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Traceability Setup Requirements: Hardware, Labels, and NiceLabel Integration

Before you can start using Traceability in Apicbase, there are a few things you need to have in place. This article gives you a complete overview of everything required — hardware, labels, and the NiceLabel integration.

Table of contents

1. Required Hardware

2. Label Requirements

3. NiceLabel: What It Is and Why It's Needed

4. Setup at a Glance

5. Requirements Checklist

 

Overview

Traceability in Apicbase relies on a cloud printing setup: when a label is triggered from within Apicbase, the print job is sent via the internet to a physical label printer in your kitchen. This means a standard office or desktop printer will not work — you need dedicated label printing hardware connected to your network, managed through a NiceLabel Business account.

The setup has three components that all need to be in place before you go live:

  1. Hardware — a compatible label printer, a barcode scanner, and a device to operate Apicbase
  2. Labels — the right label stock loaded in your printer
  3. NiceLabel — a Business account to handle cloud print management, linked to both your printer and your Apicbase library

1. Required Hardware

Label Printer

Apicbase's Traceability module is designed for use with Zebra label printers. The setup guides in this Help Center are written for the Zebra ZD-series (e.g. ZD420), and Apicbase recommends using a Zebra printer to ensure compatibility with the NiceLabel cloud printing integration.

When choosing a printer, keep the following in mind:

Direct Thermal vs. Thermal Transfer Lower-cost label printers typically use Direct Thermal technology, which creates images using heat from the print head. The downside is that labels produced this way will also react to heat from food — the label can turn black when placed on hot products. For kitchen environments, Thermal Transfer printing is recommended: it uses a ribbon to create a more permanent image that is not affected by food temperatures.

Network connectivity The printer must be connected to your local network (via Wi-Fi or ethernet) so that it can receive print jobs from the NiceLabel cloud. A printer that is only connected via USB to a single computer will not work for cloud printing.

Printer limit A maximum of 3 printers can be registered per Apicbase library. Plan your printer placement accordingly — one printer per station (Receiving, Mise en Place/Production) is the most common setup.

Barcode Scanner

A handheld barcode scanner is required to scan lot labels during the Mise en Place, Production, and Sales steps of the workflow. Any standard USB or Bluetooth barcode scanner that reads 1D/2D barcodes (including QR codes) is compatible. The scanner does not need any special configuration — it should work plug-and-play when connected to the device running Apicbase.

Device to Operate Apicbase

Staff need a device at each station to interact with the Traceability module — to trigger label prints, scan incoming labels, and log lot information. This can be:

  • A tablet (Android or iOS) — recommended for kitchen environments due to portability
  • A laptop or desktop computer — suitable for fixed receiving stations

💡 Tip: For printer installation and linking with NiceLabel (Steps 1–4 of the setup), you will need a Windows device with a USB-A port available. This is required to run the Zebra Setup Utilities software during initial configuration. After setup is complete, day-to-day operation can be done from any device.

2. Label Requirements

Apicbase Traceability uses two label templates, both provided by your Customer Success Manager (CSM):

  • Receiving label — printed when a delivery is registered, capturing supplier, lot number, delivery date, and expiry date
  • Production label — printed when a production batch is completed, capturing the finished product, lot number, production date, and expiry date

For your labels to print correctly, make sure the label stock loaded in your printer matches the size configured in your NiceLabel template. Using the wrong label size will cause content to be cut off or misaligned.

Recommended minimum label size: 58mm × 38mm. Larger labels give more room for lot number barcodes to scan reliably.

❗ Important: For Traceability labels, do not use Direct Thermal label stock if your labels will be applied to warm or hot products. Use Thermal Transfer labels with a ribbon loaded in your printer.

3. NiceLabel: What It Is and Why It's Needed

What is NiceLabel?

NiceLabel (now part of Loftware) is a professional cloud label management platform. Apicbase uses NiceLabel as the engine that manages and delivers print jobs from within the Apicbase interface to your physical printer in the kitchen. Without a NiceLabel account, cloud printing from Apicbase is not possible.

What subscription do you need?

You need a NiceLabel Business account (cloud subscription). The Business tier is required because it includes the Cloud Printers feature — the ability to register physical printers to a cloud project and send print jobs to them remotely via API. This is what Apicbase connects to when a label is triggered.

❗ Important: The NiceLabel subscription is a separate cost from your Apicbase subscription. It is purchased directly from Loftware/NiceLabel and is not included in your Apicbase plan. Contact your Apicbase CSM if you need guidance on the right subscription level or help getting started with NiceLabel.

What does NiceLabel manage?

Once set up, NiceLabel handles three things in the background:

  • Cloud Printers — your registered Zebra printer(s), identified by name and serial number
  • Label templates — the Receiving and Production label files, stored in NiceLabel's Document Control Center
  • Print job delivery — when Apicbase triggers a print, NiceLabel receives the request via API, fills in the variable data (lot number, dates, product name, etc.), and sends the job directly to the correct printer

4. Setup at a Glance

The full NiceLabel + Apicbase setup is covered in a dedicated 5-step series of guides. Here is a summary of what is involved:

Step What you do
Step 1 — Printer Installation Install the Zebra printer drivers on a Windows device using Zebra Setup Utilities
Step 2 — Connect to Network Connect the printer to your local Wi-Fi or ethernet network
Step 3 — Subscription Key Set up your NiceLabel Business account and retrieve your API Subscription Key
Step 4 — Link Printer with NiceLabel Register the printer as a Cloud Printer in the NiceLabel Control Center
Step 5 — Set Up NiceLabel on Apicbase Share your Project Name and Subscription Key with your CSM, upload label templates to NiceLabel, and map printers and labels in your Apicbase Library Settings

💡 Tip: Your Apicbase CSM must complete the first part of Step 5 on your behalf — the NiceLabel Settings area in Library Settings is only accessible to CSMs for the initial creation. Make sure you have your Project Name and Subscription Key ready before contacting them.

💡 Tip: Once everything is configured, do a full end-to-end test — print a Receiving label, scan it, trigger a Production label, and scan that — before rolling out the Traceability module to your full team.

5. Requirements Checklist

Use this checklist to confirm you have everything in place before starting setup:

  • Zebra label printer (ZD-series recommended), connected to your network
  • Thermal Transfer ribbon and compatible label stock loaded
  • Handheld barcode scanner (USB or Bluetooth)
  • Tablet or laptop/PC at each station for Apicbase access
  • Windows device available for printer installation (Steps 1–2)
  • NiceLabel Business account purchased and active
  • Receiving and Production label templates obtained from your Apicbase CSM
  • CSM contacted and ready to complete the NiceLabel Settings step in Apicbase