The bar code is an alternation of dark and light stripes of different widths. Information is carried by the relative widths of light and dark stripes and their combinations, while the width of these stripes is strictly defined. Dark stripes are called strokes, and light stripes are called spaces.
Bar codes are read by special optical readers (reading devices) of various types, including laser ones, which, perceiving strokes, spaces and their combinations, decode the bar code using microprocessor devices, carry out the control methods inherent in the codes and display them on a display, computer or other devices the meanings of these codes in a specific alphabet (numeric, alphanumeric).
Currently bar codes are widely used not only in production and trade in goods, but also in many branches of industrial production for identifying blanks, products, packaging, designating storage locations, in postal departments, transport, etc.
A stroke (stripe) is a dark area of the image on a plain light background, bounded by straight parallel lines or concentric circles. Bar code elements are applied to the surface of a medium that has certain lighting characteristics. At the same time, strokes applied using dyes or some other means absorb light well at certain wavelengths, and the background surface reflects it well, which is used in optical reading.
Space is the space between strokes. In most codes, the width of the space contains certain information; only in some codes the space is an auxiliary part of the image and serves as a separator element.
The height and width of a stroke (space) are the dimensions of the image, expressed in units of measurement (millimeters, fractions of an inch) or in dimensionless units (modules).
Modulus is the main size, which is a multiple of all values that determine the parameters of the barcode image elements.
A sign is a set of strokes and spaces that carry encoded information about the symbol of the displayed alphabet.
A two-color code is a code whose image contains information at certain wavelengths in the form of dark and light strokes.
A controlled code is a code in which the image of characters and code words contains redundant information that allows detection of reading errors. The correctness of the read sign is determined by the reading device by the evenness or oddness of the sum of strokes or spaces, the length of the character in modules, the ratio of narrow and wide strokes or spaces in the character, the relative distance between the elements of the character image and the total length of the character.
> Types of barcodes
In its structure, a barcode is a rectangular area filled with horizontal strokes, from which the encoded numbers can be read using special equipment. The barcode does not contain any additional information other than the company registration number and product number. This value is the key to access the EAN databases, which contain Additional Information about the product.
The Interleaved 2/5 code is one of the simplest. The code characters representing numbers from 0 to 9 contain five strokes, two of which are wide and three are narrow. The ratio of the width of a wide and narrow stroke is 2: 1 or 3:
1. In the first case, there are 12 modules in the image sign, and in the second - 14 modules. Spaces between strokes do not carry information, and, as a rule, the width of the space is equal to the width of the narrow stroke. This code is used abroad for sorting and accounting for goods and products in warehouses, numbering air tickets, etc.
UPC and EAN barcodes are the most widely used for coding goods in production and trade. The first of them represents the coding standard adopted in the USA, the second - in Europe. However, during the implementation of coding systems in the practice of identifying goods, the EAN (European Article Number) code is given preference, including in the USA, Japan and other countries of the non-European continent.
The similarity between the UPC and EAN codes is that they use the same set of characters for encoding: numbers from 0 to 9 and five auxiliary characters. The symbol image contains two strokes and two spaces. The length of the sign representing the number is 7 modules. There are four correspondence tables for the representation of numbers, since the codes use characters limited to the left; signs limited to the right; signs with even and odd parities. The UPC and EAN codes use character sets differently based on the way they represent the encoded information. The codes are continuous and controlled.
The peculiarity of these codes is that they use codewords of a fixed length. The most widely used in trade abroad are 13-digit EAN codes.
The basic principle of EAN coding is the presence of a unique identification code obtained according to the EAN coding rules for each product (good). All physical parameters of the code must satisfy special EAN standards, taking into account which the corresponding technical means recording, reading and processing bar code information.
The ability to generate graphic images of bar codes is available, for example, in the popular graphics package Corel Draw (http://www.corel.com). However, Corel Draw displays the visual representation numbers not in the OCR-B font recommended by the GOST ISO/IEC 15420-2001 standard (GOST ISO 1073-2-76), but in the Times New Roman font. To solve this problem, you should install the required True Type font ocrb10n.ttf. Next, the barcode is generated by the Barcode Wizard when executing the Edit->Insert Barcode command. The barcode image generated as a result of the wizard is exported to the desired graphic format or placed in a document. But Corel Draw is not a MASTER FILE generation program!
In some cases, the online generator of graphic images of barcodes, which is located at http://www.webcode.com.br, may be very useful.
However, it must be used with great caution. The graphic image of a bar code obtained by such artisanal methods will be beautiful for the human eye, but for a scanner, especially after printing on various types paper may be unsatisfactory and unreadable.
It should be noted that most of the above programs are aimed at directly printing barcodes generated by them on printers connected to a computer. Of course, with their help you can obtain readable barcodes, but when choosing a program you should pay attention to the existence additional features on the formation and correction of the resulting barcode image. For example, having a “stroke width correction” function can help avoid many problems when printing. And, of course, we recommend verifying the final image!
Where can I make a barcode image for packaging using the product number?
