Compass Bar Coding
Technical Details
Bar code systems allow computers to receive data and eliminate the need
to manually record items for sales processing and inventory tracking. A bar code
is comprised of a series of vertical lines, that vary in width, separated by spaces
also varying in width.
Combinations of the lines (bars) and spaces represent a series of characters. The
bar code reader emits a light that is absorbed by bars and reflected back to the
reader by spaces, which are in turn converted to electronic signals, representing
the width of the bar and space combinations that signify characters. Your computer
then receives the data containing the characters the bar code represents.
Types of Bar Codes
Bar codes have been defined in many different types, each with requirements critical
to producing bar codes that bar code readers can accurately decipher. Some bar codes
may contain strictly numeric values and others may contain alphanumeric values.
One of the more widely used bar code fonts is known as "Code 39". Code 39 has 9
bars (3 wide and 6 narrow). The arrangement of these bars indicates alphanumeric
characters. Other bar code types are designed with different numbers of bars to
represent different types of information.
Bar code readers have stringent requirements that allow accurate readings, for example,
utilizing start/ stop characters within the code and creating ¼" of white space
on both sides of the bar code. Compass Bar Coding automatically and consistently
creates bar codes that meet those critical requirements, saving you the time and
effort of ensuring you are creating bar codes properly.
The Importance of Bar Code Density
When making a selection of the appropriate bar code font, it is important to consider
the density of the bar code, in addition to the number and type of characters it
can support. Wide elements (bar and space combinations) occupy more space when creating
a bar code, which is a low-density bar code. A high density, or compact bar code,
occupies less space when printed.
High and low density bar codes each have their advantages and disadvantages. The
lowdensity bar code has a broad series of bars creating an increased efficiency
due to the low distortion of the bars. The low distortion allows the low-density
bar codes to be read successfully on a regular basis. The low-density bar code,
however, occupies more space on the actual tag. Since the high-density bar code
is compact, there is a greater opportunity for errors with the bar code reader.
The compact bars can be distorted causing the reader to misinterpret the elements.
The high-density bar code, however, is compact and fits well on small tags. Compass
Bar Coding gives you the flexibility to choose the bar code font (and thus density)
best suited to your needs. |
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