Barcodes

Barcode

There are about 120 different barcode standards in use today, about 20 of them are widely accepted and supported, and the rest are adopted by companies for internal tracking use.

Relevant 1D barcodes

• UPC
• EAN
  • EAN-13
  • EAN-8
  • JAN

EAN and UPC are compatible in GTIN namespace

2D barcodes

in the 2010's mobile phones capable of reading 2D barcodes have become widespread and cheap to acquire.

• w:QR code that can be generated for each article with QRCodeOnLoad-extension
• w:Aztec code that is an ISO standard
• w:Semacode or as it's more commonly known w:Data matrix 2D barcode is in the public domain
• w:EZcode are potentially useful for reaching Consumium goals,

Other

the w:Code 128 barcode system

• Widely accepted as a standard in barcodes (used by UPS, Wal-Mart and many others)
• Printable on a normal high quality printer (like we have in house)
• Easily read by affordable barcode scanner ($250 Cdn)
• Up to 40 characters
• Includes Alpha and numeric characters
• No licensing fee
• Third parties will be able to read our barcodes
• Barcodes can be printed up in standard windows applications so long as the barcode fonts are installed.
• Barcodes can be generated by a third party application, or via Active X plug ins
• Standard code 128 bar codes are not as long as those in standard code 39.

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See also:

• GEPIR
• GNU Barcode generates many barcode formats. Available under GPL. Available as Debian package.
• Baracoda Pencil - Bluetooth Scanner pen

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External links:

• Buy a Barcode sells single UPC-barcodes from their numberspace