and sequentially numbered by the companies that manufacture them. These labels are designed on special vinyl stickers with adhesives that make them durable for a longer time. They can be designed in both line and dot formats.

Sellers of preprinted bar code labels use three main techniques to manufacture labels