According to statistics, about 18.8% of consumers agreed to witness an increase in the use of barcodes such as QR codes since September 2020. However, there are many different types of barcodes available, making them difficult to identify. These barcodes can be found on almost every retail product and were originally created for supermarkets to quickly print receipts and keep stock. After obtaining a UPC number, a manufacturer receives a unique company number that matches their individual product numbers.
Alphanumeric barcodes, on the other hand, contain a combination of numbers and alphabetical characters. Two-dimensional barcodes, often referred to as 2D barcodes, are shaped like a square or rectangle and contain many small dots arranged in a single pattern. A barcode uses an image/layout to encode information, essentially the black and white bars or patterns you see on the label. A barcode scanner reads those images, detects the code, and then translates the information into a line of text that can be understood by the company’s point-of-sale system. Today, some barcodes can even be read by smartphone apps or other technology.
A one-dimensional 1D barcode is the most commonly used type of barcode today, with all the information in the code organized horizontally from left to right. While the structure is simple, there are several versions, some can only encode numbers, while others can encode any keyboard character. Depending on the specific type of 1D barcode used, it can encode between characters. Code 11 – Code 11, developed by Intermec in 1977, is most commonly used in the telecommunications industry for labeling equipment. To meet this challenge, one or two control marks are usually included. However, 1D barcodes (also known as one-dimensional or linear barcodes) are really just a series of vertical lines in different widths.
All you need is a computer, some software or font packages, a scanner and a label printer. Once you have your installation, the cost is about the same, whether you choose to make 100 barcodes or 1000. This is a great option for smaller stores, or if you only need barcodes to manage inventory. gs1 barcode Once you’ve generated barcodes and pasted them into the products, it’s time to associate those barcodes with the names of the products in the inventory or point-of-sale system you’re using. Inventory software such as inFlow Cloud has specific fields that allow you to scan barcodes.
To create barcodes for many items at once, we recommend using a barcode software like BarTender. Alternatively, if you use an inventory management system like Ordoro or Wasp Inventory Control, you can use their inventory management software to generate your barcodes. The downside, of course, is that 3D barcodes cost more to print, making them difficult to implement at scale. Depending on the 3D barcode you use, you may also need advanced barcode scanners to read your codes, which means even more cost.
Subsequently, two-dimensional variants were developed, using rectangles, dots, hexagons and other patterns, called matrix codes or 2D barcodes, although they do not use bars as such. 2D barcodes can be read using specially designed optical 2D scanners, which come in a few different shapes. A mobile device with a built-in camera, such as a smartphone, can function as the ultimate type of 2D barcode reader using specialized application software.