There are a number of different barcode types (Symbologies) in common use,
if you stick to the most popular you cannot go far wrong and sourcing bar code
scanners will not be a problem.
The type of bar code you will use will depend on several factors. Some barcodes
are in common use in industrial applications, while others are for use in retail
applications, some allow just number others allow alpha-numeric characters.
The following is a brief summary of the more popular types and their features.
CODE 39
This is probably the most widely used general purpose Alpha -Numeric barcode.
Theoretically the barcode has no limit to the number of characters that
can be used
however if the barcode is too long , scanners will have difficulty in
scanning it. Code 39 has start and stop bits
for good start and end definition. The one problem with
Code 39 is that it is not very compact. To utilise the full ASCII character set
then "FullASCII Code39" or "Extended Code39 should be used, but be sure that
your bar code scanner supports the se versions of Code39.
EAN13 or EAN8
European Article Numbering (EAN) association
EAN13 or 8 barcodes are Numeric only code that is the standard for use in retail
outlets i.e. it's what you see on your can of beans, caviar etc.
If you wish to use any EAN barcodes on your product you must join the Article
Numbering Association (ANA) and they will allocate you a batch of supplier
codes that can be used only on your products. Although EAN13 is the most
common barcode for retail, the EAN8 is a shorter version for use on smaller
products
The USA have their own version of EAN which is UPC, but beware, check your
scanners can read UPC before you use them.
