In 1973, the team met with supermarket manufacturers to introduce the symbol that should be printed on the packaging or labels of all their products. There were no cost savings for a supermarket to use unless at least 70% of the supermarket’s products had the barcode printed on the product by the manufacturer. Although this was achieved, in 1977 there were still scanning machines in fewer than 200 supermarkets. As mentioned above, UPCs are “universal product codes” that are acceptable worldwide. EAN stands for European Article Number and was the identifier that is often used internationally.
Here we give you a brief overview of the different options available to help you choose the barcode that best suits your needs. Data matrix barcodes have a high data density, which means that they can encode large amounts of data in a very small space. They can be read by CCD scanners even when they are upside down or sideways. And they have high fault tolerance, fast readability, and application IDs to delineate different types of information within a single code.
The last number is a check digit calculated from the previous 11 numbers and used to check the validity of your barcode number. These barcodes are primarily used in retail to identify products and are ideal for encoding a limited amount of information and can be used by any industry. Previously, we found that thermal printers are ideal for printing barcodes. Using barcodes has multiple benefits, including better data management and lower costs. With a wide range of applications, barcodes can be used anywhere from retail stores to hospitals and industrial workplaces. However, barcode labels are not one-size-fits-all, with different types of 1D and 2D barcodes, each with its specific applications.
Data array barcodes are configured in a square grid with a search pattern around the edges of the symbol that allows scanners to identify and read the barcode, regardless of code orientation. Like other 2D barcodes, data matrix barcodes contain built-in error correction measures to ensure data integrity even if the code is physically damaged. A barcode is a method of displaying data in a visually machine-readable form. Initially, barcodes represented the data by varying the widths, distances, and sizes of parallel lines. These barcodes, now commonly known as linear or one-dimensional, can be scanned by special optical scanners called barcode readers, of which there are several types.
Its use has extended to many other tasks commonly referred to as automatic identification and data collection. QR codes, a specific type of 2D barcode, have become very popular lately due to the growth of smartphone ownership. Typically, the characters in barcode symbols consist of bar/space patterns. The most common linear barcode is the UPC barcode (also known as UPC-A). Keep in mind that there are many other types of barcode languages. Just as English and French use the Roman character set, the different barcode languages use bar/space patterns to transmit data.
Data Matrix codes are highly scalable and can also be read with your mobile phone by downloading code-specific applications. The highly scalable nature of Data Matrix barcodes makes them an optimal choice for any industry where space can be an issue. As such, they are widely used by the electronics industry and in the clinical and research fields. The extended code of the GS1 data bar is a new structure that can encode even more information than traditional UPC codes.
Aztec: Aztec codes are mainly used in the transportation sector for applications such as airline tickets and boarding passes. However, these codes are not as widely compatible with open source software as QR codes, so they should only be used in conditions where they are compatible with proprietary software systems. However, Aztec codes in particular are more displayable on mobile devices such as smartphones, making them a suitable choice for fast transport services where quick scanning is a must. QR codes were first developed in 1994 by Denso, a company that is part of the Toyota group of companies. The QR code can encode up to 2,509 numeric characters or 1,520 alphanumeric characters and has three built-in error detection levels.
Barcode Types Barcode Type Structure Capacity Use UPC-A Figures GTIN Used in retail products, primarily in North America. Figures GTIN UPC-E Used for small packages or retail products such as cosmetics, chewing gum packets and cigarettes in North America. EAN-13 Digit GTIN Used for retail products such as magazines, gs1 barcode magazines and books, primarily outside of North America. EAN-8 GTIN-8 figures It is used in small packages or retail products such as cosmetics, gum packs and cigarettes outside of North America. Code 39 No GTIN 43 characters Mainly used in storage and industrial applications such as automotive and electronics.