If you go look in your refrigerator or pantry right now, you will find that just about every package you see has a UPC bar code printed on it. In fact, nearly every item that you purchase from a grocery store, department store and mass merchandiser has a UPC bar code on it somewhere.

The bar code from a bottle of Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo

Have you ever wondered where these codes come from and what they mean? In this edition of HowStuffWorks, we will solve this mystery so that you can decode any UPC code you come across!

Bar code scanners are more accessible -- and less expensive -- than you might think. Click here to browse current models

What's a UPC Bar Code?"UPC" stands for Universal Product Code. UPC bar codes were originally created to help grocery stores speed up the checkout process and keep better track of inventory, but the system quickly spread to all other retail products because it was so successful. UPCs originate with a company called the Uniform Code Council (UCC). A manufacturer applies to the UCC for permission to enter the UPC system. The manufacturer pays an annual fee for the privilege. In return, the UCC issues the manufacturer a six-digit manufacturer identification number and provides guidelines on how to use it. You can see the manufacturer identification number in any standard 12-digit UPC code, like this one that

comes off the back of the book "The Teenager's Guide to the Real World," published by BYG Publishing:

You can see that the UPC symbol printed on a package has two parts: The machine-readable bar code The human-readable 12-digit UPC number

BYG Publishing's manufacturer identification number is the first six digits of the UPC number -- 639382. The next five digits -- 00039 -- are the item number. A person employed by the manufacturer, called the UPC coordinator, is responsible for assigning item numbers to products, making sure the same code is not used on more than one product, retiring codes as products are removed from the product line, etc. In general, every item the manufacturer sells, as well as every size package and every repackaging of the item, needs a different item code. So a 12-ounce can of Coke needs a different item number than a 16-ounce bottle of Coke, as does a 6-pack of 12-ounce cans, a 12-pack, a 24-can case, and so on. It is the job of the UPC coordinator to keep all of these numbers straight! The last digit of the UPC code is called a check digit. This digit lets the scanner determine if it scanned the number correctly or not. Here is how the check digit is calculated for the other 11 digits, using the code 63938200039 from "The Teenager's Guide to the Real World" example shown above:

1. Add together the value of all of the digits in odd positions (digits 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11).6 + 9 + 8 + 0 + 0 + 9 = 32

2. Multiply that number by 3.32 * 3 = 96

3. Add together the value of all of the digits in even positions (digits 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10).3 + 3 + 2 + 0 + 3 = 11

4. Add this sum to the value in step 2.96 + 11 = 107

5. Take the number in Step 4. To create the check digit, determine the number that, when added to the number in step 4, is a multiple of 10.107 + 3 = 110

The check digit is therefore 3.

Each time the scanner scans an item, it performs this calculation. If the check digit it calculates is different from the check digit it reads, the scanner knows that something went wrong and the item needs to be rescanned.

Bar code systems can be a helpful tool to manage inventory in retail or warehouse settings -- and they're easy to implement. Check out these thermal bar code printers.

How is the Price Determined?As you can see, there is no price information encoded in a bar code. When the scanner at the checkout line scans a product, the cash register sends the UPC number to the store's central POS (point of sale) computer to look up the UPC number. The central computer sends back the actual price of the item at that moment. This approach allows the store to change the price whenever it wants, for example to reflect sale prices. If the price were encoded in the bar code, prices could never change. On the other hand, not encoding a fixed price gives the store an easy way to rip off customers. When you hear about "scanner fraud" in the news, that is what the newsperson is talking about. It is incredibly easy for a store to mistakenly or purposefully overprice an item. One thing you will notice if you start looking at UPC codes in detail is that the big manufactures have manufacturer IDs with lots of zeros in them. Here are a few:

Post - 043000 General Mills - 016000 Del Monte - 024000 Quaker Oats - 030000

Here is the bar code from a 3-liter bottle of Diet Coke:

You can see that Coke's manufacturer ID is 049000. However, if you look at can of Coke or most 2-liter bottles, you will find that the UPC code is much shorter -- only eight digits total. Here's the bar code from a 2-liter bottle of Sprite:

These short bar codes are called zero-suppressed numbers. There's a set of rules around forming zero-suppressed numbers from full numbers, but the basic idea is to leave out a set of four digits, all zeros. In the case of the Sprite UPC code, the 049 at the beginning is the first three digits of Coke's 049000 manufacturer ID. The 551 is the item number for this bottle of Sprite, shortened from 00551. The zero in the second-to-last digit is the fourth digit from Coke's manufacturer ID. The final digit is the normal check digit. The main reason for having zero-suppressed numbers is to create smaller bar codes for small product packages like 12-ounce cans.

The first digit of the manufacturer's identification number is special. It is called the number system character. The following table shows you what different number system characters mean:

0 Standard UPC number(must have a zero to do zero-suppressed numbers)

1 Reserved

2 Random-weight items(fruits, vegetables, meats, etc.)

3 Pharmaceuticals

4 In-store marking for retailers(A store can set up its own codes, but no other store will understand them.)

5 Coupons

6 Standard UPC number

7 Standard UPC number

8 Reserved

9 Reserved

Here is an example of a pharmaceutical bar code (number system character 3), this one from a 4-ounce bottle of Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo:

Here is an example of in-store marking (number system character 4), in this case from a $10 Toys R Us gift certificate:

Since Toys R Us is the only store that will ever use this bar code -- it's the only place where the gift certificate can be redeemed -- Toys R Us made up its own UPC code for the gift certificate and used number system 4 so it could do that.

What is a Coupon code?The coupon code is interesting (number system character 5). If you have ever wondered how the scanner can read a coupon and reject it if you haven't bought the product, here's your explanation. Here is the UPC code from a box of Post Honey Nut Shredded Wheat:

Here is the coupon for the same product:

You can see that the coupon's bar code starts with a 5 to indicate that it is a coupon. The 43000 is Post's manufacturer ID. The next three digits (186) are called the family code. The next two digits (70) are a value code. The final digit is the normal check digit.

The family code and value code are set up arbitrarily by the UPC coordinator for the manufacturer. It must be done that way because a coupon will often be usable for a whole family of products. For example, a coupon might be good for four different kinds of soap made by the same manufacturer. In the same way, the value code represents the value of the coupon arbitrarily. The manufacturer sends the retailer the data that tells the retailer's computer exactly which products fit the family code, and exactly how much to take off. When the coupon is scanned, the POS computer:

1. Decodes the family code 2. Checks to make sure the customer purchased an item from the family 3. Decodes the value code 4. Sends the discount back to the cash register

The next time you go to the store, pick up a product -- any product. Look at its UPC code: Now you know what it means!

Can I Decode the Bars?So let's say you would like to decode the actual bars in the bar code and map them to numbers. This is something that will make you cross-eyed, but it can be done. First of all, look at any 12-digit bar code. It is made up of black bars and white spaces between the bars. Assume that the thinnest bar or space that you see (for example, the first bar on the left) can be called "one unit wide." The bars and spaces can therefore be seen to have proportional widths of one, two, three or four units. If you look at any bar code you can see examples of these four widths. The start of any bar code is "1-1-1." That is, starting at the left you find a one-unit-wide black bar followed by a one-unit-wide white space followed by a one-unit-wide black bar (bar-space-bar). Following the start code, the digits are encoded like this: 0 = 3-2-1-1 1 = 2-2-2-1 2 = 2-1-2-2 3 = 1-4-1-1 4 = 1-1-3-2 5 = 1-2-3-1 6 = 1-1-1-4 7 = 1-3-1-2 8 = 1-2-1-3 9 = 3-1-1-2(Something to notice: All of these encodings seem to add up to 7.) So let's take this barcode as an example:

The code embedded in the bars is 043000181706: The bar code starts with the standard start code of 1-1-1 (bar-space-bar). The zero is 3-2-1-1 (space-bar-space-bar). The four is 1-1-3-2 (space-bar-space-bar). The three is 1-4-1-1 (space-bar-space-bar). The next three zeros are 3-2-1-1 (space-bar-space-bar). In the middle there is a standard 1-1-1-1-1 (space-bar-space-bar-space), which is

important because it means the numbers on the right are optically inverted! The one is 2-2-2-1 (bar-space-bar-space). The eight is 1-2-1-3 (bar-space-bar-space). The one is 2-2-2-1 (bar-space-bar-space). The seven is 1-3-1-2 (bar-space-bar-space). The zero is 3-2-1-1 (bar-space-bar-space). The six is 1-1-1-4 (bar-space-bar-space). The stop character is a 1-1-1 (bar-space-bar).

Have fun decoding those 12-digit bar codes! For more information on bar codes and related topics, check out the links on the next

Lots More InformationRelated HowStuffWorks Articles

How Credit Cards Work How Encryption Works How Smart Labels Will Work How Anti-shoplifting Devices Work How Social Security Numbers Work What is a Smart Card? How does a security passcard work?

More Great Links

Lasco Fittings: Decode the Bar Code! UCC: ID Numbers and Bar Codes Bar Code Homepage The Bar Code FAQ Open Directory: Bar Code

Print barcode labels in 4 easy steps

 

 Applications

Barcode Printing ID Card Printing

Label Printing  Print Studio

Overview Features Screenshots

Product Literature  Fashion group streamlines its supply chain with Print Studio"We are amazed at the ease of which Print Studio integrated with our ERP software, providing huge cost savings by eliminating the need to outsource the printing of our barcode labels."

Rien Overvliet DirectorMcGregor SSD

Read this case study

Official Partner

Print Studio makes it easy to design, create, and print barcode labels, such as inventory, shipping, asset marking, tracking and more.

Print Studio supports more than 20 industry-standard 1D and 2D barcode symbologies, built-in quality control options, and powerful database connectivity. All this and more with an easy-to-use interface. 

Select a TemplateSelect a label template from our library of more than 2,500 predefined formats.

  Select templates: Avery, MACO, APLI...

Define custom templates

Create labels: shipping, inventory, media...Learn more »

 Add 1D and 2D Barcodes Select from more than 20 industries most popular 1D and 2D barcodes

  Add 1D barcodes: UPC-A, EAN-13, UCC-128...

Add 2D barcodes: PDF417, Data Matrix...

Pull barcode from database: MySQL...

Generate barcode data: serialized...

Format barcodes: bar width, bar ratio...Learn more »

 Add Text and GraphicsDrag and drop text, images, barcodes, and shapes to your label.

  Add rich text Add shapes and

images: BMP, GIF, JPG... Pull data from

database: Access, Excel...

Generate data: serialized, date &

  ©2000 - 2006 Jolly, Inc. All rights reserved.

Mit den Azalea Barcode Fonts lassen sich qualitativ hochwertige Barcodes in Minuten erzeugen. Seien es Verpackungen, Buchrücken, Etiketten, oder irgend etwas anderes, das mit Barcodes beschriftet werden soll, die Alazea Barcode Tools sind die perfekte Lösung. Die Fonts werden jeweils als True Type Font (TTF) und Postscript Type 1 Font geliefert. Diese Fonts können über jedes DTP-Programm ausgegeben werden bzw. lassen sich sehr einfach in Softwareentwicklungen integrieren.

