Supported Bar Codes

A bar code is a machine-readable symbol used to encode information in order to automate a business process. Examples of business processes are retail sales, shipping and tracking, inventory management, warehouse management, asset tracking, and automated data entry.

The bar coding standards are published through organizations such as AIM International, Uniform Code Council, and EAN International. To ensure that PEERNET products are compliant with the standards developed by these organizations - both now and in the future - PEERNET is an active member of these organizations.

PEERNET Reports supports the major bar codes in use today, plus some historical bar codes. The list of supported bar codes is as follows:

4-State

Industries: Postal

Uses: 4-State Bar Codes are made up of four types of bars, each of which has a distinct name, value, and symbol. The Australian Post 4-State Customer Code and Royal Mail 4-State Customer Code are two derivatives of this type of Bar Code.

Anker

Industries: Retail, library.

Uses: Developed by the Plessey Company of England for the ADS Company, ANKER code is a modified version of Plessey code and was used in European Point of Sale (POS) systems before the introduction of EAN.

Character set: 0 - 9, A - F

Australian Post 4-State Customer Code

Industries: Postal

Uses: An implementation of the 4-State Bar Code, Australian Post 4-State Customer Code uses different encoding tables than the RM4SCC Bar Code to encode 64 different Bar Codes in the "C Encoding Table" and 10 in the "N Encoding Table". It also uses Reed Solomon error checking instead of a single check character.

Character set: For information about using this symbology, refer to the documentation provided by Australia Post at:

http://www.auspost.com.au/GAC_File_Metafile/0,,3849_guide_to_printing_4_state_barcode,00.pdf

Bookland

Industries: Publishing.

Uses: Used internationally to identify published materials such as books, audio and video cassettes, and software. Also called ISBN, Bookland is a subset of the EAN symbology.

Character set: 0 - 9

Encoding information: Bookland codes must begin with 978, followed by the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) of the book being identified (not including the ISBN check digit). A two-digit or five-digit supplemental code can be added to indicate currency and/or pricing.

Canada Post 4-State Code

Industries: Postal

Uses: An implementation of the 4-State Bar Code used by Canada Post.

Character set: For information about using this symbology, refer to the documentation provided by Canada Post at:

http://www.canadapost.ca/business/tools/pg/standards

Codabar

Industries: Library, blood services, photographic, and shipping.

Uses: Codabar has been used for blood services since 1977. While this implementation will be replaced in a few years with ISBT 128 (which uses Code 128), ABC Codabar continues to be used. Codabar is also known as Code 2 of 7, or as NW7 in Japan.

Character set: 0 - 9, $, -, :, /, ., +

Code 11

Industries: Telecom.

Uses: Labelling telecommunications equipment. Code 11 is also known as USD-8.

Character set: 0 - 9

Code 128

Industries: Many, including video rental, shipping, and manufacturing.

Uses: As a high-density alphanumeric symbol, Code 128 has been seeing increased use in many industries where more information is required to be encoded in a limited amount of space.

Character set: Three - Codeset A, Codeset B, and Codeset C. Through all three, the ASCII 128 code set will be encoded in addition to special characters.

Encoding information: Can be encoded in any of the A, B, or C code sets, or in auto mode. Code 128 Auto chooses the best code set and switches between all three to create the highest density possible.

Code 39

Industries: Many, including government and automotive.

Uses: The standard for many government Bar Code specifications, Code 39 is also used in many manufacturing processes, and in the automotive industry for marking vehicle identification numbers. Also known as Code 3 of 9.

Character set: 0 - 9, A - Z, -, ., %, /, $, space, +, and *

Code 93

Industries: Many, including government and automotive.

Uses: Released in 1982, Code 93 is designed to be a compact version of Code 39, and allows a higher density of information in the same space as a Code 39. Because most scanners that can read Code 39 will read Code 93, Code 93 can be used in place of Code 39 where space is limited.

Character set: 47 characters; 0 - 9, A - Z, -, ., space, $, /, +, %, ($), (%), (/), (+)

Danish PTT 39 Code

Industries: Postal

Uses: Danish PTT 39 Code is used by the Danish Post Office. It is a modified 3 of 9 bar code.

Character set: 0 - 9

Data Matrix

Uses: Data Matrix is a high density 2 dimensional matrix style Bar Code that can encode up to 3116 characters from the entire 256 byte ASCII

Character set: The symbol is built on a square grid arranged with a finder pattern around the perimeter of the Bar Code symbol. There are two types of Data Matrix symbols each using a different error checking and correction scheme (ECC). The different types of Data Matrix symbols are identified using the terminology "ECC" followed by a number representing the type of error correction that is used by the encoding software.

Dutch KIX 4-State Code

Industries: Postal

Uses: Used by the Dutch Post Office, it encodes a 6-character postcode (4 digits followed by 2 letters), a 1-5 digit house/postbox/freepost number (optional), an 'X' or 'x' separator character (optional), and a 1-6 character house number extension (optional).

Character set: 0 - 9, A - Z

EAN

Industries: European retail.