It is best to print a bar code for a product in the same printing house where the order for printing labels and packaging is placed. To do this, it is necessary to provide a rectangular field of nominal size on the label (packaging) layout, inside which an EAN-13 barcode with the product number is placed. If you work with a modern printing house, then in the order it is enough to indicate only the EAN/UCC-13 product number, for example, 4607009520018. However, for many printing houses, barcoding is still a new technology. In this case, the customer of the bar code should transfer the so-called FILM MASTER to the printing house.
FILM MASTER is the original bar code image on film. It is designed to typographically reproduce a barcode symbol standard processes printing and including it in the image on the packaging. The master film is produced on specialized equipment with precise tolerances. Specialized organizations are engaged in the production of film masters. Since one film master can produce the entire packaging run, the cost of barcoding in this case will be the lowest.
A barcode is a graphic image consisting of rectangular bars and spaces of variable width. A barcode encodes numbers, spaces and, in some cases, characters by varying the width and location of the bars and spaces.
- The barcode on the card must be spaced at least 4 mm from any edge of the card and from the magnetic stripe.
- The height of the barcode must be at least 10 mm
- For slot readers, the standard barcode location is shown in the figure.
- It is imperative to make a prototype to test the barcode reading on the customer’s equipment.
Reading the information encoded in a barcode is carried out using barcode readers, the light beam of which moves along the barcode and records changes in the amount of reflected light. Next, the received information is converted into alphanumeric characters, which, in turn, are used to compare with the code available in the computer database and determine the required information record.
Simply put, a barcode is a symbolic key whose purpose is to establish a unique connection with information stored on a computer. In addition, a barcode helps:
- Automate and speed up the process of collecting and processing information;
- Track the movement of goods and thereby save time and promptly respond to requests;
- Eliminate errors that occur when entering information manually.
Barcodes are generated using special “languages” called symbols. Each symbology uses a different combination of bar and space widths to encode data characters. There are multidimensional, matrix and linear symbols. The most common linear symbols are the following:
| EAN | UPC | Interleaved 2 of 5 (ITF) | GS1-128 | Code 39 | Codabar |
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Today, the barcode has become most widespread in the field of trade, due to the following circumstances:
- barcodes allow medium and large stores to reduce customer service time;
- correctly applied and readable barcodes allow visitors to quickly pay for purchased goods;
- instant access to inventory information in real time allows you to significantly speed up all trading processes;
- bar codes allow you to immediately place an order for certain goods based on “rolling inventories”;
- Using barcodes, you can answer not only the question of what the visitor bought, but also when he bought it and in what combination. Barcodes allow you to fully automate all processes: from goods acceptance to cash registers;
- The cashier sometimes doesn’t even see the goods. He runs a scanner over it and all the information from the database appears on the cash register monitor, as well as on the printed receipt. The possibility of deceiving the buyer is completely excluded, since the amounts are taken by computer from the database;
- the possibility of permanent accounting of goods and implementation of accounting policies. Research conducted by some stores makes it possible to analyze at what hours and which days of the week this or that product is best sold, and accordingly organize the supply of goods from the warehouse to the sales floor.
When printing a barcode, you must take into account the color of the surface on which the barcode is applied and, based on this, select a specific color for the barcode itself.
This is due to the fact that when reading a bar code, the scanner reacts to alternating dark and light fields, so the contrast between bars and spaces must be sufficient for it to work.
Ideally, the printed strokes of a bar code symbol should be completely black, and the field on which they are printed should be perfectly white. In this case, the highest contrast is ensured. This condition cannot always be met in practice, since bar codes are printed by us at the production of plastic cards in the color options provided for by the design.
If you follow the basic rules of color, contrast and image, you can create readable barcodes in any color and on any type of packaging material. Below are the color combinations of bar codes that can and cannot be read by a scanner.
If you can't find the answer to your question, please contact us
A barcode is an image used to represent a small amount of information that can be easily read using a barcode scanner or smartphone app. Barcodes come in many forms, however they are primarily used for products, providing price and product information when scanned at the checkout. In this case, the barcode is a 12 or 13-digit number encoded as an image.
The barcoding system, created in the 70s by George Laurer, is a universal system for tracking products, prices and inventory systems around the world. It is now used by almost all retailers and assumes that each barcode is unique to the product, so no store can have the same barcodes for different products. This system includes both UPC-A digits and an extended EAN-13 code.
Both retail (UPC-A and EAN-13) and other barcodes (including QR codes, code 128/39, ITF-14), but basically these are still EAN-13 retail barcodes . These barcodes are used most often on all retail products outside the US (except books and magazines). Our codes are from the same original code system, however, currently outside the control of GS1. Therefore, we are able to sell them only for a one-time fee.
The short answer is “yes”, “usually”. – For the vast majority of retailers it is much easier if their products entering stores have barcodes on them. Many retailers require barcodes. Barcodes open the door to retail sales of your products. If you sell your product in your own store and have no intention of selling it elsewhere, then you don't need barcodes. Then you can also label all products with custom barcodes, which can be cheaper because if the products are for internal use only, they should not be part of common system barcoding.
