Barcode Glossary

A high-density linear symbology encoding the full ASCII set with three switchable code sets (A, B, C).

Code 128 subset A: uppercase letters, digits and control characters.

Code 128 subset B: uppercase and lowercase letters, digits and common symbols.

Code 128 subset C: numeric pairs only, giving the highest density for long digit strings.

A Code 128 profile using GS1 application identifiers and FNC1 separators for supply-chain data.

A healthcare labelling profile that puts a licence code, product code and unit of measure in a Code 128 symbol.

The 13-digit retail barcode used worldwide outside North America, encoding a GTIN with a mod-10 check digit.

A compact 8-digit EAN variant for small packages with limited print space.

A 5-digit add-on symbol printed beside a main barcode, commonly used for book prices.

A 2-digit add-on symbol, typically used for magazine issue numbers.

The 12-digit retail barcode standard in the United States and Canada.

A zero-suppressed 8-digit form of UPC-A for very small packages.

The 14-digit case-level GTIN encoded in ITF-14 or GS1-128 for shipping cartons.

A square matrix code with finder patterns and Reed-Solomon error correction, readable from any direction.

A high-density 2D code with an L-shaped finder pattern, suited to small parts and direct marking.

A stacked 2D symbology carrying up to about 1,850 characters, common on ID cards and boarding passes.

A compact matrix code with a central bullseye that needs no quiet zone, used on tickets and receipts.

A self-checking alphanumeric symbology using wide and narrow elements, common in industry.

Code 39 with two-character sequences that extend coverage to the full ASCII set.

The healthcare HIBC profile applied to a Code 39 symbol.

A numeric symbology that interleaves pairs of digits, giving higher density than Code 39.

A 14-digit ITF variant with a bearer bar, designed for printing on corrugated cartons.

A numeric symbology with a mod-10 check digit, used for shelf and inventory labels.

MSI with a mod-11 check digit for stronger numeric validation.

MSI with two successive mod-10 check digits.

MSI with a mod-11 check followed by a mod-10 check digit.

A single-number barcode for pharmaceutical packaging lines with a large error distance.

A self-checking numeric symbology framed by A–D start and stop characters.

A compact GS1 symbol carrying a GTIN with full-height, omni-directional scanning.

The narrowest DataBar variant, for space-constrained fresh-food labels.

A variable-length GS1 symbol that combines several application identifiers in one code.

A two-row DataBar that halves the width for very small packages.

The international book number, printed as an EAN-13 with a 978 or 979 prefix.

The international standard music number for printed and digital scores, using the 979-0 prefix.

The international standard serial number for journals and newspapers.

A denser successor to Code 39 with two mandatory check characters; not generated by this tool.

A numeric symbology used in telecommunications, with one or two check digits.

A low-density numeric symbology where only bars carry data.

A 2-of-5 variant used for airline ticketing and baggage tags.

A numeric symbology using three bars and two spaces per digit, often for internal logistics.

An early self-checking hexadecimal symbology, largely superseded by MSI.

A stacked linear symbology that packs alphanumeric data into rows.

A multi-row stacked symbology with error correction, rarely used today.

A family of stacked Code 128 variants that split long data across rows.

A Code 39 variant used for Italian pharmaceutical identification.

The German pharmaceutical central number, encoded in Code 39 with a check digit.

A Deutsche Post parcel code for consignments, built on Code 128.

A Deutsche Post routing code for mail sorting, built on Code 128.

A US postal barcode using tall and short bars, retired for new mail in 2013.

A US Postal Service barcode for tray and container tracking.

A UK postal barcode using four bar states to encode postcode and delivery point.

A UK-origin symbology encoding the full ASCII set, used in libraries and asset tracking.

A smaller QR variant with one finder pattern for very small items.

A compact PDF417 variant for labels with limited space.

A fixed-size 2D code with a central bullseye, used by UPS for parcel sorting.

A family of two-dimensional symbols that encode data in a grid of modules rather than bars.

The effective opening of a scanner that averages the reflected light over a small area.

A GS1 prefix that tells a scanner what the following data means, such as (01) for a GTIN.

A prepress adjustment that narrows bars to compensate for ink spread on press.

A device that illuminates a symbol, captures the reflected pattern and decodes it into data.

Measuring print quality against ISO/IEC parameters and assigning a grade from A to F.

A solid frame around some ITF symbols that protects them from print distortion and damage.

A computed final digit that lets a scanner detect common data-entry errors.

One of several character maps a symbology can switch between, as in Code 128 A, B and C.

The maximum amount of data a symbol can carry, set by its version and error-correction level.

Marking a symbol directly on a part by laser, dot peen or etching instead of a label.

Redundant data in a 2D symbol that lets it be decoded even when part of it is damaged.

The percentage of scans that decode correctly on the first attempt.

A special function character in GS1 barcodes that separates variable-length application identifiers.

The standards organisation behind GTINs, SSCCs, application identifiers and GS1 barcodes.

The unique number GS1 assigns to a company, forming the base of its GTINs and SSCCs.

The printed characters below or beside a barcode that let people read the encoded value.

A barcode that encodes data in the widths of parallel bars and spaces along one axis.

The ratio of a printed symbol’s X-dimension to the nominal size defined by its standard.

The smallest unit of a barcode — the width of one narrow bar or space.

Scanning a symbol from any angle without aligning it to the scanner.

The difference in reflectance between bars and spaces, expressed as a percentage.

The blank margin on each side of a symbol that lets a scanner find its start and end.

A symbology property where most single errors cannot produce another valid character.

A symbol split into several rows to reduce width while keeping data capacity.

The fixed bar patterns that mark the beginning and end of a linear symbol.

A defined set of rules for encoding data as bars and spaces, such as Code 128 or EAN-13.

A letter grade from A to F summarising measured print quality against ISO/IEC 15416.

The ratio between wide and narrow elements in symbologies such as Code 39 and ITF.

The width of the narrowest bar or space, which sets the overall size of a symbol.