When you hear “2D barcode,” your mind may immediately jump to QR codes, but there are many different types of 2D barcodes, such as the PDF-417. One lesser-known kind of 2D barcode is the Han Xin Code, a 2D barcode from China that was made a part of the AIM Inc. family only a few short months ago.

Designed in 2005, the Han Xin Code was based on Chinese language and information. It is a developable and designable 2d barcode symbology that is hoped to become one of the most important and recommended data carriers for both the Chinese market and global market.

Learn more about market opportunities for the Han Xin Code from one of the inventors, Shi Yu.

Do you think the Han Xin Code has a place inthe global marketplace? Share your thoughts by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.

According to our July 2009 poll, 45% of readers predicted that the GS1 DataBar might replace the UPC barcode in the future, compared to 41% who voted yes and 14% who voted no. Three years later, it looks like the majority of our readers were correct in their prediction.

As of June 30, Manufacturers began removing the UPC code from coupons and are only using the GS1 DataBar, originally created for variable weight items, such as produce.

Why Change from a UPC to the GS1 DataBar?
The reason for the switch was because the UPC barcode links directly to a brand but manufacturers could not link to a specific product within a brand. For example, if there was a coupon for $1 off a 16oz bottle of shampoo, people could have simply gotten the trial size version for .99 and actually earned a penny, unless the cashier read each and every coupon, which would cause a line to build up.

The GS1 DataBar is able to store more information than the UPC, accommodating longer manufacturer identification numbers. These longer manufacturer numbers will be able to instantly check to see if consumers are purchasing the correct item, as well as the expiration date. This way, all the cashier will have to worry about is simply scanning the barcode and consumers will be able to enjoy a much speedier checkout process.

What Does this Mean for Retailers?
In order for coupons with the GS1 DataBar to scan properly, retailers will need to update their barcode scanners. While many major retailers will support them, a lot of smaller chains may not yet be equipped. For information on upgrading a POS system, learn more here.

What Do You Think?
Aside from coupons and produce, do you think other products will ditch the UPC code for the GS1 DataBar. Share your thoughts below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.

The barcode symbology Code 93 was designed in 1982 by Intermec Technologies in order to provide a higher density and an improved security enhancement to its sister symbology, Code 39.

The Code 93 symbology is an alphanumeric, variable length barcode that is used primarily by the Canadian Postal service in order to encode supplementary delivery information. Code 93 employs two check digits and is designed to encode up to 26 upper case letters, 10 digits and 7 special characters.

Code 93 is divided into nine modules and has three bars and three spaces, with each bar and space being between 1 and 4 modules wide.

Code 25, also known as the Interleaved 2 of 5 barcode, contains numeric data only and is typically used for coding on cartons of products and industrial applications. Code 25 barcodes are encoded in pairs of digits, meaning that the two digits are interleaved with each other to create the barcode symbol. The name 2 of 5 originates from the fact that 2 out of every 5 black lines and spaces are wider than the rest. The wider bars are usually 2-3 times the width of the narrower bars.

Since only an even number of digits can be encoded in the Code 25 barcode, if you do have an odd number of digits that need to be encoded, simply add a 0 before the first digit. The Code 25 barcode needs an even number of digits because the first digit needs to be encoded on the bar or black lines, whereas the second digit would need to be encoded on white lines or spaces.

Aside from the expiration date of a product, how can you really be sure that the food you are purchasing from the supermarket is fresh? Well, a group of designers were wondering the same thing, so they decided there must be a better way than the expiration date or look of produce to determine the freshness of food.

After much deliberation, the designers decided that a fading barcode would be the perfect solution. Unlike the typical barcode, the Fresh Code would slowly fade as the product became less fresh. Shoppers would gain visibility into which fruits and veggies are freshest, and when the barcode eventually disappears, it would serve as an indicator to the store that it’s time to remove the product from the shelves. The Fresh Code would be able to offer an intelligent barcode with a graph that indicates the freshness level. With time, the graph on the barcode will recede and ultimately reach 0, meaning that it should no long be sold.