Barcode types
EAN-13
Noun: EAN-13
Also known as: GTIN-13, retail barcode, European product number
Coded numbers: 0-9
Length: 13 numbers
Goal: Identify unique retail products at point of sale
European Article Numbers (EAN Barcodes) are 13 digits long. They are used worldwide on all retail products except books and magazines. They are the most widely used barcodes in the world, Except for USA and Canada, Where UPC-A (Universal Product Code) barcodes are most common.
Each EAN-13 is product specific and barcoded as a barcode. This means that when scanning a barcode in store systems, Price and inventory data related to your product is logged by the retailer. So , A different EAN-13 number is required for each unique product.
UPC-A
Noun: UPC-A
Also known as: global product code, retail bar icon, GTIN-12
Coded numbers: 0-9
Length: 12 numbers
Goal: Identify unique retail products at point of sale
12-digit UPC barcodes are used mostly in the USA and Canada on all retail products, Except for books and magazines. UPC bar codes predate the EAN-13 codes and began appearing in stores in the USA in the 1970s. If you sell in the United States or Canada, It is likely that you want to use the UPC-A code instead of the EAN-13 code.
EAN-8
Noun: EAN-8
Also known as: European Article No. 8
Coded numbers: 0-9
Length: 8 numbers
Goal: Used for small products that do not fit EAN-13
Smaller size globally unique barcode for very small products – hard to come by and only available from GS1 (a membership organization). EAN-8 barcodes are only 8 digits long – this means that there are a limited number of them, The GS1 is therefore carefully guarded. So , to get it , You need to provide proof that your product is too small and wait to see if the GS1 agrees.
ITF-14
Noun: ITF-14
Also known as: TUN, cartoon icon, GTIN-14
Coded numbers: 0-9
Length: 14 digits
Goal: This is a cartoon icon. Retailers use it to simplify incoming merchandise.
ITF-14 cartoon codes are generated from EAN-13 and UPC-A barcodes. They are used only in warehouses on cartons containing a specified amount of the product represented by the barcode. These codes are not for products sold individually at the retail level. for example , A case of selling wine as a single unit may need a retail barcode. You may need the ITF-14 code if you have a shipping carton full of wine bottles that were taken out and sold individually after they arrived at the store.
ISBN
Noun: ISBN
Also known as: barcode book, international standard book number, ISBN Barcode
Coded numbers: 0-9
Length: 13 numbers
Goal: To sell books at the retail level
International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) are unique numbers assigned to a book. ISBNs begin with 978 and are distributed by ISBN agencies in each country (see isbn-international.org/agency ).
ISBN barcodes are barcodes that are generated based on the ISBN number. Each book has a unique ISBN, So this ensures that no two ISBN barcodes are the same, This allows retailers to easily keep track of each book as it is being stored and sold.
ISSN
Noun: ISSN
Also known as: international standard serial number, magazine bar code, ISSN bar code
Coded numbers: 0-9
Length: 13 digits plus 2 or 5 digit extension
Goal: ISSN barcodes are for magazines sold at checkout
Journal barcodes are called ISSN barcodes , It is based on the unique ISSN number that is assigned to each journal. If you intend to publish and sell a magazine, You will need the ISSN number obtained from the ISSN International Centre . Once you get your number, It can be converted by a barcode company like us into a unique 13-digit retail barcode.
Code 39
Noun: Code 39
Also known as: Alpha 39, USD-3, type 39, Code 3-9
Coded numbers: Alphanumeric characters plus some special symbols
Length: Factor
Goal: Asset designations, name badges, membership cards, etc. Any closed system needs unique identifiers
Code 39 uses a unique internal numbering barcode . This makes it suitable for classifying assets, membership cards, library books, or any other internal item that needs to be tracked or managed. Nobody regulates the uniqueness of these barcodes (unlike retail barcodes), So it cannot be used outside a closed system. Code 39 barcodes have a low data density, Which means that each character it contains takes many bars and spaces. As a result , These symbols are not suitable for very long character strings.
Code 128
Barcode 128 is very similar to Code 39 in that it is unstructured and suitable for internal use. The main difference between the two is that Code 128 has a higher data density (more characters can be encoded in a smaller space) and can contain any ASCII Instead of just alphanumeric and some symbols.
Code 11
Noun: Code 11
Also known as: 8 USD
Coded numbers: 0-9 and – (dash)
Length: Factor
Goal: Primarily used in telecommunications
Barcode 11 is relatively simple, With a limited range of cipherable numbers. It is high density, Which means that each character does not take up much space. The 11 bar code is often used by carriers to identify equipment and other important business assets.
Code 93
Noun: Code 93
Also known as: USS Code 93, USS 93, Code 9/3
Coded numbers: same code 39, So the alphanumeric characters plus some special symbols
Length: Factor
Goal: Indoor use (eg code 39 and 128
Code 93 barcode is an updated version of Code 39, With more efficient coding, more reliable scanning, and greater character diversity. The uses are the same as code 39, Canada Post uses code 93 for internal use.
GS1-128
Noun: GS1-128
Also known as: UCC-128, EAN-128
Coded numbers: numeric characters
Length: variable preferred, up to the number of characters
Goal: It can encode a large variety of details about a product shipment
GS1-128 is a subset of the Code-128 barcodes mentioned above. However , These GS1 barcodes contain numbers only. Unlike regular 128 codes. They can code different product details, Such as expiration date, packaging date, batch number, net weight and more. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GS1-128 for details.
SSCC
Noun: SSCC
Also known as: Serial Shipping Container Icon
Coded numbers: Digital
Length: 18 numbers
Goal: These codes are used in third level shipping (pallets etc.), It shows the company number and the shipment
Serial shipping container codes are a shipping code that informs the company from which a container, pallet, or outer carton came from. These differ from ITF-14 container codes because they cover a shipment with many different products (hence EAN-13 codes), Unlike ITF-14 codes, which matches 1: 1 with EAN codes. These SSCC codes are repeated with one digit per order, So the retailer will know that it is receiving the 20th shipment from Generic (for example).
kodabar
Noun: kodabar
Also known as: Codeabar, Ames symbol, symbol 2 of 7, Monarch, USD-4
Coded numbers: Numeric numbers and some special symbols
Length: Factor
Goal: Codabar is used for asset tracking, Like library books, It can even work on suboptimal printing materials
Codabar is a fairly old barcode found in some internal, dated inventory systems such as libraries. These codes are designed to function even when printed on low-quality paper or generated using a mechanical printer (typewriter). It is similar to Code 39 but is less versatile in what it can contain.
QR Code
Noun: QR Code
Also known as: QR code, Barcode Matrix
Coded numbers: Alphanumeric and symbols
Length: a variable , More characters = more complex code
Goal: QR codes are commonly used to encode a website’s URL, It is very versatile and can contain just about anything
QR codes have become a very popular feature for marketing and advertising and for communicating digitally stored information through a physical object (the token). These barcodes can store more data than traditional 2D codes and are easy to scan with a smartphone.