Folgende Font-Pakete sind verfügbar:

PDF417 für zweidimensionale Ausgaben mit großer Datendichte. Einzelne Zeichen können über den mitgelieferten Wizard zusammen gestellt werden. Für umfangreichere Ausgaben lassen sich die Parameter für Formatierungen und Fehlerkorrektur mit dem mitgelieferten ActiveX-Modul festlegen.

Datamatrix Ein weiterer häufig verwendeter zweidimensionaler Barcode. Die Datendichte ist noch höher als beim PDF 417 Barcode.

C39, die beliebtesten Barcodes für Lager- und Versand-Zwecke. Enthält acht Code 39-Fonts und einen OCR-B Font für optionale Normalschrift.

Print Studio makes it easy to design, create, and print barcode labels, such as inventory, shipping, asset marking, tracking and more.

Print Studio supports more than 20 industry-standard 1D and 2D barcode symbologies, built-in quality control options, and powerful database connectivity. All this and more with an easy-to-use interface. 

Select a TemplateSelect a label template from our library of more than 2,500 predefined formats.

  Select templates: Avery, MACO, APLI...

Define custom templates

Create labels: shipping, inventory, media...Learn more »

 Add 1D and 2D Barcodes Select from more than 20 industries most popular 1D and 2D barcodes

  Add 1D barcodes: UPC-A, EAN-13, UCC-128...

Add 2D barcodes: PDF417, Data Matrix...

Pull barcode from database: MySQL...

Generate barcode data: serialized...

Format barcodes: bar width, bar ratio...Learn more »

 Add Text and GraphicsDrag and drop text, images, barcodes, and shapes to your label.

  Add rich text Add shapes and

images: BMP, GIF, JPG... Pull data from

database: Access, Excel...

Generate data: serialized, date &

UPC erstellen Barcodes für die Einkaufskasse. Enthalten sind UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8/JAN-8, EAN-13/JAN-13, Bookland (ISBN) und ISSN Symbole. Enthält auch Barcodes, die gleichzeitig Normalschrift anzeigen.

POST zum Drucken amerikanischer Postleitzahlen (ZIP-Code).

C128: erstellen Code 128-Symbole für Aufkleber, Versandbehälter und für andere interne Zwecke. Enthält Code-Sets A, B, C und UCC/EAN-128.

I2of5 erzeugen Interleaved 2 of 5 Symbole. Diese werden für Versand-Etiketten und auf Kartons verwendet.

2of5 erzeugen Non-Interleaved 2 of 5 Symbole.

Dieses Paket enthält den vollen ASCII-Zeichensatz für die beiden speziell für OCR-Zwecke entworfenen Fonts.

MSI Plessey wird besonders in Bibliotheken und zur Kennzeichnung von Supermarktregalen verwendet.

Codabar wird von Blutbanken, Bibliotheken und Speditionen verwendet.

Weiteres Material Demofont für C39 laden (39 KB).Der Demofont für C39 enthält einen eingeschränkten Zeichensatz (nur Ziffern), kann aber ohne Prüfsumme oder andere Berechnungen direkt von einem Scanner gelesen werden. Am Anfang und am Ende muss ein "*"-Zeichen als Start- und Stopzeichen gesetzt werden. Demoprogramm PDF 417 laden (1,5 MByte).Das Testprogramm für den 2-D Barcode PDF 417. Barcode-Fachartikel laden (464 KB, ZIP-Archiv mit PDF-Datei)Ein Artikel zum Thema Barcodes aus der Fachzeitschrift Basic Pro, Ausgabe 2/2000 in Deutsch Link zur Webseite des Herstellers mit den Sourcecodebeispielen für die verschiedenen Entwicklungsumgebungen und Datenbanken.

Copyright: HoT - House of Tools GmbH, 2006Letzte Änderung: 28.3.2006

 When you buy a new product, you would possibly see black thin bars behind it. That special technologic mark is namde bar code.

 The bars differs from each other and all have a specific  numeric value between 0-9.

 There is also a special device that encodes the bars numeric values. The device that the cashier puts up the barcode on the product purchased.

 The reason of the usage is simple; security. Every single product has a specific bar code and when the main computer reads the number value of it and stores, than that make the responsibles know the product has been sold and no fraud is possible.

barcode overview

There are many different types of barcode, often referred to as barcode symbologies. These have evolved in different places for different uses, but all have the common purpose of encoding a string

of characters as a set of bars and spaces. The barcode you need will depend on what it is you need to encode and where the barcode is to be put. Often the end user will stipulate a particular symbology; in other cases you can make your own choice.For some barcodes, you need a unique number to be encoded - these are allocated by the appropriate governing body. It is possible to deduce which symbology is being used from its general appearance and by looking at the pattern of bars and spaces. Download our free Barcode Identifier program for Mac OS X. If you don't know which symbology to use, the following should help.

barcode uses

The type of barcode you need depends on the use it is being put to.    Barcodes to Identify a Product for Sale in Shops    Barcode used for packaging    Barcode used for a published item    Barcode used for a pharmaceutical item    Barcode for Non-Retail Labels    Barcode used for other purposes

barcode types

BarCoder for Macintosh OS X supports all of the following barcode types. Please note that not all of these are supported in the Macintosh Classic program and some are also not yet supported in the Windows program.

EAN-13 and EAN-8 (including JAN-13 and JAN-8)UPC-A and UPC-EISBN, ISSN and ISMNITF and UPC-ShippingEAN-128Code 39Code 25 (Interleaved 2 of 5)Code 128Code 93CodabarTelepenRSS-14, RSS-14 Stacked, RSS-Limited and RSS-ExpandedPharmacode (including multi-colour)PDF417 and PDF417 MicroDataMatrix (including 2-d pharmacode)HIBC Barcodes

retail barcodes

There are four barcode types commonly to identify retail items. UPC A and UPC E are mostly used in North America, but are also found throughout the world.Similarly, EAN 13 and EAN 8 are more popular in the rest of the world, but are also found in North America. In Japan, EAN 13 and EAN 8 are known as JAN 13 and JAN 8.Some retailers use their own proprietary barcode type which are usually based on either EAN or UPC barcodes.

Current DevelopmentsAs well as saying what the product is, barcodes will soon be expected to supply production details, such as batch number and use by date. This information can be held in an extension to the EAN and UPC barcodes, called a Composite Component, which goes above the bars. There are also new barcode types being introduced, known as Reduced Space Symbologies (RSS) which can encode the same information, but in less space. Agamik BarCoder supports both Composite and RSS.

packaging barcodes

Packaging barcodes are those usually used on the shipping cartons that contain many items. The shipping barcodes are used for to give information about the contents.ITF barcodes (known as UPC Shipping in North America) identify identify the product in the box.EAN 128 barcodes are capable of supplying much more detail about the product, including dates, batch numbers, weight, quantity and dimensions.

Current DevelopmentsEAN 128 barcodes are capable of supporting a Composite Component, which can provide even more information. A Reduced Space alternative, called RSS Expanded, can also be used. Agamik BarCoder supports both Composite and RSS.

publishing barcodes

Books require a variation of EAN 13 or UPC A barcode which encodes the ISBN number, plus optional pricing information. Newspapers and Magazines require a variation of EAN 13 which encodes the ISSN number as well as the issue number and optional pricing information.Sheet music should use a variation of EAN 13 which encodes the ISMN number.

Current DevelopmentsThe Book industry is planning to expand the range of ISBN numbers,

which will require a modification of the ISBN barcode. Though the exact format for the expanded barcode is yet to be defined, if you buy BarCoder software now, Agamik will provide a free upgrade when the format is announced.

pharmaceutical barcodes

The Pharma Code is used for quality control and product identification for most pharmaceutical products. Often one or more of the bars have different colour.HIBC barcodes are commonly used in North America to hold production details, though these are variations of Code 39, Code 128 and EAN 128 barcode types. Other variations of established barcode symbologies are also used in specific European countries, including PZN (Germany), IMH (Italy), MSI (Belgium) and IKS (Switzerland).

Current DevelopmentsA two-dimensional barcode, known as Data Matrix, is used to contain significant quantities of data. A specialised form, also known as 2D Pharma Code, additionally encodes colour information. Agamik BarCoder supports both Data Matrix and 2D Pharma Code.

barcodes for non-retail labels

There are many different symbologies used for representing alphanumeric codes. Among the most popular are:Code 25 (also known as Interleaved 2 of 5) used for digits onlyCode 39 used for digits, letters and a subset of other charactersCodabar used for digits plus a few other charactersCode 128 used for the full ASCII character setCode 93 used for the full ASCII character setTelepen used for the full ASCII character set

Current DevelopmentsTwo dimensional barcodes, which can encode significantly more data, are increasingly being used. Among the most popular are PDF417 and Micro PDF417.Agamik BarCoder supports both PDF417 and Micro PDF417.

Other barcodes

There are other barcode types usually used for specialist applications.These include postal barcodes:Zip+4/Postnet and FIMFour State

supported barcode types

You can use Agamik BarCoder to produce any of the barcode types listed below.You can save your barcode as EPSF, TIFF, PDF or Illustrator file.If you want us to to add an additional barcode type, or save format, we are always pleased to hear from you.E-Mail Agamik

general barcode types

Codabar - both USS and Traditional format supported Code 128 - full ASCII character set supported Code 25 - also known as Interleaved 2 or 5, supported with and without check digit Code 39 - supported with and without check code Code 93 - full ASCII character set supported EAN 128 - all application identifiers supported, plus composite component EAN 13 - including addon and composite component EAN 8 - including composite component MSI - including option to display data JAN 13 - variation of EAN 13 used in Japan JAN 8 - variation of EAN 8 used in Japan Plessey - hexadecimal character set Telepen - including compressed numeric mode UPC A - including addon and composite component UPC E - including addon and composite component

RSS and 2-D barcode types

Data Matrix - two dimensional barcode; you can specify size and shape PDF 417 - two dimensional barcode; you can specify rows and columns Micro PDF 417 - two dimensional barcode; more space efficient than PDF 417, but smaller data set Samsung PDF 417 - two dimensional barcode; you can specify rows and columns, data can be input in hexadecimal RSS 14 - including Stacked and Omni-Directional variations, plus composite component RSS Expanded - all application identifiers supported, plus composite component RSS Limited - including composite component

publishing barcode types

ISBN - including EAN Bookland, UPC Price Point, Item Specific and the new ISBN 13 barcode ISMN - for sheet music ISSN - for newspapers and magazines

pharmaceutical barcode types

2D Pharma Code - based on Data Matrix with colour fields GlaxoSmithKline - variations of Pharma Code, EAN 13, EAN 8, Code 39 and MSI used by GSK HIBC - specific applications using Code 39, Code 128 and EAN 128 IKS - variation of EAN 13 used in Switzerland IMH - variation of Code 39 used in Italy Kurandt - you can specify number of bars Novartis Pharma - variation of Pharma Code used by Novartis Pharma Code - can colour bars individually PZN - variation of Code 39 used in Germany

postal barcode types

Four State - used in UK and some other countries PostNet + Zip - used in USA; includes FIM code

proprietary retail barcodes

ASDA 8 - based on EAN 8, used by ASDA in UK MS7 - based on EAN 8, used by Marks and Spencer in UK Wickes 8 - based on EAN 8, used by Wickes in UK Woolworth 8 - based on EAN 8, used by Woolworth in South Africa

program features

BarCoder for Macintosh OS X has many useful features to help you create the barcodes you need. Please note that not all of these are supported in the Macintosh Classic program and some are also not yet supported in the Windows program.

