Using gear labels

Labels connect your physical gear to GearScout. They speed up scanning for members and let non-members reach a public item page when they find or damage a tagged item.

Choose your group's label format

GearScout stores one preferred printer and label format for the active group. That choice applies to labels printed from an individual gear record and PDFs generated from the bulk labels page, keeping everyone in the group on the same stock and layout.

1. 1Open Settings and choose the Group tab.
2. 2Find Preferred printer and label format.
3. 3Choose the format that exactly matches your printer and label stock.
4. 4Choose Save changes. New single-item and bulk label exports will use the selected format.

You need permission to edit Group settings to change this preference. If the selector is read-only, ask a group administrator to update it. You can also open Group label settings directly.

Supported formats

Always print at 100% scale and select the matching media size in the system print dialog. GearScout generates the PDF but does not configure or control the printer itself.

Generate multiple labels

GearScout supports the original Avery 43801 sheet, Avery 35523 waterproof laser sheets, and Dymo LabelWriter 1933084 durable 57 mm × 32 mm rolls. The generator starts with your group's preferred format, shows the matching print instructions, and lets you review the complete job before export. Group administrators can change the preferred format in Settings.

1. 1Select one or more items from Inventory and choose Print labels, or start with one item from its inventory record.
2. 2Review the selected gear and add or remove items if needed.
3. 3Confirm that the displayed group format matches the stock loaded in the printer.
4. 4Choose how many labels you want for each selected item.
5. 5Generate the PDF and print it on the label stock your group uses.

Review a bulk label print job

Add or remove gear, set a quantity for each item, and check the item, label, and estimated page totals before generating one PDF.

Each item can have up to 250 labels, and one print job can contain up to 500 labels in total. If a job exceeds that total, reduce its quantities or split it into separate PDFs. Your current selection is kept in this browser session for up to 24 hours; if it is no longer available, GearScout opens an empty job so you can choose the items again.

Print PDFs at 100% scale and choose the matching media size in your system print dialog. GearScout creates print-ready files but does not connect to or manage printer hardware. If your stock is not listed, use the request link in Group Settings. To use different stock, change the group preference before generating the PDF and change it back when the job is complete.

The public item page is intentionally simple. It is designed for quick access and for the person who found the item or noticed damage, not for a signed-in admin.

If the scanned item is a bag, case, or kit, the page can also show a contained-gear packing list. If the scanned item is inside another piece of gear, the page includes a link back to the parent item so the relationship stays easy to understand.

Which actions appear depends on the gear record. Report found item is always available. Check-in/out and repair require the per-item toggles described in Public item settings. Signed-in members see member actions regardless of those toggles.

Check in or out from the public page

When Enable External Check-Out is turned on for an item, anyone who scans its label can record a checkout or return without signing in to GearScout. This is useful for gear stored in a shared space, loaned to partners, or handled by people who do not have accounts.

1. 1On the gear record, turn on Enable External Check-Out and save.
2. 2Scan the label to open the public item page.
3. 3Choose Check in/out item, enter your name, and complete any verification checklist required for that check-out or check-in handoff.
4. 4Submit so the group sees the update in inventory and access history.

If the toggle is off, only signed-in members can check the item in or out from the app or scanner. The public page still supports found-item reporting.

Report a found or lost item

1. 1Scan the label to open the public item page.
2. 2Choose the found-item flow and provide your name plus any useful context.
3. 3Submit the report so the group can follow up from the internal app.

Open a repair ticket from the public page

When Enable External Repair Tickets is on for the item (the default for new gear), the public page shows a repair action that leads to the same public repair flow shown in the live app. Turn the toggle off on the gear record if you only want members to log repairs inside GearScout.

Public repair form

The public repair form stays focused on the problem report itself so non-members can submit useful detail without needing the full app.

1. 1Open the public item page from the label.
2. 2Choose Submit repair ticket.
3. 3Add a short summary, enough detail for the repair team to act on it, and photos if the issue is easier to explain visually.