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Barcodes were first introduced for use in open trade in the 1970's and since then the use of barcodes has become invaluable in many
areas such as the Point Of Sale
in the supermarket. Structure
- Numbering - Symbologies - Creation - Printing
- Verifying - Reading/Systems
The
Barcode Structure
A barcode is simply a machine readable
typeface. Numbers, letters and other special characters are encoded in bar and space
combinations which relate to the data usually shown at the base of the
code. This data is frequently a product identification number and is used to look up
in a database where further information on the product is retrieved regarding price and description. Other meaningful data such as best before date, weight, batch number
etc, can be encoded into certain barcode types.
Numbering Authorities
For
barcodes used in open trade (as opposed to your internal systems) the number
allocation is generally governed by the relevant body to ensure numbers are not
replicated. To read more about the different numbering systems and their
governing bodies Click Here.
Barcode Symbologies There
are many different data carriers (or symbologies) available to cater for many different industries and needs.
The different symbologies encode data into varying widths of bars and spaces,
and are capable of carrying different kinds of data, i.e. numeric only or
alphanumeric. To read more about the different symbology types Click
Here.
Barcode Creation
Once you have been allocated a
barcode number (or have chosen it yourself for in-house use) then you need to create
your barcode in some way. You may want to
create the barcode yourself or purchase it ready made from a bureau
service. The barcode can be provided as a
label or in a form ready to place into your artwork. There are some very
important quality issues to consider when creating your own barcodes. To read more about
different techniques and the surrounding quality issues Click Here.
Barcode
Printing
Once you have created the barcode then you will need to print it in
some way (unless you bought labels from a bureau). Printing of barcodes
needs careful management as many things can prevent the code from being read. To find out more about some of the standard printing
technologies and print quality issues Click
Here.
Barcode Verification
Once you have produced your
barcodes then it is recommended that you check the quality of the code using a
barcode verifier. Many barcode problems are not obvious to the eye so it
is most important that the quality is of a high standard
otherwise you could incur additional costs. To find out more
about barcode verification standards and verification equipment Click
Here.
Barcode Readers
If you
wish to read the barcodes yourself, (perhaps for an internal
stock control system), then you will need some kind of barcode reading
equipment. There are many kinds of barcode scanners and Portable Data
Terminals (PDTs) available, to find out
more Click Here.
Barcode Systems
Barcodes are not only utilised in the retail industry at the Point of Sale
but also in many other areas, such as hospitals, courier services and
insurance companies. To find out more about how barcodes can be used Click
Here.
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