Uses: Marking retail goods. The European Article Number (EAN) is a superset of the UPC, and allows extra digits for country identification.

Character set: 0 - 9

Encoding information: All EAN symbols start with the two-digit or three-digit EAN country code, followed by additional digits representing this product. Optional retail information in the form of a two-digit or five-digit supplemental can be included.

Variants: EAN13 encodes 13 characters while EAN8 encodes 8 for smaller packaging.

Extended Code 39

Industries: Many, including government and automotive.

Uses: Extended Code 39 is the standard for many government Bar Code specifications. It is also known as Extended Code 3 of 9. Can be used to encode the full 128-character ASCII set by pairing Code 39 characters.

Character set: All ASCII characters

Facing Identification Mark

Industries: Postal

Uses: Facing Identification Mark (FIM) patterns are used in automated mail processing by the U.S. Postal Service. FIM patterns are used for automatic facing and canceling of mail that does not contain a stamp or meter imprint (business reply mail, penalty mail, etc.). They also provide a means of separating business and courtesy reply mail from other letters. FIM patterns are placed in the upper right corner along the top edge and two inches in from the right edge of letters.

Character set: For information about using this symbology, refer to the documentation provided by the U.S. Postal Service.

FIM A

FIM B

FIM C

FIM D

Full Code 93

Industries: Many, including government and automotive.

Uses: Allows for encoding of all 128 ASCII characters in Code 39 format. Released in 1982, Code 93 is designed to be a more compact version of Code 39, allowing for a higher density of information in the same space as a Code 39 Bar Code. Because most scanners that can read Code 39 will read Code 93, it can be used in place of Code 39 where space is limited.

Character set: All ASCII characters

German Postal Identcode 11

Industries: Postal

Uses: German Postal Identcode 11 is used by the German Post Office for parcels. It is a modified 2 of 5 bar code which encodes the originating post office, a customer identifier, a parcel number, and a check digit.

Character set: 0 - 9

German Postal Leitcode 13

Industries: Postal

Uses: German Postal Leitcode 13 is used by the German Post Office for parcels. It is a modified 2 of 5 bar code which encodes the receiving post office, the destination address, and a check digit.

Character set: 0 - 9

Industrial 2 of 5

Industries: Industrial.

Uses: Not in common use.

Character set: 0 - 9

Interleaved 2 of 5

Industries: Shipping, warehouse.

Uses: While similar to Industrial, Matrix, and Standard 2 of 5 codes, Interleaved 2 of 5 allows for higher compaction, resulting in a more compact symbol.

Character set: 0 - 9

ISBN

Industries: Publishing.

Uses: International Standard Book Number (ISBN) code is used internationally to identify published materials such as books, audio and video cassettes, and software. Also called Bookland, ISBN is a subset of the EAN symbology.

Character set: 0 - 9

Encoding information: ISBN codes must begin with 978, followed by the ISBN number of the book being identified (not including the ISBN check digit). A two-digit or five-digit supplemental code can be added to indicate currency and/or pricing.

ISSN

Industries: Publishing and periodicals.

Uses: International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) code is used internationally to identify published materials such as periodicals. ISSN is a subset of the EAN symbology.

Character set: 0 - 9

Encoding information: ISSN codes must begin with 977, followed by the ISSN number of the periodical being identified (not including the ISSN check digit). A two-digit or five-digit supplemental code can be added to indicate currency and/or pricing.

JAN

Industries: Japanese retail.

Uses: Japanese Article Number (JAN) code is used for marking retail goods in Japan, and is a subset of the EAN symbology.

Character set: 0 - 9

Encoding information: JAN codes must begin with the Japanese identifier of 49, followed by either 5 or 10 additional digits representing this product. Optional retail information in the form of a two-digit or five-digit supplemental can be included.

Variants: JAN13 encodes 13 characters, while JAN8 encodes 8 for smaller packaging.

Matrix 2 OF 5

Uses: Though it is a member of the 2 of 5 family, including Industrial, Interleaved and Standard 2 of 5, Matrix 2 of 5 is actually a variant of Code 11, and was developed by the Nieaf Company in The Netherlands, where it is primarily used.

Character set: 0 - 9

Maxicode

Industries: Shipping.

Uses: A Maxicode Bar Code is a 1 x 1 inch, two-dimensional Bar Code that is the cornerstone for producing any United Parcel Service (UPS) shipping labels, plus many other bar coding projects. PEERNET has completed the mandatory UPS certification process and has been approved to produce UPS-compliant Maxicode Bar Codes. A Maxicode Bar Code can have 90 - 100 characters. With Maxicode Bar Codes you get enhanced Reed-Solomon error correction. Even if the Bar Code has been partially destroyed, by using error correction a Maxicode scanner can still read the symbol correctly every time.

MSI

Industries: Retail.

Uses: MSI, also known as Modified Plessey, was created by the MSI Corporation, and uses the basic encoding principle Plessey. MSI has been primarily used in the United States in marking grocery store shelving, and in the subsequent scanning for reordering.

Character set: 0 - 9

OPC

Industries: Optical.