PANTONE® coloursSpot/Process colour controlAutomatic sequencingGenerate barcodes from a text file

Automatic check digit verificationAutomatic hyphenationBar Width ReductionExtra text with barcodeScanner readability previewComposite component supported

In addition we provide free helpline and support as well as a full on-screen manual.

UPC 80% Version A

UPC 100% Version A

UPC 80% Coupon Code

shipping container code

What is a barcode? How does a barcode work? Etc.

These are very basic questions. Most people today have seen barcodes. They are printed on nearly every item in a grocery store. There are many different types of barcodes (over 300) and the type you see on retail packaging is either UPC or EAN. This is just one type of barcode symbology. The next most popular is Code 39 (also called Code 3 of 9). Barcodes are read by either scanning a point of light across the symbol and measuring the lengths of reflections (white spaces) and no reflections (black bars) or capturing a video image of the symbol. The lengths and positions of the reflections and no reflections are analized by a computer program and the data is extracted. The difference between OCR and barcode is that OCR reads text not designed to be read by a computer while barcode reads symbols designed to be read by a computer. That makes the software less complex for decoding barcode. Also, most barcode symbologies have built-in error detection to make the decoding almost 100% accurate.

What is GS1?

GS1 is the new name for EAN International. Also, the UCC (Uniform Code Council) announced that it has changed its name to GS1 US effective June 7, 2005. For the time being, BarCode 1 will continue to use the old names on the site.

How Do I Get A Bar Code Number For My Product?

This is one of the most asked questions here at BarCode 1. Ok. Here is a quick answer. When someone asks this question, they are talking about the UPC or EAN symbol found on most retail products around the world. Specifically, they are asking how to obtain a Universal Product Code Identification Number which they can encode into a UPC-A or EAN-12 bar code symbol on their product. In the United States of America a company can obtain a unique six digit company identification number

by becoming a member of the Uniform Code Council (UCC). The address and phone is Uniform Code Council, Inc., Princeton Pike Corporate Center, 1009 Lenox Dr., Suite 202, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648, Telephone: 609-620-0200, Fax: 609.620.1200.In the rest of the world, contact EAN International (EAN). EAN International maintains an excellent FAQ, standards information and a list of member organizations around the world, many of which have web sites. The EAN site is a must visit if you need to put a bar code on your product.You must apply for membership and you will be assigned a unique company identification number for use on all your products. If you contact the UCC or EAN, please tell them you got their number from BarCode 1. Also, take a look at our UPC/EAN page. There is much more information there about how to apply for a UPC/EAN number. The fee is not cheap and you will have to pay every year.What you get for your money is a unique company identification number which is a 6 or 7-digit number. This is the first part of the product UPC code. The remaining 6 digits are assigned by you for a specific product. Each number must be unique for a particular product and product size. If you have an 8 oz. size and a 12 oz. size, for example, you need two unique numbers.If you want to bar code a book, you use the International Standard Book Number (ISBN). If you are bar coding a monthly publication, you use the the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN). See the Bookland EAN Page or the ISSN Page.

Do I Have To Pay To Use Barcodes For Internal Uses Like Inventory?

No you do not have to join the Uniform Code Council (now GS1US) or pay anyone to use barcodes for internal use. In fact, you should consider some other type of barcode like Code 39 or Code 128 rather than use UPC or EAN. The reason to choose a different barcode symbology than UPC or EAN is these codes are fixed length codes. The data must be exactly 13-digits long and contain only numbers. If you have an existing inventory system with part numbers, for example, they are probably longer than 13 characters and they probably include letters. Code 39 and Code 128 both handle both letters and numbers. They also can be as long or as short as you want. Finally, both are easier to print. You can get a TrueType Code 39 font, for example, and print barcodes using Word or Excel.If you must use UPC or EAN for the internal application, then you need to use one of the prefixes that the UCC has set asside for internal use. See the table.

A Company Is Offering To Sell Me A Single Number. Is this legitimate?

The answer is YES and NO! The No answer first. If a company joined the Uniform Code Council after August 28, 2002, the UPC company number cannot be rented, leased, or further subdivided, according to the UCC. This is is the response I received from the UCC:

The application form states the following: "The UCC Company Prefix is for the sole use of the applicant and is a restricted asset of the member to whom it is assigned. Any other use of the number is prohibited, including but not limited to, renting, leasing or subdividing all or a portion of the UCC Company Prefix. Upon the sale of a division or a product line, the Sales Agreement should specify which of the parties to the transaction would have use of the UCC Company Prefix. Only one company may use the UCC Company Prefix."

The UCC Company Prefix is a limited asset of the member. The member, however, does not have complete freedom with regard to the prefix; they must be used within our guidelines. As long as the UCC Company Prefix is active, the company is a member of the Uniform Code Council, Inc. Therefore, a company cannot cancel membership and continue to use the UCC Company Prefix.

Teresa Truscelli Director, Customer Service Uniform Code Council, Inc.

Now the Yes answer. According to George Laurer, the inventor of UPC, if the company joined the Uniform Code Council prior to August 28, 2002, the Uniform Code Council's membership and licence agreement did not contain any prohibition against subdividing the numbers. The four companies in the United States that are issuing single UPC numbers are Simply Barcodes (www.UPCcode.us), www.buyabarcode.com, www.upcexpress.com and legalbarcodes.com. This appears to have been a side consequence of the class action settlement reached December 15, 2003 in the Superior Court in and for the state of Washington, county of Spokane. See some information here.

In addition, the UCC has a program where companies can buy a few numbers, but it is not a good deal. You can read George Laurer's commentary about "Variable Length Prefix" (smaller subsets of UPC for small companies) here.

Do I Have To Apply To The UCC now GS1-US (in the USA) Even If I Just Have One Product To Sell?

The answer is yes and noThe No answer first. You will have to pay what many have said is a high fee even if you are a small business and you will have to pay a fee every year to use the company prefix. However, if you became a member before August 28, 2002, you do not have to pay the annual fee. You should read the class action settlement. Now the Yes answer. According to George Laurer, the inventor of UPC, if the company joined the Uniform Code Council prior to August 28, 2002, the Uniform Code Council's membership and licence agreement did not contain any prohibition against subdividing the numbers. The three companies in the United States that are issuing single UPC numbers are Simply Barcodes (www.upccode.us), www.buyabarcode.com and www.upcexpress.com. This appears to have been a side consequence of the class action settlement reached December 15, 2003 in the Superior Court in and for the state of Washington, county of Spokane. See some information here.In addition, the UCC has a program where companies can buy a few numbers, but it is not a good deal. You can read George Laurer's commentary about "Variable Length Prefix" (smaller subsets of UPC for small companies) here.If you still don't want to pay the fee to either the UCC or the three private companies, talk to your distributor or the store chains you will be selling your product to. See if they will accept your product without barcode. Most large chains will not, but it is worth a try. I have tried to get Congress interested in investigating why the UCC is not violating the Antitrust Laws since it is now difficult to get a product into distribution without a UPC barcode. I have been unsuccessful. With enough complaints to Congress and the UCC, maybe this will change. The issue we have here is exactly the same as occurred with domain names and a single registrar. There is no reason that multiple organizations could not be assigned blocks of manufacturer numbers to assign. The free market would drive down prices just like the price to register a domain name.There is something you can do about this. Write your Senator and Representative ! There is nothing in the United States Code that exempts the UCC from the Antitrust Laws. If enough people complain, maybe something will happen. There is no more need for the UCC to have exclusivity in handing out numbers than there was for a single

organization to hand out domain names on the Internet. You can find out the address and email address of your Senator and Representative here. With enough voices, maybe things will change.

When Do I Need To Put A Bar Code On My Products?

When your distributor or store that will sell your product requires it. There is no law that says you must bar code a product. However, many national retail chains and most grocery stores require all products they sell to have a bar code that is unique for the specific product. The stores require this "source marking" because it is easier for the company that makes the product to mark it rather than the store. If you don't have a bar code on the product, these stores will not sell the product.

If I Change The Size Or Formula Of My Product, Do I Need To Change The Barcode?

Stores use the product's barcode to determine the type and cost of a product being sold. Some use the barcode to maintain inventory and to reorder. Let's say that a soft drink with a particular UPC barcode is sold in 16oz sizes. The manufacturer discontinues 16 oz sizes and change the size to 15 oz. Since stores often print a short description that includes size on the customer receipt, not changing the UPC could result in an incorrect size being printed on the receipt and an angry customer. If you can assure that the descriptive databases of all the stores that sell your product will be updated with the new description, you might get away with not changing the UPC barcode. However, this assurance is almost impossible these days with international sales. The safest is to change the barcode.

How Do I Get A List Of All The Product Codes And Their Respective Manufacturers?

This is the second most asked questions here at BarCode 1. Why is this question asked? There are several reasons. If someone is opening up a hardware store, for example, it would save a lot of work to have a database of all the product numbers of the products carried by the store with their descriptions. The store, of course, would still have to enter the selling price for each product. The second reason for such a list is to identify the company that made the product. There is now a complete, free on-line database that allows anyone to type in a UPC or EAN number and get the company information for the product. It is a project developed by EAN International and is called GEPIR. You can go directly to the UPC and EAN search page by clicking

here. Please note that sometimes GEPIR is down. If you get a "page not available", try later. Currently, the database does not return the product description. It only returns the company name and address. Some records may contain the telephone number of the company. The web service is based on XML, so it is possible to integrate an application program with this database. That means that it will be possible for a small store to scan the barcode on a product, access GEPIR over the internet, and download product and manufacturer information over the internet to build a local database of products in the store for free. GEPIR is under continuous development and will soon also provide product images, dimensions, carton sizes, tracking and tracing data. This database is open to consumers as well as companies (unlike UCCNet, a project of the Uniform Code Council). There is a site which provides product descriptions. It's called the Universal Product Code Database, an on-line database for Universal Product Codes (UPC). You now can purchase a UPC database from Gregg London. The UPC Database Project is another public UPC database from Glenn J. Schworak. The site also has links to other UPC databases. Swiss companies and EAN/UPC codes can be looked up at EAN Switzerland. If you are opening a store, you should ask your suppliers if they have their UPC product codes in a database you can download. If you have to build your database by hand, the best structure is to have a database entry system that allows you to scan the UPC on a product and then key in the description. That way you make use of the UPC bar code for at least some of the data entry. UCCNet is a project of the Uniform Code Council to synchronize data between trading partners. Unfortunately, there is no "public access" to the data being stored. If you are Wal-Mart or Home Depot, you can synchronize data from suppliers. If you are a small one or two lane Grocery store, you will NOT be able to obtain the databases from Pepsi - as an example.