– Both UPC-A and EAN-13 barcodes are used in retail stores around the world, however 12-digit UPC codes are most common in the US while EAN-13 barcodes are most common in all other countries. These barcodes are very similar. In fact, a UPC code can be encoded as an EAN-13 barcode by adding a leading zero. In this case, the barcode image will be exactly the same. Barcode scanners can read both types of codes easily, however you will need a UPC-A barcode for sales in the US. If your product is sold in any other countries, EAN-13 barcode is best.
It's best to have a code for each product and its variant because stores use barcodes for two purposes:
1. Barcodes are used to obtain the price of a product when scanned at the checkout. 2. To control the quantity of product in the warehouse and timely replenishment of stock.
This means that if a retailer uses a barcode only to determine the price, then you can assign the same code to another product variant (for example, a different color of the same product), however, if the barcode is needed to control products in the warehouse, you need a different one barcode.
Retailers prefer electronic control of goods in warehouses and avoid goods that must be counted manually. Therefore, it is recommended to have different barcodes for each modification or size of your product.
No, we do not guarantee this - no company like ours can guarantee this. Retailers have the opportunity to set their own barcode requirements. However, we have sold thousands of barcodes all over the world and are confident that other than the stores listed above, there will be no problems anywhere. If you are unsure about this, feel free to make specific requests.
Will my barcode contain my company name? If you purchase 1 barcode then no (no company does this). However, if you would like to purchase either 10, 100, 1000, 10000 or barcodes from us, we can make a unique prefix for your company. The length of the company prefix will depend on the number of barcodes purchased.
What data is encoded into my barcode? A barcode is simply a unique number encoded as an image. It does not contain any company or product information. At the store, the barcode is scanned into the store computer and linked to the corresponding product information.
You can order barcodes. Barcode EAN-13 is the first option. you can also buy barcode registration. You can choose payment credit card or pay via PayPal. Once payment has been made, we will send you via your barcode with images as attachments. If you would like to pay by bank transfer or other method, please
Once you receive your barcode images as files, you can have them printed on your product packaging or have them printed onto suitable labels. You can change the size of the barcode, but before you do this, you should know what they can be. Having received your barcode and product, the trading company will scan the barcode into the system and enter the product information so that when the barcode is scanned, the product information appears automatically.
Yes. We can supply both EAN-13 barcodes (which are used worldwide) and UPC-A barcodes (for US use).
Our barcodes are currently used in the following countries: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Channel Islands, China, Cook Islands, Curacao, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, East Timor, ENGLIAND, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Rarotonga, Rwanda, Singapore, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sultanate of Oman, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, UAE, Uganda, UK , USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Wales, Zambia.
This list is constantly expanding, so please contact us if your country is not on the list. You can be the first, we will include your country here.
We offer legal barcodes at an affordable price for a one-time fee. Our advantages:
1. Cheap barcodes – 1 barcode, from 1500 rubles. and less when you buy more barcodes
2. You only pay once, no payments beyond that.
3. We provide graphic images barcode with high resolution(600 dpi) in 5 different formats (Bitmap, EPS, TIFF, JPEG and PDF).
4 . There is no compulsory membership - this would require time and money.
5 . Fast Service – You will receive your barcodes immediately (if you order a retail barcode) or within 12 hours. We can expedite service if you need it urgently.
6. You can order an expert opinion on barcodes, if necessary, including independent ones. This means that our barcodes will be accepted in more stores than barcodes from any other reseller.
Yes, we guarantee that the barcode we sell has not been sold or used before. Our codes are unique and purchased from the Uniform Code Council (now GS1 USA). We provide a warranty certificate that you can use as proof of barcode ownership. We also have written guarantees from the company that sold us these barcodes for subsequent resale. Plus, we check our codes for illegal use online before we sell them, so you can be sure that no one is using them illegally at the time of sale.
No, once you purchase a barcode from us, it is yours for the rest of your life and you can use it however you want. We have barcodes that do not require annual fees because they are outside of GS1's control. Now you can take advantage of this too.
In the 1990s, GS1 was established in most countries around the world. It essentially leases 13-digit barcodes to its members (and, as stated earlier, charges both membership and initiation fees). However, there was an organization in the US called the Uniform Code Council (UCC) that sold a number of 12-digit barcodes to its members at a one-time price (there were no ongoing license fees). UCC competes successfully with GS1. Their 12-digit codes are a subset of the 13-digit system.
In the late 1990s, UCC merged with GS1, becoming GS1-US. As part of these changes, they decided to begin charging an annual license fee for all of their members, including those who paid a one-time fee for barcodes in the 1990s. Of course, many of these members were not happy with the new annual license fee, and the group of companies broke with GS1. They won the case in court in the early 2000s, resulting in multi-million dollar settlements from GS1. Another consequence of this court case was the fact that some barcodes are outside the control of GS1 and therefore do not require license fees. These codes are now bought and sold by intermediaries. These are essentially “new” codes and have never been used in retail and are part of the GS1 system.