Barcode History by Indian barcode corporation
Research wing Delhi (India)
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The concept for the barcode was
developed by Norman Joseph Woodland, who drew a series of lines in the sand to
represent Morse code, and Bernard Silver. A patent was granted in 1966 and NCR
became the first company to develop a commercial scanner to read barcode
symbology. A pack of Wrigley’s gum was the first item ever scanned, at Marsh’s
supermarket in Troy, Ohio, NCR’s hometown
What is a Barcode?
A barcode is a square
or rectangular image consisting of a series of parallel black lines and white
spaces of varying widths that can be read by a scanner. Barcodes are applied to
products as a means of quick identification. They are used in retail stores as
part of the purchase process, in warehouses to track inventory, and on invoices
to assist in accounting, among many other uses.
Two Kinds of Barcodes
There are two general types of barcodes: 1-dimensional (1D) and
2-dimensional (2D).
1D barcodes are a series of lines used to store text
information, such as product type, size, and color. They appear in the top part
of universal product codes (UPCs) used on product packaging, to help track
packages through the U.S. Postal Service, as well as in ISBN numbers on the
back of books.
2D barcodes are more complex and can include more information
than just text, such as the price, quantity, and even an image. For that
reason, linear barcode scanners can’t read them, though smartphones and other
image scanners will.
There are more than a dozen barcode variations, however,
depending on the application.
.Business
Benefits
Barcodes were developed to
improve the speed of sales transactions, but there are other potential benefits
to businesses, including:
·
Better accuracy - Relying on a barcode to process data is far more
accurate than relying on manually-entered data, which is prone to errors.
·
Data is immediately available - Because of the processing speed,
information about inventory levels or sales is available in real time.
·
Reduced training requirements - Thanks to the simplicity of the
barcode scanner, employees need little in the way of training in how to use it.
Additionally, thanks to barcodes, there is much less for employees to have to
learn and retain.
·
Improved inventory control - Being able to scan and track
inventory yields a much more accurate count, as well as a better calculation of
inventory turn. Companies can hold less inventory when they know how soon they
will need it.
·
Low cost implementation - Generating barcodes is quick and easy, as is
installing a barcode system. Potential savings can be realized almost
immediately.
One-Dimensional
(1D) Barcode Types
One-dimensional,
or 1D barcodes, systematically represent data by varying the widths and
spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or
one-dimensional. These include some of the traditional, or most well recognized
barcode types such as the UPC and EAN code types.
UPC CODE
UPC barcodes are used to label and scan consumer goods at points-of-sale
around the world—mainly in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom,
Australia, New Zealand and other countries. The UPC -A
variation encodes 12 numerical digits while UPC -E
is a smaller variation, which encodes only 6 numerical digits.
Industry: Retail
Variations: UPC-A, UPC-E
Variations: UPC-A, UPC-E
EAN CODE
EAN barcodes are also used to label consumer goods worldwide for
point-of-sale scanning, primarily in Europe. They look very similar to UPC codes, and the main distinction is their
geographical application. While EAN-13 (comprising 13 digits) is the default
form factor, you’ll find EAN-8 (covering 8 digits) barcodes on products where
only limited space is available, like small candies.
Industry: Retail
Variations: EAN-13, EAN-8, JAN-13, ISBN, ISSN
Variations: EAN-13, EAN-8, JAN-13, ISBN, ISSN
CODE 39
Code39 barcodes (or Code 3 of 9) are used to label
goods across many industries, and are often found in the automotive industry
and the US department of Defense. It allows the use of both digits and
characters, and its name originates in the fact that it could only encode 39
characters—though in its most recent version the character set has been
increased to 43. It’s similar to, but not as compact as, the Code 128 barcode,
which we’ll talk about next.
Industry: Automotive
and Defense
CODE 128
Code 128 barcodes are compact, high-density codes used in logistics and
transportation industries for ordering and distribution. They’re geared toward
non-POS products, like when supply
chain applications label units with serial shipping container codes (SSCC ). Code 128 barcodes are powerful and can store
diversified information because they support any character of the ASCII 128
character set.
Industry: Supply
Chain
ITF (Interleaved 2 OF 5)
ITF (or Interleaved 2 of 5) barcodes are used to label packaging
materials across the globe. Since they can deal with high printing tolerances,
they are good for printing on corrugated cardboard. ITF barcodes encode 14
numeric digits and use the full ASCII set.
Industry: Packaging
CODE 93
Code 93 barcodes are used in logistics to identify packages in
retail inventory, label electronic components, and even provide supplementary
delivery information for the Canadian Post. Like Code 39, it Code 93 comes with
full ASCII support, but it improves upon and complements Code 39. It enables
additional security within the barcode itself, and its high density and compact
size makes its labels around 25% shorter than barcodes produced in Code 39.
Industry: Retail,
Manufacturing and Logistics
CODABAR
Coda bar barcodes are used by logistics and healthcare
professionals, including U.S. blood banks, FedEx, photo labs, and libraries.