Does the EAN number indicate the country of origin of a product?

No it doesn't. The 3-digit prefix code indicates which numbering organization has allocated the bank of numbers to the company. For example, a company may have it's headquarters in South Africa. The EAN organization in South Africa has the code "600", but all the products of the company may be manufactured in England. The English-made products would still have the "600" prefix code. The prefix code is a way to have 70-plus EAN member organizations issuing numbers without having to worry about duplicate numbers. A list of country codes can be found here.

What are the advantages and disadvantages to barcode?

There are two basic advantages to barcode over manual data entry: Speed, and Accuracy. For 12 characters of data, keyboard entry takes 6 seconds. Scanning a 12 character barcode takes .3 seconds. The error rate for typing is one substitution error in every 300 characters types. Error rated for barcode range from 1 substitution error in every 15,000 to 36 trillion characters scanned (depending on the type of barcode). A data entry error will translate into additional costs for a business which ranges from the cost of rekeying the data to shipping the wrong product to the wrong customer. Saving from these two advantages will usually pay for the cost of a barcode system in under two years. The only disadvantage is that data must be coded in the barcode. This can be an additional cost, however the key to an effective barcode system is to generate the barcode as close to the source of the data as possible. That means that the source of a product should be barcoding data that others in the supply chain will use.

Can I Reduce The Size Of A UPC Bar Code To Fit It To The Space I Have?

It is very risky to reduce the size of a UPC symbol. The nominal size of a UPC symbol is 1.469" wide x 1.02" high. The minimum recommended size is 80% of the nominal size or 1.175" wide x .816" high. The maximum recommended size is 200% of the nominal size or 2.938" wide x 2.04" high. Larger UPC's scan better. Smaller UPC's do not scan as well or not at all.Ink spread can also decrease the flexibility of size reduction of a bar code. If a bar code is reduced too much, an attempt to silk screen print it will blur the bars together. This is one of the reasons why it is recommended to keep the bar code within the minimum of 80% of the nominal size. Many large chains now fine or disqualify vendors who supply products with bar codes that do not scan. If you reduce the UPC symbol below the maximum recommended, you run the risk that the symbol will not scan. That could result in you losing a big customer.

Can I Print The UPC Bar Code In A Color Ink or On Colored Paper?

It is risky. Color ink and/or colored paper will reduce the contrast between the bars and spaces. Also remember that virtually all scanners use red light. If you print the bars using any shade of red, the same amount of light will reflect off the red bars as the white spaces.

Also, printing black bars on a colored paper will also reduce the light reflecting off the spaces and reduce the contrast. Other colored inks will also reduce the contrast ratio between the bars and spaces and greatly increase the probability of an unreadable barcode.If the black bars and white spaces are too glossy, the symbol also may not read. A real no-no is printing black bars on a silver can. Many large chains now fine or disqualify vendors who supply products with bar codes that do not scan. If you print the UPC symbol with color ink, you run the risk that the symbol will not scan. That could result in you losing a big customer.

Who Invented Barcode? What was the first product with barcode? Where was barcode first used?

While there still is controversy over who invented barcode and when it was first used, it is generally accepted that Norman Joseph. Woodland and Bernard Silver invented what we know as barcode on October 20, 1949 by filing patent application serial number 122,416 which became Patent Number 2,612,994. In June 1974, one of the first UPC scanners, made by NCR Corp. (which was then called National Cash Register Co), was installed at Marsh's supermarket in Troy, Ohio. On June 26, 1974, the first product with a bar code was scanned at a check-out counter. It was a 10-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum. For more detailed information, see the BarCode-1 History Page.

I want to tattoo myself with my name, my birthday, etc. in barcode. How do I find out what the barcode should look like?

BarCode 1 does not endorse or advocate tattoos of any kind. However, we get this question asked enough times that an FAQ answer is appropriate. To see what the barcode would look like, go to Barcode Mill. You can type the information and their web form will generate barcode. You will need to select what type of barcode you want. UPC or EAN (the types used in stores) can only encode numbers and only up to 13-digits. For data that contains numbers and letters, you might choose Code 39. If you choose to encode a name with Code 39, all letters must be upper case and spaces must be done with the underscore "_". Barcoded tattoos will not read with a barcode reader because the ink will spread enough to make them unreadable.Rather than tattooing yourself, buy some custom temporary barcode tattoos from Scott Blake at barcodeart.com.

Is there a hidden 666 in bar code?

NO! I get this question asked at least once a week. What people really mean is "does UPC found on grocery products have a hidden 666 (mentioned in Revelation 13:16 in the New Testament)?" People have thought that the three guard bars used to specify the start, middle and end of a UPC bar code looked like the bar code sequence for a "6" found in the UPC symbol table. You can find a copy of the symbol table on the UPC/EAN page. These guard bars are not "6" and carry no information. Even if you don't believe that guard bars carry no information and insist on applying the code table, you have to determine whether the digit is on the left side or the right side of the symbol. That's because the sequence of bars and spaces are different depending on whether the digit is on the left of the symbol or the right of the symbol. The LEFT guard bar would have to be smallest space, smallest bar, smallest space, WIDEST BAR in order to be a "6". The guard bar on the left is actually space of undetermined wide (left side digit must always start with a space element), smallest bar, smallest space, smallest bar. That sequence of bars and spaces is undefined and is not a "6" even using the table. The middle guard bar is not on the left or the right ('cause it is used to divide the symbol), so it is undefined by the table. UPC is just one bar code symbology out of over 300 others. The bar code on the backs of some driver licenses, for example, is not UPC and has no guard bars at all. Much better "marks of the beast" would be finger prints, DNA typing, or plain automatic face recognition. These are all "source marking" (marks put on during manufacturing) approaches and are far more cost-effective. "No Hidden Sixes in the UPC Barcode" by Robert Harris of Southern California College / Vanguard University is another good explanation.

Still Haven't Found The Answer To Your Question? Jump to the BarCode-1 FAQ ! There are answers to many more frequently asked questions.

Other Resources At BarCode-1

Here is a short list of other resources that answer many other questions. If you have more technical questions, take a look at the Site Contents Page. There you will find pointers to more detailed resources.

BarCode-1 FAQ answers many more questions like how to use barcode with Excel and Access.

A good introduction to 2-dimensional bar codes can be found on BarCode 1's 2-D page.

An introduction to bar code scanning can be found at Bar Code Readers Page. This page will explain how bar codes are read.

The Bar Code Glossary of Terms will help you understand the words used. There is some basic information about the different symbologies, like UPC, EAN and Code 39.

If you are looking for the detailed technical specifications for a bar code symbol, you can order them from the organizations listed in the specification sources page.

If you are looking for the specifications for Code 39 or Code 128 or UPC/EAN, we have them on-line here at BarCode 1!

You can find the latest information about trade shows by checking the calendar of events.

Many have ask about bar code fonts for Windows applications. There is a collection of bar code fonts here too. We also have a large connection of other bar code related software on our shareware page.

There is a list of books and list of magazines too. We have the most complete list of links to other bar code sites. You can search

the list by key word or choose a topic. Want to have a bar code of your name? Try BarCodeMills' bar code generator.

You can select any one of 12 different types of bar code formats (UPC, EAN, Code 39, Code 128, etc.).

How do barcodes work?

Most barcodes are nothing more than "license plates" that identifies an item. The numbers and/or letters stored in the barcode are unique identifiers that, when read, can be used by a computer to look up additional information about the item. The price and description of the item is generally not stored in the barcode. The data is read from the barcode, sent to a computer, and the computer looks up the price and description of the item from the computer's database.Barcodes were designed to be read electronically. In the 1960's OCR (optical character recognition) was considered a competator to barcode (in fact some national retailers equipped all there POS terminals with OCR readers rather than barcode readers). However, the electronics (and later computing) power to read text was much more expensive than to read barcode. Also, the built into most barcodes made accurate reading far better than OCR. By the early 1970's, OCR was displaced by barcode.A barcode is read by either scanning a spot of laser light across the entire barcode or taking a digital picture of the barcode with a CCD digital camera. You can also use a barcode scanning wand. This wand is held like a pen and is manually scanned across the barcode symbol. For more information, see the BarCode 1 Readers Page.The relative widths of both the bars and spaces code the data stored in the barcode. The barcode reader detects these relative widths and decodes the data from the barcode.There are about 300 different types of barcodes (different schemes of bar and space arrangements for coding the data). The type of barcode used on many retail products is called UPC or EAN. You can find out the details about how UPC and EAN code the data by visiting the BarCode

1 UPC/EAN Page. You can learn about other types of barcodes by visiting the BarCode 1 Specification Page. If you want to learn more details about how barcodes are read, visit the BarCode 1 Reader Page . There are even 2 dimensional barcodes. You can learn about these by visiting the BarCode 1 2D Page.

How Can I Identify Which Symbology A BarCode Uses?

First, don't send me a picture of it! Most pictures I receive simply are not good enough to do any identification. It really is not important any more to know the type of barcode in order to read the barcode. Most modern scanners will automatically detect the type of barcode and read it correctly. This is called auto-discrimination. If you really want to know the symbolgy used, you will need to buy a barcode verifier (between $800-$1500). You might also contact the source of the barcode and ask.

Can Barcodes Be Read Upside Down?

Yes. Each barcode (whether it is UPC, EAN, Code 39, etc.) includes a start and stop character. Depending which is encountered first will tell the scanner what direction it is reading the barcode. With that information, the decoder can properly read the symbol.

What barcode will let me store the most information in the smallest space?

The popular linear barcode that that will store the most numbers and letters in the smallest space is Code 128. However, any 2-D barcode will store far more information per square inch than any linear barcode.

What are the codes that look like a grid of hexagons? What Are 2-D BarCode?

These codes are called 2-dimensional barcodes, matrix codes, or stacked codes. There are a number of these codes that are gaining in popularity. They are Code 49, 16K, Code One, PDF417, Maxicode, Vericode, and Datacode. The best bet for widespread adoption is PDF417 for "paper databases", Maxicode for shipping information, and Datacode for micromarking applications like integrated circuits. Take a look at the BarCode-1 2-D Page.

Who invented barcodes and what was the first product to use them?

You can find out about the history of barcode by visiting our History Page.

