If printing onto a white surface, you can achieve the same result as you would on a label with a case coder. When printing onto a brown box, the lower contrast between black and brown lowers the grade of barcode, but it is still fully compliant.
Unlike a labeller, a case coder does not require a pause between products as the print is being made at line speed as the box passes. Our PP108 can achieve lightning speeds of up to 600m/min.
In comparison to labelling, direct box printing is substantially cheaper, because you eliminate the cost of printing & applying the label.