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How to print?
Find out how to optimize your barcode printing processes to ensure they are always readable.
How to scan?
See how to effectively scan barcodes using the latest scanner technology.
How to verify?
Learn how to verify the functionality of barcodes to ensure their reliability.
The symbol of a linear 1D barcode consists of a certain number of bars and intervening spaces. There must be a quiet zone—an empty space of a specific width—before and after the symbol, free of any printing. The symbol starts with a start character, followed by the actual data with an optional checksum, and ends with a stop character. The width of the bars and spaces, as well as their quantity, is determined by the specification of the respective code’s symbology. The term “symbology” is used to describe the rules that specify how data is encoded into the bars and spaces of barcodes. It is somewhat analogous to the term “language.” Just as people can communicate using any language as long as both parties understand and can use it, the same concept applies to barcodes. Some of the most commonly used 1D barcode symbologies include: Code 39 and Code 39 Mod 43, U.P.C. A, EAN 13 and EAN 8, Code 93, Interleaved 2/5 and Interleaved 2/5 Mod 10, Code 128, and Codabar.
CODE 39 A CODE 39 MOD 43
Code 39 was developed as the first fully alphanumeric symbology in 1974. It is the most commonly used barcode symbology because it allows the encoding of digits, letters, and some punctuation marks. Code 39 is discrete, with variable length. Each character consists of 5 bars and 4 spaces. Out of these nine elements, there are always 3 wide and 6 narrow. Lowercase letters are not supported and are automatically converted to uppercase upon input. The “star” character is reserved for the start and stop characters. Code 39 Mod 43 includes an additional check character. This check character is calculated from the sum of the values of all characters in the string using integer division modulo 43.
U.P.C. A
The Universal Product Code (UPC) has been successfully implemented in supermarkets since 1973. It is designed for the unique identification of products and their manufacturers. Its symbology is of fixed length, numeric, and continuous. Each character consists of 4 elements. UPC version A is used to encode a 12-digit number. The first digit is a numbering system character, the next 5 are the manufacturer identification number, the following 5 are the product number, and the final digit is a check character.
EAN 13 A EAN 8
European Article Numbering (EAN) is an extension of UPC. EAN scanners can decode UPC, but the reverse may not be true. EAN has two versions: EAN 13 and EAN 8. Both are numeric and of fixed length. EAN 13 encodes 13 digits, while EAN 8 encodes 8 digits. The management of the EAN code in European territories is handled by the non-profit organization EAN based in Belgium, with voluntary members being the national EAN committees of all European countries. The Slovak Republic has been assigned the country code 859.
CODE 93
Code 93 is an alphanumeric symbology of variable length and continuous format. It encodes all 128 ASCII characters. Of these, 43 correspond to the character set of Code 39, and an additional 4 characters are used as control characters when encoding the complete ASCII character set in the extended mode of Code 93. Each character is encoded using 9 modules, consisting of 3 bars and 3 spaces. The width of each bar and space can be 1, 2, 3, or 4 modules.
INTERLEAVED 2/5 A INTERLEAVED 2/5 MOD 10
Interleaved 2/5 is a self-checking numeric code primarily used in industrial and retail applications for labeling transport packaging of distribution units. This symbology pairs two characters together, with the first encoded into 5 bars and the second character from the pair encoded into 5 spaces between the bars of the first character. In other words, all characters in odd positions are encoded into bars, while all characters in even positions are encoded into spaces. Two of the 5 bars are wide, and similarly, 2 of the 5 spaces are wide, which is where the name of the code comes from.
The entire symbol of the Interleaved 2/5 barcode consists of a start character (two narrow bars and two narrow spaces), data characters, and a stop character (a wide bar, a narrow space, and a narrow bar). An even number of characters is required for encoding information. In the case of an odd number of characters, the empty space is filled with a check character or an initial zero is used. The structure of the Interleaved 2/5 Mod 10 symbol is the same but includes an additional check character. This check character is calculated from the sum of the values of all data characters in the symbol using integer division modulo 10.
CODE 128
Code 128 is an alphanumeric symbology of variable length and continuous format. Characters consist of 3 bars and 3 spaces, resulting in a total width of 11 modules. The bars and spaces can have widths of 1, 2, 3, or 4 modules. Code 128 B is also an alphanumeric code that supports both uppercase and lowercase letters. Additionally, it includes 4 control codes (FNC1 to FNC4). Code 128 C is a numeric-only barcode with a length of 19 characters, starting with the FNC1 character and including a modulo 10 check digit.
CODABAR
Codabar is a discrete self-checking code of variable length. Each character is represented by a separate group of 4 bars and 3 intervening spaces. The Codabar character set includes 16 characters: digits 0 to 9 and special characters: $, :, /, ., +, and -. Four different start/stop characters (a, b, c, d) are used, consisting of one bar and two spaces.
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