Do you know where I could get a copy of the specification for all the different barcodes?

There are many different barcode "symbologies". UPC is one, Code 39 is another, and 2 of 5 is a third. They are all entirely different codes. There are more than 300 different types of barcodes. There is a list of specification sources for the more popular ones on Barcode-1.

What is the smallest I can make a Code 39 barcode?

Does it have to be Code 39? There are other codes like Code 128 that are designed to pack more information into a small space. The smallest x-dimension possible with current printing and reading technology is 5 mil. The safe limit is 7.5 mil. There are Javascript programs for calculation the length of both a Code 39 and Code 128 symbol here at BarCode-1. Code 93 is not as widely used but would provide an even higher density than either Code 39 or Code 128. There are other code formats that can store even more info in a small space. 2-dimensional symbologies can store a great amount of alphanumeric info in a very small space. The tradeoff is that these 2-D symbologies require more expensive scanners. It is possible to print such a barcode using a laser or inkjet printer. Best bet would be to use a 600 dpi model. A 300 dpi model will be right on the edge for a 7.5 mil barcode (only about 2 dots across).

Won't RFID tags make barcodes obsolete?

In my opinion RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags will never take the place of barcodes. All RFID tags contain a radio transmitter, receiver and a microcomputer. Barcodes are made up of ink. The relative cost of RFID tags compared to barcode is the primary reason why they will never replace barcode.To make RFID tags worth the additional cost, they must be used more than just at the check-out register. That means embedding the tag in the merchandise rather than just in the packaging (because the packaging gets thrown away by the customer). Since the item will always contain a working RFID tag, it could be read for a variety of purposes. For example, an RFID tag in a pair of shoes could be used to

track an individual as they shop at a shopping mall. If one paid for the shoes with a credit card, the unique ID of the shoes could be matched to an identity. The potential for the loss of privacy is the second reason why RFID tags will not replace barcode.

How do I add a carriage return or tab to a barcode?

For Code 128, look at the Code 128 table The value under Code A that says "CR" is a carriage return. The ASCII value is 109. To find the horizontal tab for Code 128, look at the Code 128 table The value under Code A that says "HT" is a horizontal tab. The ASCII value is 105.Code 39 has no CR or HT. If your barcode scanner is a programmable keyboard wedge, you can usually program the wedge to add a carriage return or tab to the scanned data. You can also modify your application program. For example, if you are reading in a 6-digit number, you can program a Visual Basic routine to skip to the next field when 6 digits are inputted. Finally, you can use the "+" sign in Code 39 as a carriage return or tab and add it to the data you are encoding. Then the wedge or software can translate the "+" into a CR of HT when read.

How do I program a function key as a barcode?

Barcodes cannot encode keyboard function keys. The reason is that function keys (F1, F5, etc.) are unique to the hardware and are not an ASCII code. For a PC keyboard, function keys transmitted as keyboard scan codes and have no equivalent ASCII control codes that can be coded as a barcode. However, there is a work around. Many keyboard wedge scanners can be programmed to substitute a function key each time they scan a specified character. Since a keyboard wedge reader use the same data transmission standards as a keyboard, they can send a scan code representing a function key. For example, if the application will never need a plus sign (+) in the barcode, the keyboard wedge replace plus signs with F5 keys. If "12345+" was scanned, it would produce the data stream "12345" followed by the F5 key. This same approach may be used even with bar code readers attached to a serial port if a "soft wedge" is used. This "soft wedge" is a program that takes data from a serial port and treats it as if it had come in through the keyboard. Some of these programs also allow character substitution.

How do I print a space character using a Code 39 Font?

If you need to use a space character, try using the tilde ("~") instead of a normal space. Some fonts also define a space character with an underscore ("_"). You can also try setting the true type fonts as

graphics in the printer driver settings. This will will print a space as a barcode space, and not as white space. Remember, if you are using a code 39 type font, you'll need to put an "*" at the beginning and end of the data. That's because the "*" is the start and stop character for code 39.

How can I barcode a product I have to paint after bar coding?

There are two approaches using barcode. There is the double tag approach, with the same code on two layers of tape. The top layer is used until the product is painted, then that layer is peeled off and discarded. You can use an embossed barcode like "bumpy barcodes" from GEOscan. There is the alternative of using RF/ID tags too. Often in painting applications, the tag is recycled to reduce the overall cost (prior to shipping the product, the tag is removed).

How Can I Keep A Barcode From Being Copied?

A readable copy of a barcode can be made using modern copy machines. However, one can prevent the barcode from being copied by using a special over laminate that only allows infra red light to pass through. The barcode in printed, for example, on a security badge and the infra-red transparent laminate is placed over the barcode. If someone attempts to remove the laminate, it destroys the barcode. The barcode is read using an infra-red scanner.

Where Can I Find Statistics On Cost Savings, Labor Saving, Accuracy, Etc. For Barcode Systems?

The best source of current statistical information about barcode and other Auto ID systems is Venture Development Corporation. There are white papers and press releases at their site that can be downloaded for free. Other studies you will need to pay for.In 1986, I co-authored one for the first barcode market surveys. Based on 1283 respondent end users, about 80% of users found that barcode equipment ROI was less than two years (45% found that ROI was less than 1 year). Quickest payback occurred for companies with between 500 and 999 employees. The study also found that 50% found direct dollar savings to be more than $25,000 (1986 dollars) a year and nearly 25% found direct dollar savings to be $100,000 (1986 dollars) per year. Indirect savings was found to be about the same as direct savings.The simple fact is that barcode data entry if far faster and more accurate than key entry. For 12 characters, key entry takes 6 seconds,

while barcode takes less than .5 seconds. Error rate for key entry is typically 1 substitution error for every 300 characters. Barcode error rate depends on the type of barcode and varies between 1 substitution error in 15,000 to 36 trillion characters entered. For UPC (11-character symbol) one analysis by David Savir suggests 1 substitution error in 15,000 UPC barcodes scanned. The chances that the misread product number would match a number (for the wrong item) comes out to 1 chance in 100 million UPC symbols scanned. Interleaved 2 of 5 has the worst error rate. For an I2 of 5 symbol of at least 10 or more characters has an almost 100% chance of being read in error. Code 39 has a substitution error rate of 1 character in 3 million characters.

Bar coding Books, Records, and CD'sHow do I barcode a book? How do I read the ISBN number bar coded on a book?

If you have a ISBN number for your book, you don't have to get a separate number from the UCC or EAN. You use the ISBN (International Standard Book Number). You can also read the barcode on the book and extract the ISBN from the barcode. Find out more by visiting BarCode 1's Bookland EAN page.

I plan to publish a "Talking Book" on audio cassette or CD. Do I need to join the UCC for a barcode?

The answer is no. Talking books are within the scope of ISBN, according to the latest Users Manual at ISBN International. An ISBN is less expensive than joining the UCC and you don't have to continue to pay an annual fee, like you do now with UCC membership. Once you get your ISBN, you follow the process outlined at the Book Industry Study Group website.

How do I barcode a magazine? How do I read the ISSN number bar coded on a magazine?

If you have a ISSN number for your book, you don't have to get a separate number from the UCC or EAN. You use the ISSN (International Standard Serial Number). You can also read the barcode on the magazine and extract the ISSN from the barcode. Find out more by visiting BarCode 1's ISSN page.

How do I barcode a music CD I've manufactured and plan to sell through stores?

If the stores you plan to sell your CD through do not require a barcode, don't worry about putting a barcode on your CD. The store will put a barcode label with an internal number on the CD. However, many store chains do require a UPC-A or EAN-13 barcode before they will accept the product for sale. If you are self-publishing the CD, please see the information on the Quick Tour FAQ page.You can also find more information about barcoding CDs here.

Using Barcodes With Other Programs And On The Internet

Can Word, Access, Excel, or Clipper be used for an application where bar codes can be scanned and printed?

Yes. It's pretty easy. You need to get a scanner that has a "keyboard wedge interface" and a built-in decoder or a "software wedge" and a scanner with serial output. A wedge interface works like a really fast typist on a keyboard so it's easy to connect and use. Some wedge readers are programmable, so that after the scan, a "return" or tab will be produced to move the cursor to the next field To print barcodes you can use just a TT font. There is some problems with TTF barcode printing. The fonts may not print properly for very small or very large point sizes. If you want to print a barcode in a report or document (from Word or Access for example), the easiest True Type barcode font to use is Code 39. You have to pre-pend and post-pend the "*" to the data you want to print as barcode and then just change the font to Code 39. You can also do this for printing labels from Word. You can find free and shareware barcode TT fonts here. If you need to print using Access 2000, try "*" & [FieldNameWithValue] & "*". If you need to print using Clarion, the format is loc:barcode='*'&left(clip(KAT:ID_NUMBER))&'*'. A better solution for print labels, is a stand alone program to print the labels. Many of these programs can connect to Access via ODBC and will let you print labels from a database. For example you can list all the parts that you have in a database and have the label program pull the part numbers from Access and print them on a label printer rather than typing them by hand each time you want to print. You can find free and shareware stand alone programs here. Finally, if you are developing your own Access-based program, there are OCX and dll tools that allow you to add barcode printing to your program.

Can Quicken or Quickbooks be used with barcode?

The short answer is yes. There is no built-in barcode ability in ether product, but you can do it with a little work. The way you do it is similar to the answer above regarding using barcode with Access, Excel, or Clipper. You use a keyboard wedge barcode reader to scan the data in as if it were typed. If you have a part number you are deducting from inventory, you make sure that the cursor is in the part number box in Quickbooks, then scan the barcode. If you want to scan a series of barcodes and do a batch update at the end of the day, you could write a VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) program in Excel to store the data in a complete record form. At the end of the day, you use Excel to generate a csv or txt file and use that, with the import feature of Quickbooks, to update the master record. If you try this, be sure to make a back-up of your master record. If you don't import correctly, you can overwrite your data. Also, Quickbooks has begun marketing a a product that includes barcode reading equipment called Quickbooks POS.

How can I insert an ActiveX barcode control into a table in Word?

Some people have had problems moving an ActiveX barcode control into a table. The control appears outside the table. The solution is as follows. Right-click on the control, choose Format...object. On the Position tab, uncheck the "Float over text" check box. You should be able to move the control in to a table cell. You can find ActiveX controls on our Plug-ins page.

How do I calculate the Mod 10 check digit (or the necessary Check Digit for a given code)?

For numbers only data, take a look at the method at the Loftware site. More information about calculating a Mod 10 check digit can be found at the bottom of the Interleaved 2 of 5 Page. Please note that each barcode symbology that uses a modulo check digit has a method defined by its specification. Code 39 does not normally need a check digit, but there is a check digit system defined in the specification. See the Code 39 specification page. Code 128 uses Mod 103.

Can barcodes be used in a web environment?