Uses: Based on Interleaved 2 of 5, Optical Product Code (OPC) is used for marking retail optical products.

Encoding information: The first five digits are assigned by the Optical Product Code Council (OPPC) Incorporated. The next four digits represent the manufacturer's product identification number.

Character set: 0 - 9

PDF417

Industries: Government, retail, transportation, health care, manufacturing.

Uses: The PDF417 Bar Code is a high-capacity, two-dimensional Bar Code. A PDF417 Bar Code can store up to 1800 characters, or up to 2700 digits. As a complete implementation of Symbol Technology's PDF417 Bar Code specification, PEERNET's PDF417 Bar Code provides support for not only standard PDF417 but also for truncated PDF417 and global language identifiers (GLIs). In addition, the PDF417 Bar Code uses enhanced Reed-Solomon error correction. Even if the Bar Code has been partially destroyed, by using error correction a PDF417 scanner can still read the Bar Code correctly every time.

Planet

Industries: Postal

Uses: PLANET (used by the U.S. Postal Service) is a 3-of-5 variation of the POSTNET symbology. It is used for respondee identification, as well as other mail tracking and sorting uses.

Character set: For information about using this symbology, refer to the documentation provided by the U.S. Postal Service at:

http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub197.pdf

Plessey

Industries: Library.

Uses: Developed by the Plessey Corporation in 1971, Plessey code was the first Bar Code used in marking for library systems. Plessey is the base for the Anker and MSI codes.

Character set: 0 - 9, A - F

Postnet

Industries: Postal

Uses: POSTNET (POSTal Numeric Encoding Technique) is a 5, 9 or 11 digit numeric symbology used by the U.S. Postal Service to encode ZIP Code information for automatic mail sorting. It can represent a five digit ZIP Code (32 bars), a nine digit ZIP + 4 code (52 bars), or an eleven digit Delivery Point code (62 bars). Data is encoded in the height of the bars instead of in the widths of the bars and spaces. POSTNET is a fixed dimension symbology (height, width, and spacing of all bars must fit within exact tolerances).

Character set: For information about using this symbology, refer to the documentation provided by the U.S. Postal Service at:

http://pe.usps.gov/cpim/ftp/pubs/Pub353/Pub353.pdf

Royal Mail 4-State Customer Code

Industries: Postal

Uses: Royal Mail 4-State Customer Code (RM4SCC) is used for automated mail sorting processes. It is based on 36 Bar Codes representing alpha-numeric characters (0-9, A-Z), as well as start and stop bar characters.

Character set: 0 - 9, A - Z

SCC-14

Industries: Shipping.

Uses: Used in marking shipping containers.

Uses either Interleaved 2 of 5 or UCC/EAN encoding to produce Bar Code symbols.

Character set: 0 - 9

Encoding information: Packaging indicator; also called assortment indicator (any single digit except 8). Case/contents indicator (one digit; 0 when the Uniform Product Code (UPC) on case differs from UPC on contents; 1 when UPC on both case and contents is the same). Manufacturer number (six digits). Product number (five digits). Check character (one digit).

SSCC-18

Industries: Shipping.

Uses: Used to mark serialized shipping containers.

Character set: 0 - 9

Encoding information: 18-digit serialized identification number, assigned from a global pool of numbers that is maintained by EAN International and the UCC.

Singapore 4-State Code

Industries: Postal

Uses: Singapore 4-State Code is used for automated mail sorting processes. It is based on 36 Bar Codes representing alpha-numeric characters (0-9, A-Z), as well as start and stop bar characters.

Character set: 0 - 9, A - Z

Standard 2 OF 5

Industries: Shipping, warehouse.

Uses: This variant of Industrial 2 of 5 is used for warehouse sorting, photo finishing, and airline ticketing.

Character set: 0 - 9

Swiss Post

Industries: Postal

Uses: A special version of Code 128C which includes a 2-digit post code, a 2-digit billing district code, a 6-digit customer account number, and an 8-digit item number.

Character set: 0 - 9

UCC/EAN

Industries: Shipping.

Uses: A variant of Code 128, UCC/EAN is reserved to EAN International and the UCC. UCC/EAN uses special Code 128 characters to denote shipping information within the code.

Character set: All ASCII characters

UPC

Industries: Retail.

Uses: Uniform Product Code is used in marking retail packaging in the United States and Canada.

Character set: 0 - 9

Encoding information: Manufacturer ID and unique product number. Can optionally include a two-digit or five-digit supplemental code to indicate information such as price or weight.

Variants: UPCA encodes Bar Codes for standard items while UPCE is used for packages with limited space.

UPCA

UPCE

USPS Sack Label

Industries: Postal

Uses: A modified Interleaved 2 of 5 bar code which includes a 5-digit Zip Code (the sack destination) and a 3-digit content identifier number(CIN).

Character set: 0 - 9

USPS Tray Label

Industries: Postal

Uses: A modified Interleaved 2 of 5 bar code which includes a 5-digit Zip Code (the tray destination), a 3-digit content identifier number (CIN), and a 2-digit USPS processing code.

Character set: 0 - 9