Barcodes
Barcodes, also known as barcodes, are unencrypted optical (optoelectronic) machine-readable symbols that consist of many light and dark parallel bars and spaces of different widths and are processed electronically.
Barcodes can be found on many everyday objects. The first attempts at barcode technology were made in the 1950s. Ultimately, it was thanks to the American supermarket chain Walmart that the barcode became established. The barcode is now an international standard.
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The bars and spaces of different thicknesses in the barcode are printed in a specific ratio to each other. The resulting barcode symbology is comparable to alphabet sets. Characters and the resulting messages are formed by the different bar widths. There are countless symbologies due to the diverse arrangement possibilities.
The "X" dimension, which defines the density of the barcode and indicates the width of the narrowest bar in the code, is another important component when reading the barcode. It can be used to draw conclusions about the space required for a certain amount of information that can be captured in a certain area of the barcode.To ensure that the barcode can be read from both the left and the right, start and end characters are defined. The "quiet zone" is a free area in front of the start and stop characters (min. 1/4 inch). This enables the scanner to read the barcode correctly.
Over the years, many different barcode types have been developed. They differ in terms of their coding options and purposes. Parameters such as data volume, industry, international standards, individual extensions and specifications are taken into account. The most widely used barcode types are I 2 of 5 (ITF), Code 39, EAN 8, EAN 13 and Code 128.
The data structure developed by GS1, the GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), has become established in retail. This chargeable number from the GS1 organization can be represented in a wide variety of barcode types and is intended to simplify international trade and the flow of goods.
When creating individual barcodes, an online generator is a good choice. The generated barcode can be downloaded in high data quality and in various formats. However, a special program is required to print the barcodes and entering them into other documents is also cumbersome.
Professionally, barcodes are generated with barcode software by entering data with external programs, such as Excel or databases. This data is validated, checked, quiet zones are taken into account and ultimately a barcode with professional print results is generated. The print quality of barcodes is defined in the ISO/IEC 15416 standard.
Specific reading devices are used to capture barcodes. By holding the laser scanner or barcode scanner to the barcode, certain patterns of the barcode or the sequence of light and dark bars and the information stored with them are captured for further data processing. Readers are available in various designs, e.g. as hand-held scanners, radio scanners, wireless or stationary scanners.
Everyone knows the barcode that is scanned in the supermarket by now. But this is actually only the last step in a long chain of operational and logistical organizations. Barcodes have long since become indispensable in industry and retail. Barcodes are even used in the healthcare sector, as they ensure reliable identification of patients and the allocation of medicines and blood samples.
Barcode technology has also reached private consumers. Mobile apps for smartphones enable products to be scanned. The built-in camera or video function is used for this. Smartphone scanners can show the information read directly on the display. Well-known examples include applications that allow users to compare the prices of certain products and display useful product information.
Technologies at a glance