Yes they can...both for printing barcodes and reading barcodes. For printing barcodes through a web page, see the BarCode-1 Web Apps page. If you have control of all the computers that will be printing the barcode, you can use a ttf barcode font to print the barcode too. Just download the ttf barcode font to each computer and then use the

HTML code to sent the font. The sample html code looks like this : <FONT FACE="3 of 9 code" SIZE=5>*12345*</FONT>To read a barcode into a web form, just use a wedge barcode reader. This type of reader (most barcode readers these days are wedge readers) plugs in between the keyboard and computer. When you scan the barcode, it is as if you typed the data. You can use some Javascript to set the focus to the input box too. The code looks like this:For the page body tag use something like: <BODY onLoad = "document.forms.ShipForm.IDNUM.focus()">Then name the FORM tag like: <FORM ACTION="http://yourdomain.cgi" METHOD="POST" NAME="ShipForm">And finally name the input box tag like: <INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="IDNUM" SIZE="14" MAXLENGTH="14" VALUE="">This JavaScript will work for IE4+. It has not been tested with Netscape or other browsers.

Hardware Bar Code QuestionsCan I use a Palm Pilot, iPAQ or other PDA to scan bar codes?

Yes. If you already have a Palm Pilot, look at the Dynasys site. The company makes a barcode reader interface for the Palm. They offer also offer software for collecting the data and making custom forms. Peninsula also offers software for the Palm for stock checks and for sending and receiving goods.Also, Grabba International Pty Ltd makes scanners that connect Palm, iPAQ and other PDAs. They also offer RFID, mag stripe and other auto ID devices for PDAs.Another alternative is to buy a SPT1500 or SPT1700 Palm Pilot. These versions, made/modified by Symbol Technologies, come with a built-in laser bar code scanner. Symbol has a list of application developers on their site. Also, a nice retail application and inventory application is available from Stevens Creek Software. Peninsula also sells the SPT1500 and SPT 1700.

Where can I find parts to build a barcode scanner?

I only know of a few companies that provide components for bar code scanners. Agilent is one. They have everything from opto-electric sub assemblies to ICs for decoding the barcodes. Opticon also have similar sub assemblies. Finally Symbol Technologies sells scan engines for laser scanners. There also is also software available (code 39 and Interleaved 2 of 5 for free) that allows a "dumb wand" (just a light source and photodetector)

to be plugged into a serial port. The decoding occurs within the computer.

What is the least expensive barcode scanner and where can I find it?

The least expensive barcode scanner is the contact wand (about $100) followed closely by the CCD scanner (about $150). The most expensive (but most versatile) is the laser scanner ($300 up). You can actually buy barcode scanners at many CompUSA stores (the brand is the Wasp). CompUSA has them for sale on-line These scanners come with a PS/2 keyboard wedge. If you want to connect the scanners to USB (for example a laptop), you will need to purchase a PS/2 to USB adapter. ID Automation RVB Systems, and Barcode Products has good prices. Also check out Bar Code Discount Warehouse ,and Barcode Discount.

Can I Read A Barcode Image Off An LCD Or CRT Screen?

Believe it or not, yes! I did not believe it until I tried it. You need to use a CCD barcode scanner, not a laser scanner. You also have to play with the font size and get a size that is big enough.The reason a CCD scanner will work and a laser scanner will not is as follows. A CCD scanner has a video camera that takes a picture of the entire barcode. A laser scanner scans a beam of laser light across the barcode and picks up light reflected by the white areas of the barcode. The “white” areas of a barcode on a computer display are not reflecting light but rather are emitting light. Therefore, a laser beam cannot be scanned across the barcode and the laser scanner cannot pick up reflected light from the “white” areas. In fact, the laser light will be equally reflected by the surface of the computer screen and the laser scanner will not detect any barcode on the screen.

How Can I Use The CueCat barcode reader to read barcodes?

The CueCat™ is was product from Digital:Convergence Corporation™ and was marketed through Radio Shack. The barcode scanner was basically a wedge reader that fits between the keyboard and the computer. It was designed to work with software to allow you to scan a UPC barcode and then take you to a specific web page that's directly related to the product or advertisement you scanned. The scanner was discontinued in 2000, but the following may help those that still own CueCats.

Some people have asked how you can use the reader to simply read barcode without using the company's software. There are several program projects at Freshmeat.net. You can find some more details about the data structure at SlashDot.org. There is a page entitled "Dissecting the CueCat" that has a great deal of information including the data structure that the scanner produces. There is a large collection of software drivers here! There is an excerpt from RFC 1341 which defines Base64 encoding (handy if you want to write your own software to decode the output. There is also some interesting tools at the Azalea Software site.You should be aware that Digital:Convergence Corporation has issued some letters demanding that these software programs be removed from the various sites. For any Digital:Convergence Corporation visitor's to BarCode-1®, all of the pages or software mentioned above are links to there parent sites. You should direct all inquires to the owners of those sites. Any letter sent to BarCode-1® by Digital:Convergence Corporation or its subsidiaries will be considered harassment and an attempt to abridge this web publication's first amendment rights. In such an event, BarCode-1® will take appropriate legal action.

More AnswersI Don't See An Answer To My Question. What Can I Do?

First, take a second look at both the Quick Tour FAQ and the FAQ to be sure your question is not already answered. At least 80% of the email I receive asks questions that are part of the FAQ's. If you still can't find an answer, you can send me an e-mail. You must use the subject "Barcode Question" or it will not make it through my spam filter. I am willing to answer questions for free, but I am not willing to design systems or write programs for free.

Back to the BarCode1 HomePageSend comments and questions by e-mail to Russ Adams

Copyright 1995 - 2006 Adams Communications. All rights reserved.Page Last Modified: 11/20/2005 20:48:47

This list only scratches the surface of the information you will find here. You need to spend some times and explore BarCode 1. Start at the Site Contents Page and look around!

Back to the BarCode1 HomePageSend comments and questions by e-mail to Russ Adams

Copyright 1995 - 2006 Adams Communications. All rights reserved.Page Last Modified: 05/2

The barcode solutionActiveBarcode is a powerful efficient easy-to-use software package for creating and printing barcodes: Create them for your documents and

applications as easy as typing the code. Simply enter the desired characters and select the type. The barcode will be created!

Create professional barcodes All common barcode types are supported Flexible layout options Scaleable barcode size Creation of vector graphics files Print single barcodes and barcode labels Creation of image files in common image file formats (Series

are possible) Use barcodes directly in your documents Automation For office users and application developers (redistributable

license is available) Detailed online documentation, examples, step-by-step

instructions and videos

and a lot more...

EITHER use the ActiveBarcode Application to create barcodes as images and place them into documents and projects:

Create the barcode using the ActiveBarcode Application and copy it into your document using the Windows clipboard function.

OR you embed the ActiveBarcode Objekt (OCX) into your document or project:

Use "Insert/Object" to embed a barcode control into your document. You can change this barcode directly in your document.

Click one of the following links to see an example of how to add barcodes to your documents: standard applications (e.g. Office, Excel, Word, Access, Delphi, Lotus Notes, WordPro, Quattro Pro, Freelance, Freehand MX, OpenOffice.org, Image Editors, WordPad, etc.)

Examples of usage: [more..]

QuarkXPress Word ActiveBarcode App. Visual Basic

Or watch one of our videos to learn how easy it is to use ActiveBarcode.  

ActiveBarcode and Office software:You can use ActiveBarcode in most standard applications (e.g. Office, Excel, Word, Access, Delphi, Lotus Notes, WordPro, Quattro Pro, Freelance, Freehand MX, OpenOffice.org, Image Editors, WordPad, etc.) Barcodes can be easily embedded into your document.

ActiveBarcode for developers:Developers use ActiveBarcode like any control. Extend your applications with barcode technology with this effective and powerful control. For example with Visual Basic, C#, C++, J#, .NET, Delphi, Access, Lotus Notes, REAL basic, Visual Basic Script, OpenOffice Basic, Visual Basic for Applications: Word, Excel, ...

Easy printing:Very easy printing of barcodes into forms or on label sheets.Just enter the size and position of the required barcode and the barcode will be printed exactly to your sheet!

ActiveBarcode for Internet/Intranet:ActiveBarcode can be used as ASP or PHP server component for IIS or Apache 2 to create barcodes dynamically on the server. A barcode will be created inside a HTML file by using a simple IMG tag. The barcode will be created on the server als PNG image and sent to the browser. No temporary files will be created on the server and the client does not need any plug in's. A great solution to create barcodes in an Internet or Intranet project.

Example for a IMG tag:<img src="barcodeimage.asp?code=CODE128&text=ActiveBarcode

&showtext=1&width=360&height=100" width="360" height="100" />

Barcodes at the command line:Create barcode image files from the command line, inside batch programs or within scripts. Use parameters to set the barcode type, content, size and more. The barcode will be saved in the desired image format (BMP, JPEG, PNG, TIF, TGA, GIF, WMF, EMF, PBM, PGM, PPM, XMP, WBMP).

6/2006 02:07:All about the ActiveBarcode ApplicationActiveBarcode Application is a tool included in the ActiveBarcode package to create barcodes without using the ActiveX technology. You use this application instead of the control in some cases you cannot or you don't want to use the control. Click here to read more about when to use the application.

Also the ActiveBarcode Application offers additional functionality for barcodes like printing well positioned barcodes and the creation of label sheets.

Screenshot example

Using ActiveBarcode application you can create your barcodes by simply entering the desired barcode text and selecting the barcode type. The barcode will be created on your screen and can be transferred into your document using the clipboard (as a bitmap or a meta graphic) or you save the created barcode as an image file. Click here to see an example of using the clipboard.

ActiveBarcode application offer you all functionality of the control: The functions can be accessed via the Menu or the Toolbar

The ActiveBarcode Application supports all barcode types of the ActiveBarcode Control: Codabar, Code 25 Industrial, Code 25 Interleaved, Code 39, Code 39 Extended, Code 93, Code 93 Extended, Code 128, Data Matrix, DUN-14, EAN-2, EAN-5, EAN-8, EAN-13, EAN-14, EAN-18, EAN-99, EAN 128, EAN-Velocity, Identcode, ISBN-10, ISBN-13, ISBN-13 Dual, Bookland, ISSN, ISMN, ITF-14, JAN, Leitcode, MSI, NVE, PDF417, PostNet, PZN, Royal Mail SCC-14, SSCC-18, UCC-128, UPC-A and UPC-E

The ActiveBarcode Application supports all image formats of the ActiveBarcode Control: Windows Bitmap (BMP), JPEG, PNG, TIFF, Targa, GIF, WMF, EMF, PBM, PGM, PPM, Wireless Bitmap (WBMP) and XPM. Menu: FileThe following functions are included in the menu 'File':

Function Toolbar Hotkey Description

Open... Ctrl+OUse this to open a .BAR file. A .BAR file is a description of a barcode. Only ActiveBarcode Application is using this file format. It's designed to save barcodes with less storage size.

