- Continuous vs. discrete: Characters in continuous symbologies abut, with one character ending with a space and the next beginning with a bar, or vice versa. Characters in discrete symbologies begin and end with bars; the intercharacter space is ignored, as long as it is not wide enough to look like the code ends.
- Two-width vs. many-width: Bars in two-width symbologies are wide or narrow; how wide a wide bar is does not matter, and may vary from one character to the next. Bars in many-width symbologies are all multiples of a width called X; usually bars of width X, 2X, 3X, and 4X are used.
|
| Examples of barcodes |
Code 128-B:
UPC:
| Types of barcodes |
Linear barcodes
| Symbology | Cont/Disc | Two/Many | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plessey[?] | Continuous | Two | Catalogs, store shelves, inventory |
| UPC | Continuous | Many | USA retail |
| EAN-UCC | Worldwide retail | ||
| Codabar[?] | Discrete | Two | Libraries, blood banks, airbills |
| Interleaved 2 of 5[?] | Continuous | Two | Wholesale |
| Code 39[?] | Discrete | Two | Various |
| Code 93[?] | Continuous | Many | Various |
| Code 128[?] | Continuous | Many | Various |
| Code 11[?] | Discrete | Two | Telephones |
| POSTNET[?] | Continuous | Tall/short | Post office |
2-D barcodes
| Symbology | Notes |
|---|---|
| 3-DI | Developed by Lynn Ltd. |
| ArrayTag | From ArrayTech Systems. |
| Aztec Code | Public domain. |
| Small Aztec Code | |
| Bullseye | This was the barcode tested in a Kroger store in Cincinnati. It used concentric bars. |
| Codablock | Stacked 1D barcodes. |
| Code 1 | Public domain. |
| Code 16K | Based on 1D Code 128. |
| Code 49 | Stacked 1D barcodes from Intermec Corp. |
| CP Code | From CP Tron, Inc. |
| Data Glyphs | From Xerox PARC. |
| Data Matrix | From RVSI Acuity CiMatrix. |
| Datastrip Code | From Datastrip, Inc. |
| Dot Code A | |
| HueCode | From Robot Design Associates. Uses greyscale or colour. |
| INTACTA.CODE | From INTACTA Technologies, Inc. |
| MaxiCode | Used by United Parcel Service. |
| MiniCode | From Omniplanar, Inc. |
| PDF417 | The most common 2D barcode. Public domain. |
| Micro PDF417 | |
| QR Code | From Nippondenso ID Systems. Public domain. |
| SmartCode | From InfoImaging Technologies. |
| Snowflake Code | From Marconi Data Systems, Inc. |
| SuperCode | Public domain. |
| UltraCode | Black-and-white & colour versions. Public domain. |
See also : Global Trade Item Numbering, RFID
External link:
- Online Barcode generator (http://barcodesinc.com/generator/)
- the barcode de facto standard (http://www.ean-ucc.org).