Abstract: A label making apparatus that includes a computer with a label program and a label meter program. The label program has a positional palette feature that permits the assignment of an attribute scheme to character positions of a multi-position label independent of the alphanumeric content of the positions. Other features include an ad hoc job that permits the formation of a plurality of unrelated labels in a single job, but yet is versatile enough to include labels that have some ordered relationship. Other features include the ability to customize the appearance and value of the bar code and an associate human readable character set. The values of an ordered sequence can be numeric, alphabetic or a combination thereof. The label meter program automatically keeps track of a user's label stock inventory.