Save... Ctrl+S Use this to save a barcode. Only ActiveBarcode Application is using this file format and can open this files.

Save as... - Use this to save a barcode as a .BAR file. Only ActiveBarcode Application is using this file format and can open this files.

Export image file... -

This functions saves the current barcode as a bitmap file (BMP, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, Targa, GIF, WMF, EMF, PBM, PGM, PPM, WBMP and XPM). You can import this files with many applications. The size of the bitmap is defined over the function "Layout&Size"in the menu "Barcode".

Extended image file export... -

This functions saves the current barcode as a bitmap file (BMP, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, Targa, GIF, WMF, EMF, PBM, PGM, PPM, WBMP and XPM). You have more options: You can create series of image files and you can rotate the barcode image freely (0-359 degrees) while

exporting.

About ActiveBarcode... - Opens a dialog box showing you the current version number and

more info about this application.

Exit - - Closes the ActiveBarcode Application.

More menu's: [ File | Edit | Barcode | Print | Options | Internet ]

Menu: EditThe following functions are included in the menu 'Edit':

Function Toolbar Hotkey Description

Copy Bitmap Ctrl+B Copies the barcode as a bitmap to the clipboard. Many applications can

use this format. Bitmaps are not free scaleable.

Copy Metafile Ctrl+M Copies the barcode as meta-graphics to the clipboard. Most applications

can use this interchange format. Meta-graphics is free scaleable.

More menu's: [ File | Edit | Barcode | Print | Options | Internet ]

Menu: BarcodeThe following functions are included in the menu 'Barcode':

Function Toolbar Hotkey Description

Type... F5 Opens a dialog where you can change the barcode type.

Text... F6 Change the barcode number (or text) here. General enter it without a checksum.

Set demo text F7 Sets the barcode text for a vaild value for

demonstration or test purposes.

Showtext F8 Decide whether the human readable text line is included or not.

Rotate F9-F12 Select the orientation of the barcode in 90 degrees steps.

Foreground color... - Select the foreground color for the

barcode.

Background color... - Select the background color for the

barcode.

Font... - Select the font for the barcode text.

Align left - Sets the alignment of the barcode to left.

Align center - Sets the alignment of the barcode to center.

Align right - Sets the alignment of the barcode to right.

Layout & Size... - Change the size and the layout of the barcode here. more....

Property Page - - The property dialog of the ActiveBarcode Control will open.

Info - All info about the barcode will be shown in a dialog box.

More menu's: [ File | Edit | Barcode | Print | Options | Internet ]

Menu: PrintThe following functions are included in the menu 'Print':

Function Toolbar Hotkey Description

One barcode... -Use this function to print a barcode in exact dimensions and on a specific place on a sheet of paper. Example: Print one barcode exactly onto a page.

Labels... - Print labels with barcodes on it. Example: Printing barcode labels.

Setup label sheet... - - Setup the label sheet for printing. Example: Printing barcode labels.

Printer Setup... - - Setup the printer.

Menu: OptionsThe following functions are included in the menu 'Options':

Function Toolbar Hotkey Description

German - Ctrl+D Sets the language of the ActiveBarcode Application to German. All menus and messages will the be displayed in German language.

English - Ctrl+E Sets the language of the ActiveBarcode Application to English. All menus and messages will the be displayed in English language.

Type list on the right - - Set on/off of the additional barcode-type-list on the right of the

application.

More menu's: [ File | Edit | Barcode | Print | Options | Internet ]

Menu: InternetThe following functions are included in the menu 'Internet':

Function Toolbar Hotkey Description

Help - - Opens help topics from the internet homepage.

Internet Homepage - Opens your default Internet browser and goes directly to the

homepage of ActiveBarcode. (http://www.activebarcode.com).

Download Page - -Opens your default Internet browser and goes directly to the download page of ActiveBarcode. (http://download.activebarcode.com).

ActiveBarcode Shop - - Opens your default Internet browser and goes directly to the

internet shop of ActiveBarcode. (http://shop.activebarcode.com).

Update Check - - Opens your default Internet browser with a page showing you if there are updates available.

E-mail - - Opens your standard Email software to send an Email to the ActiveBarcode Team.

More menu's: [ File | Edit | Barcode | Print | Options | Internet ]

ExampleYou can use ActiveBarcode witin nearly any document. If your application does not support ActiveX controls (OCX objects), you can use the ActiveBarcode Application to add barcodes to your documents.

This is an example of the usage of ActiveBarcode application with WordPad:Launch ActiveBarcode Application and modify the barcode as you want.

Now, if you have completed the barcode you will copy the barcode into your clipboard. Select Edit from the main menu and Copy Bitmap from the sub-menu (A full description of the menu is located here):

The barcode will be copied as image to the clipboard of your system and is now available for most applications. Now open the application and the document you want to add the barcode. In this example we use a simple WordPad document.

Place your cursor where you want to see the barcode and select "Edit" from the menu and "Insert" from that submenu. The barcode image will be placed in your

document:

That's it! The barcode is placed into your document as an image. By using this way, you can add barcode technology to nearly every document. But don't forget, if you software suppports ActiveX technology it's preferred and more flexible to use the ActiveBarcode control to add barcodes to your documents! Example listApplication Screenshot Description Licence

Print one barcode Print a barcode in a specified size on a exact position onto a sheet.

Standard & Enterprise

Print barcode labels Print labels containing barcodes Standard & Enterprise

Labels with data import Print labels with data import. Standard &

Enterprise

Serial-Export Export barcode as images files in series. Standard & Enterprise

How to use the control (general)

A general description of how to add the ActiveBarcode control into Documents. -

Excel (Control) How to use the control in Excel and bind it to a cell

Standard & Enterprise

Excel (Application) How to add barcode images to Excel sheets using the ActiveBarcode Application

Standard & Enterprise

Excel (VBA) Usage of ActiveBarcode in Excel with VBA Standard & Enterprise

Word (Control) How to use the control in Word. Standard & Enterprise

Word (Application)How to add barcode images to Word documents using the ActiveBarcode Application

Standard & Enterprise

Word (Labels) Creation of a label sheet with barcodes Standard & Enterprise

Word (VBA) Usage of ActiveBarcode in Word with VBA Standard & Enterprise

WordPad (Application)How to add barcode images to WordPad documents using the ActiveBarcode Application

Standard & Enterprise

Access (Control) How to use the control in Access and bind it to a database field Enterprise

OpenOffice.org (Application)

How to add barcode images to OpenOffice.org documents using the ActiveBarcode Application

Standard & Enterprise

OpenOffice Calc (Script)

Usage of ActiveBarcode with OpenOffice Basic to convert data fields into barcode images

Standard & Enterprise

Visual Basic How to use the control in Visual Basic. Enterprise

Visual C# How to use the control in Visual C#. Enterprise

Visual C++ How to use the control in Visual C++. Enterprise

Visual J# How to use the control in Visual J#. Enterprise

Delphi (Control) How to use the control in Delphi. Enterprise

REAL basic How to use the control in REAL basic. Enterprise

VisualBasic Script How to use ActiveBarcode with VisualBasic Script

Standard & Enterprise

Javascript How to use the barcode control with JavaScript (Windows)

Standard & Enterprise

Notes (Control) How to use the control in Notes. Standard & Enterprise

WordPro (Control) How to use the control in WordPro. Enterprise

Quattro Pro (Control) How to use the control in Quattro Pro. Standard & Enterprise

Freelance (Control) How to use the control in Feeelance. Enterprise

Freehand MX (Application)

How to add barcode images to Freehand MX documents using the ActiveBarcode Application

Standard & Enterprise

InDesign (Application)How to add barcode images to InDesign documents using the ActiveBarcode Application

Standard & Enterprise

Illustrator (Application)

How to add barcode images to Illustrator documents using the ActiveBarcode Application

Standard & Enterprise

QuarkXPress (Application)

How to add barcode images to QuarkXPress documents using the ActiveBarcode Application

Standard & Enterprise

Image editos (Application) Add a barcode to your images Standard &

Enterprise

Works Text (Application)

How to add barcode images to Works Text documents using the ActiveBarcode Application

Standard & Enterprise

Example videos

The following videos (Flash format) show you how easy it is to use ActiveBarcode. Learn how fast and comfortably you embed barcodes in your documents and a lot more.

Video (Flash) Description Required licence

Print barcode labels with serial numbers using the ActiveBarcode Application.

Standard & Enterprise

Export of a series of barcodes as image files with data import from a spread sheet.

Standard & Enterprise

Embed an ActiveBarcode Object into an Excel sheet and link it with a cell

Standard & Enterprise

Embed an ActiveBarcode Object into a Word document Standard & Enterprise

How to add a barcode image to a document using the Windows clipboard, e.g. as freely scalable vector graphics into OpenOffice.

Standard & Enterprise

* When selecting a video a new browser window opens. How to add a barcode to a Excel sheet

A short description of how to add a barcode to your Excel sheet and link it with a cell: First launch Excel and create a new sheet or open an already existing sheet. Now go to the menu "Insert" and select

"Object..." from that item list:

A dialog box appears:

Select "ActiveBarcode" now and click "Ok". Now a barcode will be created inside your document. This will be a standard barcode of EAN-128 type. This is the default type. You can change this to any barcode type supported by ActiveBarcode: Codabar, Code 25 Industrial, Code 25 Interleaved, Code 39, Code 39 Extended, Code 93, Code 93 Extended, Code 128, Data Matrix, DUN-

14, EAN-2, EAN-5, EAN-8, EAN-13, EAN-14, EAN-18, EAN-99, EAN 128, EAN-Velocity, Identcode, ISBN-10, ISBN-13, ISBN-13 Dual, Bookland, ISSN, ISMN, ITF-14, JAN, Leitcode, MSI, NVE, PDF417, PostNet, PZN, Royal Mail SCC-14, SSCC-18, UCC-128, UPC-A and UPC-E

Next switch to the "design mode" of Excel (e.g. use this button: ). Now you can modify this barcode. You can change the type, text, colors etc. For this click inside the barcode with the right mouse button. A pop up menu will open:

Select "ActiveBarcode-Object" and then "Properties...". The property dialog of ActiveBarcode will open. Here you can modify the barcode as you like.

Alternatively you can use the property dialog of von Excel. For this use the following button names "Properties" in your symbol bar "Control-Toolbox":

Create a link between a cell and the barcode: Open the property dialog of Excel as described above. Now activate the barcode object by clicking onto it once. The property dialog will now display all the properties of the barcode object. Have a look for the property named "LinkedCell". This allows a link between a cell and the barcode:

Enter the cell's name for the link into this property. That's it!

Related video:Video (Flash) Description Required licence

Embed an ActiveBarcode Object into an Excel sheet and link it with a cell

Standard & Enterprise

Read more descriptions of how to add barcodes to standard applications (e.g. Office, Excel, Word, Access, Delphi, Lotus Notes, WordPro, Quattro Pro, Freelance, Freehand MX, OpenOffice.org,

Image Editors, WordPad, etc.)