Its main benefit is that it is easy to print and can be produced by any impact
style printer, even a typewriter. Therefore, a user can create many Coda bar
codes using consecutive numbers without the use of a computer. It was designed
to be readable when printed from dot matrix printers for multi-part forms. Coda
bar is a discrete, self-checking symbology that encodes up to 16 different
characters with an additional 4 start/stop characters.
Variations: Coda bar,
Ames Code, NW-7, Monarch, Code 2 of 7, Rationalized Coda bar, ANSI/AIM
BC3-1995, USD-4
Industry: Logistics, Healthcare and Education
Industry: Logistics, Healthcare and Education
GS1 DATABAR
GS1
DataBar barcodes (formerly known as Reduced Space Symbology) are
used by retail outlets to identify consumer coupons, produce, and perishables,
as well as small objects in the healthcare industry. They are more compact than
typical consumer-facing barcodes. GS1 DataBar was introduced in 2001 and became
the mandated barcode type for retail coupons in the US.
Variations: GS1
DataBar Omnidirectional, Truncated, Stacked, Stacked Omnidirectional, Expanded,
Expanded Stacked
Industry: Retail and Healthcare
Industry: Retail and Healthcare
MSI PLESSEY
MSI
Plessey (or Modified Plessey) barcodes are used for inventory
management in retail environments, such as labeling supermarket shelves.
Industry: Retail
Industry: Retail
Two-Dimensional
(2D) Barcode Types
Two-dimensional,
or 2D barcodes, systematically represent data using two-dimensional symbols and
shapes. They are similar to a linear 1D barcode, but can represent more data
per unit area. These include some newer barcode types such as the QR Code and
PDF417 code types.
QR CODE
QR
codes are 2D matrix barcodes with a strong consumer focus, often
used in tracking and marketing such as advertisements, magazines, and business
cards. Free to use, flexible in size, have a high fault tolerance, and have
fast readability, though they can’t be read with a laser scanner. QR codes
support four different modes of data: numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary, and
Kanji. QR code growth began in Japan and use continues to grow today. They are
public domain and free to use.
Industry: Retail,
Entertainment and Advertising.
DATAMATRIX CODE
Datamatrix codes
are 2D barcodes used to label small items, goods, and documents. Their tiny
footprint makes them ideal for small products in logistics and operations. In
fact, the US Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) recommends that they be used
to label small electronic components. Similar to QR codes, they have high fault
tolerance and fast readability.
Variation: Micro-Datamatrix
Industry: Electronics, Retail and Government
Industry: Electronics, Retail and Government
PDF417
PDF417 codes
are 2D barcodes are used in applications that require the storage of huge
amounts of data, such as photographs, fingerprints, signatures, text, numbers,
and graphics. They can hold over 1.1 kilobytes of machine-readable data, making
them much more powerful than other 2D barcodes. Like QR codes, PDF417 barcodes
are public domain and free to use.
Variation: Truncated
PDF417
Industry: Logistics and Government
Industry: Logistics and Government
AZTEC
Aztec codes
are 2D barcodes used by the transportation industry, particularly for tickets
and airline boarding passes. The barcodes can still be decoded even if they
have bad resolution, making them useful both when tickets are printed poorly
and when they’re presented on a phone. In addition, they can take up less space
than other matrix barcodes because they don’t require a surrounding blank
“quiet zone,” unlike some other 2D barcode types.
Industry: Transportation
That’s it
– for now. We’ve introduced you to the most common one-dimensional and
two-dimensional types of barcodes. You should now have a general understanding
of where, when and how they’re being used around the world in a variety of
industries and use cases. When it comes to the decision on which format to use
– ask yourself the following questions:
·
Will the product be scanned at the point of sale in retail stores?
-> UPC, EAN
·
Which character set needs to be supported? Alphanumeric
characters? -> Code39, Code128, and QR Code.
·
How much space is available on the product packaging? -> EAN8,
UPC-E, Code128 and Datamatrix offer smaller form factors.
·
Which material will you print the barcode on? -> ITF is great
for printing barcodes on corrugated cardboard.
·
Which barcode type supports the largest amounts of data? ->
PDF417 codes are great for storing huge amounts of data.
The
answers to the above questions will help guide the selection of best types of
barcodes for your needs. Whether you are looking to use one-dimensional or
two-dimensional barcodes for you business, organization or personal use, the
information we’ve provided should serve as a great tool to help you select the
appropriate types of barcodes.
What is a QR Code?
You might have heard that Quick Response Codes
or simply QR Codes are set to become the latest trend in technology but you
don’t actually know what a QR Code is!? Quick Response Codes (QR codes) are
simply a type of two-dimensional barcode that can only be read using
smartphones or other devices that are dedicated to QR reading. The devices that
can read a QR code connect directly to texts, emails, websites, phone
numbers and many more! You might have accessed this website by scanning a QR
code!
Although QR codes are very popular in Japan and across the East,
they are slowly becoming popular in the West. Before long you will start to see
the codes on shop displays, product packaging, printed and billboard
advertisements, in emails as well as on websites. The possibility of QR codes
being used for both marketing and promotion of products, brands, services as
well as any other thing is very high.
