A method of identifying a bale of material includes capturing an initial image of a region of an initial bale with an initial image sensor and identifying a unique band pattern of at least one multi-colored band of the initial bale. The identified unique band pattern is associated with the initial bale. Data related to the initial bale is associated with the identified unique band pattern. The identified unique band pattern of the initial bale may then be used as an identifier of the initial bale. A second image of the bale is captured and analyzed to determine if the second image includes the unique band pattern of the at least one multi-colored band, thereby identifying the bale in the second image as the initial bale. The data associated with the initial bale may then be retrieved by an operator.