Date: 21 Jan 2019
From the creation of the first barcode in 1947 to nowadays this technology has improved immensely. The different barcode types can now be classified according to their industry, date of scanning, location of the product and other factors. There are many different types of matrix barcodes, 2D, 1D barcode formats.
Nevertheless, generally they are divided into 3 categories: numeric, alpha-numeric, and two-dimensional barcodes.
In this blog article, we will introduce you to the most commonly used barcode symbologies in Bulgaria and abroad:
Maxicode: a two-dimensional barcode that the US company UPS (United Parcel Service) uses for package scanning. It is suitable for tracking and managing the dispatch of packages. It resembles the QR code but uses dots arranged in a hexagonal grid instead of a square grid;
DataMatrix: a two-dimensional (2D) barcode, that contains 1-2000 data characters. It is used mostly to identify circuit boards and Japanese surgical instruments. DataMatrix is a code composed of black and white cells that are usually arranged in a square shape;
QR Code: the name of this code originates from the abbreviation for quick response. This two-dimensional barcode is used to scan with a mobile device and directly open a website. It was created in 1994 in Japan for the needs of the automotive industry. In recent years it has been used very often for promotional purposes and to provide additional product information;
PDF417: this is a rectangular two-dimensional linear barcode that can contain up to 1800 ASCII characters. Its name comes from the abbreviation for portable data file. PDF147 is suitable for many different applications, such as in the transportation industry, ID card production and inventory management;
Code 128: an alpha-numeric barcode with parallel lines, which can be used for many applications. It is used globally mainly in the fields of shipping and packaging;
LOGMARS: an alpha-numeric barcode, which is a different version of Code 39. It is used by the United States department of defense. It is related to the Logistics Applications of Automated Marketing and Reading Symbols;
Code 39: perhaps the most commonly used of all barcodes, which is alpha-numeric. It consists of 43 characters - capital letters, numeric digits and some special characters. Code 39 was created back in 1974. It finds application in electronics, healthcare and for government purposes;
Code 93: Barcode, created in 1982 which is an updated, compact version of Code 39;
Codabar: an older numeric barcode, which is mainly used for blood banks. Codabar is also used by libraries and delivery companies;
Code 11: a numeric barcode, created by Intermec in 1977. It is mostly used by telecommunication companies for barcode labelling of telecommunication equipment. Code 11 is also called USD-8;
EAN-8: a numeric barcode, which is a compressed version of EAN-13 and used for smaller products. It contains seven digits plus a mandatory check digit, hence the name EAN 8;
EAN-13: the EAN-13 barcode is a numeric barcode, whose name is an abbreviation of the European Article Numbering. It consists of 13 symbols. It is used globally for labeling of retail and wholesale products;
Plessey: a numeric barcode, used in USA libraries and convenient stores at the point of sale;
MSI: this is a type of numeric barcode, a variation of Plessey, used for labeling of store shelves;
POSTNET: a numeric barcode, used by the US Post Office for sorting mail. The name of this type of barcode comes from Postal Numerical Encoding Technique;
Interleaved 2 of 5: a compact numeric barcode, used in warehouses, industrial companies and by cargo airlines;
UPC-A: each product, sold in the USA, has this universal numeric barcode. It usually has 12 digits and is used for supply chain facilitation;
UPC-E: this is a compact version of UPC-A, which is specifically created for smaller sized products. This barcode type does not contain zeroes, in order to save space. UPC-E is a 6-digit barcode;
Standard 2 of 5: a self-checking numeric barcode, which is not applied so much nowadays. It is typically used for marking airline tickets and warehouse sorting. It can only encode data in digits;
Industrial 2 of 5: a numeric barcode, developed in the 1960s, which is also self-checking. For years it has been used for marking airline tickets and warehouse sorting. It also can code solely digits and is an older version of Interleaved 2 of 5.
The different encoding types and systems allow reading by most types of barcode readers (barcode scanners).
For more information on the types of barcode systems and how to use the different barcodes, please contact our specialists at sales@dilcom.com.
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