Why do you have to care about QR Codes?
Many people now own smartphones and the number keeps on rising on
a daily basis. Consequently, QR Codes can have a huge impact on the society,
particularly in the advertising, marketing and customer service with plenty
of product info just one scan away.
How is a QR Code different from a normal
1D UPC barcode?
We normally think that a barcode is an assortment of vertical
lines. However, 2D Barcodes or QR Codes are a bit different given that the data
is stored vertically as well as horizontally. Moreover, the data can be scanned
in both directions.
Despite the fact that a standard 1D Barcode (UPC/EAN) has the
capability to store up to thirty numbers, a QR Barcode has the ability to store
up to 7,089 numbers! This huge amount of information is what enables links to
Facebook or Twitter pages, videos as well as many other website pages.
How do I scan a QR Code?
If you own an iPhone, Android or Blackberry smartphone then
there various dissimilar barcode scanner applications that have the ability to
read and translate data from a QR code. The applications include: Red Laser, Barcode
Scanner and QR Scanner. Most of these applications are completely FREE, and you
only need to install one and use your smartphone’s camera to scan the barcode.
The application will then load for you the encoded data automatically.
What can be encoded
into a QR Code?
Basically, a QR Code is an ‘image-based hypertext link’ that can
be used offline. This implies that any URL can be easily encrypted into a QR
Code and any webpage can be automatically opened as a result of scanning the
barcode. Therefore, if you want to encourage somebody to like your Facebook
page, you must have your Facebook profile page as the URL–. Moreover, if you
want your video to go viral, you need to encode the URL in your QR Code. The
choices are unlimited.
Besides website URLs, a QR Code can also have a phone number so
that when it’s scanned it encourages the user to call that specific number.
Equally, you can also encode an SMS text message, V-card data or even plain
alphanumeric text. Once the content is embedded within the QR Code, the QR Code
reading device will automatically know the best application to open the
content.
Where can QR Codes be placed?
QR Code printing can be easily done in magazines, newspapers,
brochures, leaflets as well as on business cards. Besides, they can also be
placed on product packaging or labels, on billboards as well as on walls.
Furthermore, a QR Code can also be tattooed on your body.
Although QR Codes can be used on a website, they should not be
used as an alternative for an outdated hyperlink because the user is already
online and does not require to fiddle around with their phone just to find a
site that could have accessed in a very short time.
How can I make a QR Code?
You can easily make your QR Codes by using selected 2D barcode
generators. However, you must first consider why you need a QR Code as well as
how you’ll use it. For more info on this, please look at the QR Codes for
Marketing’ section below.
QR Code generators that are currently available include:
·
http://www.qrstuff.com/
·
http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
·
http://quikqr.com/
What size does a QR Code have to be?
Although it is easier for large QR Codes to be scanned, most QR
reading devices are capable of scanning images that are as small as a business
card. This obviously assumes that the image is of top quality.
QR Code File Formats
When creating a QR Code the following file formats can be used:
·
HTML Code
·
PNG File
·
Tiff File
·
SVG
·
EPS
·
PNG files work very well since they can be easily resized. This
implies that you can scale the QR Code very easily depending on where you want
it to be.
·
QR Codes for Marketing
If need QR Codes for either business or marketing purposes then
you should know that most people have greater expectations from scanning a QR
Code. Therefore, you ought to offer something that is a bit unique to the
people who have taken their time as well as their effort to scan the barcode.
For ideas or additional information about QR Code Marketing, take a look at the
Piranha Internet who have effectively integrated the use of QR Codes in their
various marketing strategies.
Furthermore remember that most people will not have an idea of
what a QR Code is or even how to use it. You will have to provide detailed
instructions on how to use a QR Code until they become more widespread.
Who invented the QR Code?
Denso-Wave –who are a subsidiary of the Toyota Group – are
credited with the invention of the QR Code as early as 1994. Although QR code
was initially intended to be used to track parts in the automobile industry,
its use has greatly grown ever since.
Other 2D Barcode Formats
QR Codes are a form of 2D Barcode, and they are perhaps the most
prevalent. Other well-known 2D Barcode formats include:
Microsoft Tag
this 2D barcode format is also called High Capacity Colour
Barcode, or simply Tag’. As the name suggests, the format is from Microsoft.
The best thing about this barcode format is that it enables you to customize
your tag by simply adding colour and making to match your brand. Moreover, it
also allows you to “dynamically change your datasource”, this means that you
can easily modify the URL that the tag leads to. However, Microsoft Tag can
only be read by Microsoft’s own tag reader.
Data Matrix
This is maybe the most identical format to the QR Code and it is
widely used on small electrical components since it can be easily read
regardless of the size.
Encoded
This type is a bit different since data is not stored within the
barcode itself, but on the Scanbuy server. A code catalogue is sent from a
mobile device to the server, which then enquires from a database and returns
the info. The main drawback with this system is that it’s completely dependent
on the Scanbuy servers.
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