Choose a Barcode

Which barcode do you need? Which standards must you comply with?

This page lists all the linear barcodes available in LABEL MATRIX, how they’re built and what they’re used for.

UPC - EAN - 128 - Codabar - Int 2 of 5 - 39 - 93 - MSI Plessey - HIBC - GS1-128 (UCC/EAN 128) - Postal barcode - ITF-14 - ISBN

2D barcode

LABEL MATRIX PowerPro Single also includes the following 2D barcodes: Data Matrix, PDF-417, Code 49, Code 16K (Auto, A, B, C) Maxicode, MicroPDF, Aztec, Aztec Mesa, TLC39, QR Code, RSS-14 Composite, GS1 (Composite, Databar, Data Matrix).

UPC barcode

UPC (Universal Product Code) barcodes are used in the US and Canada to identify consumer goods in the retail industry. The European equivalent is the EAN code.

Barcode	How is it built?	What is it used for?
UPC-A	This barcode is composed of 12 digits: -First digit identifies the type of goods (3 for medicine, 5 for a discount coupon…). -Next 5 digits identify the manufacturer. -Next 5 digits identify the product. You can choose this number, as long as it is a unique identifier by product/brand. -The last digit is a check digit (automatically calculated by LABEL MATRIX)	All kind of industries. Products sold by retailers in the US and Canada. Manufacturer ID is delivered by the GS1-US Uniform Code Council
UPC-E1: 6 dgt	UPC-E1 is a shorter version of the standard UPC-A barcode. It eliminates ‘redundant’ zeros from the UPC-A code. Warning: some UPC-A barcodes are not convertible. First digit is always a 1.	All kind of industries. Products sold by retailers in the US and Canada. UPC-E1 barcodes are shorter so they are generaly used when space is limited.
UPC-E0: 6 dgt	Same functionnalities as UPC-E1 barcodes. Allows you to reduce the size of a UPC-A barcode. First digit is always a 0.	Just like UPC-E1 barcodes, UPC-E0 codes are often used when space is limited.

EAN barcodes

The EAN(European Article Number) barcode is the European equivalent of the UPC, and is standardized for the identification of consumer goods in the retail industry.

Barcodes

How is it built?

What is it used for?

EAN/JAN-13

See detailed EAN/JAN-13 characteristics

All kinds of industries. Products sold by retailers in Europe. Manufacturer ID are delivered by GS1.

EAN/JAN-8

First 2 to 3 first digits indicate the country code.

-Next 4 or 5 digits identify the article number.

-Last digit is a check digit (automatically calculated by LABEL MATRIX).

This is the international standard for packaged food sold by retailers.

Its usage is restricted to small sized-products.

128 barcodes

128 barcodes offer two main advantages: they can be of variable length and they allow you to encode alphanumeric data.

Barcodes	How is it built?	What is it used for?
128	The Barcode 128 structure is not standardized. It can encode as many alphanumeric characters as you like.	Commonly used in the industrial sector and particularly in logistics. Barcode 128 allows you to store large amounts of data in a reduced space.
128-A	Includes all standard uppercase alphanumeric characters, control characters and special characters.
128-B	Includes all standard uppercase & lowercase alphanumeric characters and special characters.
128-C	Includes digits from 00 to 99 and special characters.

codabar

Allows you to encode numerical data as well as the following six special characters: ? : / . + - The length of a Codabar is variable and is not standardized, you can include as much information as you want. Codabar is mainly used in libraries and American blood banks.

Interleaved (Int 2 of 5) barcode

This barcode allows you to encode numerical information, its use is not standardized and we mainly find it in internal inventory management.

Note: Int 2 of 5 codes always contain an even number of digits.

Code 39 (3 of 9)

Historically, this was the first barcode to use alphanumeric characters. It also allows you to use special characters: - . * $ / + % and space

Barcode	How is it built?	What is it used for?
39 (3 of 9)	The 3 of 9 barcode structure is not standardized. It can encode as many alphanumeric characters as you like.	This barcode is still in use in all type of industrial sectors and in non-retail commercial sectors, particularly in the automotive industry (GALIA) and pharmaceutical. It is very precise but relatively wide so sufficient space is required to print this barcode.
Extended 39	The extended version of Code 39 supports all ASCII characters except for ASCII 0 and ASCII 27 and all ASCII characters above that.

Code 93

This barcode can encode all the same characters as a Code 39, but it has the advantage of being smaller in size. It is however not very widespread.

Barcodes	How is it built?	What is it used for?
93	The Code 93 structure is not standardized. It can encode as many alphanumeric characters as you like.	First used by Canadian postal services, Code 93 barcode is now in use in the electronics sector, but its use is not widespread.
Extended 39	The extended version of Code 93 supports all 128 ASCII characters.

MSI Plessey barcode

This barcode is not standardized and allows you to encode the information you want.

It is used mainly for warehouse management.

HIBC barcode

HIBC is the Health Industry Bar Code. This barcode is standardized, supports alphanumeric characters and is of variable length.

If you have a barcode labeling project for medical or healthcare products we suggest you consult the HIBCC website.

GS1-128, (formerly UCC/EAN-128)

This standardized barcode is based on Code 128 symbology. As a global standard, GS1-128 allows the exchange of data between companies worldwide. The Application Identifier (AI) principle allows you to encode information as varied as the length of a product or the weight of a container.

For this reason, GS1-128 is most commonly used for international trade, to identify shipping containers and logistics units.

Learn more at http://www.gs1-128.info

Zip +4 Postnet and Planet barcodes

These barcodes are used by the US postal services to assist in directing mail. The barcode used on envelopes refers to the recipient’s postcode. If you print a Zip +4 Postnet barcode on mail to the US you can get a discount on the postage.

Intelligent Mail Barcode

The IM Barcode is used by the US postal services to identify the destination and type of service associated with a mail item. It provides more information and functionality than its predecessors - Postnet and Planet - and will eventually replace them.

ITF-14 barcodes

This barcode is standardized and managed by GS1.

ITF-14 barcodes can only carry a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and are generally printed directly on the packaging of a logistics unit. ITF-14 cannot be used to identify items crossing a point-of-sale.

Learn more on the GS1 website.

ISBN – International Standard Book Number barcodes

This barcode is used to identify books with a unique identifier. It simplifies the computerized management of library stock and bookshop inventory.

Publishers can get their unique identifier from the UK ISBN agency.