Print a shelf tag for an item that isn't in your catalog by typing the details yourself.
Tag printing normally pulls its values from a catalog item: you scan the item, and the tag comes out with that item's name, code, pack size and price already on it. A custom tag skips the catalog. You pick a template, type the values you want, and print one tag.
[HERO: GIF | opening Batch print tags, tapping Custom tag, picking a template, filling the form, printing]
Who gets the most out of it
[NEEDS PM: which kinds of operations is this for, in two or three bullets naming real operation types? Do not guess at c-store versus restaurant versus campus. Ask for situations CS or the product owner has actually seen.]
Availability
Custom tags are off until your distributor turns them on. When they are off, the Batch print tags screen shows New batch and no Custom tag option anywhere.
Custom tags are part of the Pepper mobile app. They need a Bluetooth label printer, the same one you already use for batch tags.
Note: Custom tags are enabled by your distributor, either for the whole distributor or for one account. There is no setting on your side.
[NEEDS PM: limited cohort or general availability, and which distributors are first? The code shows only that the setting exists and defaults to off.]
[NEEDS PM: can a distributor turn this on themselves, or does Pepper have to do it?]
[NEEDS PM: mobile only, or is a tablet or web equivalent planned? The change is in the mobile app only.]
Custom tags vs batches
A batch is a saved list of scanned catalog items. A custom tag is one label built from values you type, and it isn't saved anywhere.
| Batch | Custom tag |
Where the values come from | Scanned catalog items | Typed by you |
Saved on the Batch print tags screen | Yes | No |
Can be reopened and reprinted | Yes | No |
Template can be changed after you start | Yes, from the batch detail sheet | No |
Labels per print | One per item in the batch | One |
Two consequences of nothing being saved:
You can't change the template once you have started. The only way to a different template is to back out and start again, which loses whatever you typed.
You can't reprint it. If the label jams or comes out wrong, you type the values again.
Printing a custom tag
Open Batch print tags.
Tap Custom tag.
Pick a template.
Fill in the fields you want printed. The form says Enter the details you want printed on this tag.
Tap Print tag.
The fields you see depend on the template you picked. A template only asks for the values it actually prints, so a template with no price on it won't ask you for a price. The four possible fields are Item name, Item code, Pack size and Price. Each holds up to 60 characters.
Print tag stays greyed out until at least one field has something in it. You don't have to fill them all.
[SCREENSHOT: the custom tag form with all four fields, one of them filled | Storefront mobile app > Batch print tags > Custom tag > any template | this is the screen the whole article is about]
Note: Price is typed exactly as you want it to appear, including the currency symbol. Nothing is calculated or formatted for you.
Choosing the printer
If you already have a printer connected, tapping Print tag prints straight away without asking. If you don't, the printer sheet opens and you pick one, the same way you do for a batch.
You get 1 label sent to printer. when it goes through. One custom tag is one label.
[SCREENSHOT: the printer selection sheet from the custom tag flow | Storefront mobile app > Batch print tags > Custom tag > Print tag, with no printer connected | readers who have never printed before land here]
Templates you can use
Not every tag template can be used for a custom tag. The template list only offers the ones that can, so in normal use you won't run into this.
If you do reach a template that can't be used, the form says This template can't be used for custom tags. and there is nothing to fill in. Back out and pick a different template.
If the template list itself fails to load you get We couldn't load this template. Please try again. with a Retry button.
[NEEDS PM: how should a reader think about which of their templates qualify? The distinction in the code is whether a template renders on the device rather than on the server, which an operator can't see or check. Is there a plain way to say which templates work, or is the honest answer "the picker only shows usable ones, so this message should be rare"?]
Things to know
60 characters per field. Item name, Item code, Pack size and Price each hold up to 60 characters.
One tag per print. There is no quantity control. To print the same tag twice, print it twice.
Custom tags aren't saved. They don't appear in the batch list and can't be reopened or reprinted.
Custom tags don't touch your catalog. Typing an item name and code here doesn't create an item, change an item, or add anything to an order guide.
Frequently asked questions
I don't see a Custom tag button. Your distributor hasn't turned custom tags on. Contact them.
I picked the wrong template. How do I go back? Back out of the form and tap Custom tag again. Anything you typed is lost, so there is no way to carry the values across.
Can I print more than one copy? No. Each tap of Print tag prints one label. Tap it again for a second copy.
Where did my custom tag go? It's not in my batch list. Custom tags aren't saved. Only batches appear in that list.
Can I use a custom tag to add an item to my catalog? No. A custom tag prints a label and nothing else.
The template I want isn't in the list. Only templates that can be printed from typed values appear.
I got "This template can't be used for custom tags." That template can't be printed from typed values. Go back and pick another.
For distributors
Custom tags are off by default. They are enabled through the tag printing settings Pepper holds for you, and can be set for your whole operation or for one account. Contact your Pepper rep to enable.