How to add a barcode control into a Word document

A short description of how to add a barcode to a Word document: First launch Word and create a new document or open an already existing document. Now go to the menu "Insert" and select "Object..." from that item list:

A dialog box appears on the screen:

Select "ActiveBarcode" now and click "Ok". Now a barcode will be created inside your document. This will be a standard barcode of EAN-128 type. This is the default type. You can change this to any barcode type supported by ActiveBarcode: Codabar, Code 25 Industrial, Code 25 Interleaved, Code 39,

Code 39 Extended, Code 93, Code 93 Extended, Code 128, Data Matrix, DUN-14, EAN-2, EAN-5, EAN-8, EAN-13, EAN-14, EAN-18, EAN-99, EAN 128, EAN-Velocity, Identcode, ISBN-10, ISBN-13, ISBN-13 Dual, Bookland, ISSN, ISMN, ITF-14, JAN, Leitcode, MSI, NVE, PDF417, PostNet, PZN, Royal Mail SCC-14, SSCC-18, UCC-128, UPC-A and UPC-E

Now you can modify this barcode. You can change the type, text, colors etc. For this click inside the barcode with the right mouse button. A pop up menu will open: 

Select "ActiveBarcode-Object" and then "Properties...". The property dialog of ActiveBarcode will open. Here you can modify the barcode as you like.

Related video:Video (Flash) Description Required licence

Embed an ActiveBarcode Object into a Word document Standard & Enterprise

Read more descriptions of how to add barcodes to standard applications (e.g. Office, Excel, Word, Access, Delphi, Lotus Notes, WordPro, Quattro Pro, Freelance, Freehand MX, OpenOffice.org,

Image Editors, WordPad, etc.)

How to use the barcode control in an Access database

Here we show you how to add a barcode into a Access database and bind it to a data field. First launch Access and create a new database or open an already existing database in what you want to add a barcode. A simple database could look like this:

Fill the database with some data using the table. See this example:

Next create a new form. This is easy and we do not explain this functionality of Access further. If you have questions about this, please have a look into the Access Online Help

Now add the ActiveBarcode control to the form. Goto to the menu and select from the the menu "Insert" the function "ActiveX Control...".

The following dialog will appear:

Select "ActiveBarcode" here and click OK. Now the barcode object will be placed in your form. This will be a standard barcode of EAN-128 type. This is the default type. Now you can modify this barcode. You can change the type, text, colors etc. For this click inside the barcode with the right mouse button. A pop up menu will open:

Select "ActiveBarcode-Object" and then "Properties...". The property dialog of ActiveBarcode will open. Here you can modify the barcode as you like. For example you can change the type to any barcode type supported by ActiveBarcode: Codabar, Code 25 Industrial, Code 25 Interleaved, Code 39, Code 39 Extended, Code 93, Code 93 Extended, Code 128, Data Matrix, DUN-14, EAN-2, EAN-5, EAN-8, EAN-13, EAN-14, EAN-18, EAN-99, EAN 128, EAN-Velocity, Identcode, ISBN-10, ISBN-13, ISBN-13 Dual, Bookland, ISSN, ISMN, ITF-14, JAN, Leitcode, MSI, NVE, PDF417, PostNet, PZN, Royal Mail SCC-14, SSCC-18, UCC-128, UPC-A and UPC-E

In this example we use the EAN-128, so there is no need to change the type now.

Next we bind the controls text property (the barcodes content) to the data field "Productnumber" of the database. Again click the barcode with the

right mouse button and select "Properties":

Have a look for the entry "Control Source" and change it to "Productnumber". This is the data binding:

Now close the design mode of the form und watch the result by simple opening the form:

The barcode control is bound to the data base field and shows the product number of the current data set as EAN-128 barcode.

Embedding and binding an ActiveBarcode control into reports is very similar.

One last hint: A report is designed in a lower resolution that it is using while printing. So it is required that you create the barcode control with a much bigger font size than you would normally use. Otherwise the text line under the barcode may be very very small in your print.

Read more descriptions of how to add barcodes to standard applications (e.g. Office, Excel, Word, Access, Delphi, Lotus Notes, WordPro, Quattro Pro, Freelance, Freehand MX, OpenOffice.org,

Image Editors, WordPad, etc.)

How to add a barcode to a Visual C# or C++ projectYou can use ActiveBarcode in Visual C# and C++ like any other control (e.g. like a button). First you have to add the ActiveBarcode control into the development environment.

Adding ActiveBarcode to the development environment In this example, Visual C# is used. The procedure in Visual C++ is nearly identical.

Go to the menu "Tools" and select the function "Choose Toolbox items":

A dialog appears. As ActiveBarcode is a COM component first select the tab "COM Components":

A list of the available controls will be displayed. Select "ActiveBarcode" and activate it. Then click OK.

Now ActiveBarcode is added to your development environment.

Use ActiveBarcode (A simple example)

Create a new project. To add the ActiveBarcode Control to a form you select the function "Toolbox" from the "View" menu first. This opens the toolbox. "Toolbox":

Have a look for the ActiveBarcode Control in the toolbox now.

Click on ActiveBarcode there and place it into the form. The control will then be integrated on this form.

You can change the barcode properties of the barcode control now or later. In this example we change the background color to white:

Now add a "Textbox" to this form, too.

Double click this textbox now to open the source code for the event "Textchange". We will use this event to change the barcodes content everytime the textbox changes.

That's it. Now launch this example application:

If you change the content of the textbox in the running application, the barcode will encode this.

Not visual usage of ActiveBarcode: You also can create ActiveBarcode at run time and use the the control:

In the following example ActiveBarcode is created invisible, then a EAN-13 code with the encoded content "123456789012" is generated and saved as image file by using the SaveAsBySize function.

BARCODELib.Barcode ab = new BARCODELib.Barcode();ab.Text = "123456789012";ab.TypeName = "EAN 13";ab.SaveAsBySize("example.bmp", 400, 150);

If you have no reference to ActiveBarcode in your application, go to the Solution Explorer and click with the right mouse button on "References", then select "Add Reference -> COM -> ActiveBarcode".

More examples:

// Copy the barcode into the clipboard.ab.CopyToClipboardBySize(400, 150);

// Display the about box.ab.AboutBox();

Read more descriptions of how to add barcodes to standard applications (e.g. Office, Excel, Word, Access, Delphi, Lotus Notes, WordPro, Quattro Pro, Freelance, Freehand MX, OpenOffice.org,

Image Editors, WordPad, etc.)

Product infoActiveBarcodeActiveBarcode is a powerful software packages for creating barcodes. It runs under Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista and better

You always have the right software to create your desired barcode: ActiveBarcode Control (ActiveX, OCX): The powerful and flexible

barcode control for your own applications and documents. Use the control for example with C++, VisualBasic, Delphi, Access, Excel, Word usw.

ActiveBarcode Application: The stand alone application to create bitmaps (BMP, JPEG, PNG, TIF, TGA, GIF, PBM, PGM, PPM, XMP, WBMP) and meta graphics of barcodes. Store this images to files or transfer them into your documents using the Windows clipboard.

ActiveBarcode Command Line: Create barcode image files from the command line, inside batch programs or within scripts. Use parameters to set the barcode type, content, size and more. The barcode will be saved in the desired image format (BMP, JPEG, PNG, TIF, TGA, GIF, PBM, PGM, PPM, XMP, WBMP).

Examples of usage:

Examples of usage: [more..]

Bildverarbeitung Visual C# InDesign Freehand MX

Features: All popular barcode types are supported : Codabar, Code 25 Industrial,

Code 25 Interleaved, Code 39, Code 39 Extended, Code 93, Code 93 Extended, Code 128, Data Matrix, DUN-14, EAN-2, EAN-5, EAN-8, EAN-13, EAN-14, EAN-18, EAN-99, EAN 128, EAN-Velocity, Identcode, ISBN-10, ISBN-13, ISBN-13 Dual, Bookland, ISSN, ISMN, ITF-14, JAN, Leitcode, MSI, NVE, PDF417, PostNet, PZN, Royal Mail SCC-14, SSCC-18, UCC-128, UPC-A and UPC-E

Verification digits are automatically calculated and added for most barcodes.

All windows fonts can be used for the optional text line below the barcode.

Fore- and background colors can be changed free.

Scaleable barcodes. Detailed documentation. BarcodeAPI for developers (properties , methods and events). ActiveBarcode works with all apps and development tools that support

ActiveX:For example: Microsoft Office 97 or better, Visual Studio, Visual C++, Visual Basic and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), J++, Access, Word, Excel, Works 4.5, FrontPage, Powerbuilder, Delphi and many more.

Sample programs with source code for different development tools. Many example files show the usage with Word, Access, Excel and many

other popular programs. Save Barcodes as image files (BMP, JPG or PNG). Allows the copying of barcodes as bitmaps or as meta graphics to the

clipboard. The Picture-property allows barcodes to be handled in the same way as

the picture-object. Redistributable - no extra charge for developers who create exe files. Easy Installation and Uninstallation. Very popular barcode component software.

Free updates within the main version numberSmall updates and upgrades within a main version number (e.g. 5.x) are free for users of the full version. You can download your updates from our customers download area. As a licensed user you get new features within the big version number for free.

Example: You have purchased ActiveBarcode 5.21 Standard. You can download all future 5.x Standard version updates free of charge, e.g. version 5.55 Standard. Beginning with version 6.0 you must pay for an update.

Image file typesActiveBarcode supports many different image file formats:

Image format Extension Format 1-bit s/w 8-bit 16-bit 24-bit 32-bit

Windows Bitmap BMP 0 yes yes yes yes default

JPEG JPG, JPEG 2 - gray - default -

Portable Network Graphic PNG 13 yes yes - default yes

TIFF TIF 18 yes yes - default yes

Targa TGA 17 - yes yes default yes

GIF GIF 25 yes default - - -

Windows Metafile Format WMF 101 - - - default -

Enhanced Metafile Format EMF 100 - - - default -

Wireless Bitmap WBM, WBMP 19 default - - - -

Portable Bit Map PBM 7 default - - - -

Portable Gray Map PGM 11 - gray/default - - -

Portable Pixel Map PPM 14 - - - default -

X Pix Map XPM 23 - - - default -

Color depths marked as default are used in the ActiveBarcode Application or if you use the SaveAs, SaveAsBySize function or if you pass 0 to the function SaveAsBySizeExtended as color depth.

Licence EditionsTwo diffentent licence editions are available:

Awards

Comments from users of ActiveBarcode:"I jumped on the Internet, typed barcode and downloaded your OCX. What a fantastic tool. I cannot believe that Microsoft does not include this as a standard tool. Congratulations for coming up with such a useful item" (J. Fallon)

"I have downloaded your Barcode ActiveX control. It seems be the best one I found on the whole Internet" (R.Schlesinger)