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.

While we’ve discussed the PDF-417 barcode symbology before, the Micro PDF-417 is becoming more and more popular. Based off the standard PDF-417, the Micro PDF-417 is designed for maximum area efficiency, but without the PDF-417’s maximum data capacity. Thus, there is a limited set of symbol sizes available, in conjunction with a fixed level of error correction for each barcode.

With the Micro PDF-417, the x dimension is the width of the narrowest bar, and the Y dimension is the height of each row within the Micro PDF-417. The Micro PDF-417 is most commonly printed with an X to Y ratio of 1:2 to 1:5, depending on the amount of space. By changing the ratio to 1:2 or 1:3, a lot of space can be saved, but it should be noted that some scanners can not read ratios of less than 1:3, with most reading best at 1:4.

With the Micro PDF-417, one can encode 250 uppercase characters, unless using text compaction mode, where the amount of data will vary depending on switching between different types of characters such as letters, numbers, upper case, lower case and punctuation. In binary mode, the PDF-417 can encode 150 characters, but if using only numbers, then it can hold up to 366 digits.

For applications that are ideal for a PDF-417 barcode, but have a limited amount of space, the Micro PDF-417 is the perfect candidate.

Recently, we discussed how the GS1 Databar is making a major impact on the world of produce. However, the GS1 Databar has even more potential than that. It’s long-planned adoption began in September 2007, when the Joint Industry Coupon Committee (JICC) called for January 1, 2007 to be the day coupons no longer contained the old UPC-A barcodes.

Since then, coupons still contain the traditional UPC-A barcode, but many are now adorned with both types of barcodes since not all retailers have upgraded their barcode scanners to handle the higher density of the GS1 DataBar.

While JICC’s original expectation was a bit overzealous, since manufacturers are already beginning to adopt the GS1 DataBar, it may not be too far-fetched that it will replace the UPC-A symbology.

The UPC barcode has been around for 35 years, but in an age where information is king and space is limited, the GS1 DataBar definitely seems to have an appeal. Do you think the GS1 DataBar will replace the UPC?

Since wristbands are often curved in nature and there is limited space for printing, printing on wristbands can be challenging. The following are some basic guidelines on barcode printing on wristbands:

1) Manage the Symbol Size
Often times, information that Hospital administrators would like to include in the barcode is far too much in relation to the wristband space. While 1-D barcodes cannot always fit all of the information, they can be scanned by all types of barcode readers, unlike 2-D barcodes which can fit more information, but require a 2-D capable scanner. In addition, when the end of the barcode curve around patients wrists, it is difficult to scan, thus, it is necessary to choose a barcode symbology that will fit on the flat part of the wristband, but also hold all of the necessary information.

Rather that choosing a UPC code, which is commonly used in retail applications, it would be wise to choose a dense barcode symbology, such as Code 128, which can hold a lot of information in a small amount of space.

2) Optimize Scanning Performance and Image Durability
Since patients’ wristbands go through a lot of wear and tear, barcode durability is crucial. In addition, exposure to alcohol or other solvents can cause the barcode to become unreadable. By printing on a direct thermal printer with the proper settings recommended by the manufacturer, fading can be decreased, increasing durability and scanning performance.

3) Calibrate to Avoid Waste
Since the wristband is a delicate media, it’s important to properly calibrate your barcode printer to accommodate the dimensions of the band, making sure they print properly aligned. Printing labels requires a different setting than wristbands, so be sure to consult your printers manual in order to get the proper settings and configurations for optimum printing.

Source: Zebra Technologies White Paper