What Is Inkjet Date Coding?

The world of packaging and labeling can get overwhelming for some business owners and managers. Thankfully, there are resources to help guide them through whatever confusion they might encounter. Inkjet date coding, in particular, is an area that people need to be educated about. So, read on to discover the answer to, “What is inkjet date coding?”

What Is Inkjet?

Inkjet refers to a method of printing. Coding and marking printers often use inkjet technology to imprint date codes onto packages. These printers have a printhead that ejects ink droplets onto the package’s surface. Inkjet printing can be accomplished with a wide variety of devices, including handheld printers, conveyers, and inline printers.

What Is Date Coding?

Even though most people are familiar with it, they still might ask, “What is inkjet date coding?” Date coding is everywhere, but most people don’t know its name. Date codes are labels on food packages that communicate important dates about the contents therein. Date codes might tell you the last day the food will be at its peak quality, or when it was packaged, or the last day you can safely eat it. Ultimately, their purpose is to communicate important safety and quality information to retailers and consumers.

What Are Examples of Date Coding?

There are many kinds of date codes seen in retail stores, each with its own piece of information. Some of these include:

• The sell-by date. The sell-by date tells the retailer the last day the manufacturer recommends the store sell that item.
• The use-by date. The use-by date tells the consumer the last day the manufacturer recommends they eat the food. It may be edible after the date, but it’ll likely taste worse and be more unsafe.
• The “best if used by” date. The “best if used by” date denotes a food’s quality but not its safety. The food can be eaten after that date, and it will be perfectly safe, but it likely will not taste as good as it did days before.

As with anything, business owners go through a learning period as they get more comfortable with inkjet date coding. Hopefully reading this article has helped #KeepCodingSimple.