What Is A Barcode: Definition, History, and Development

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Simply explained, a barcode is an automatic identification system that allows data to be captured about people, materials, methods, machines, measurements, and environments. Barcodes can be found in a wide variety of industries including retail, manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, finance, and the military. Common applications include inventory, Work in Progress (WIP), shipping & receiving, quality assurance, asset tracking, patient wristbands, patient labels, laboratory labeling, and more.

The first patent for a barcode was filed in 1949 for a concept that would automatically capture product data at grocery stores, via patterns of ink read by a scanning device. From this idea, the technology was developed using a laser beam moving across the ink patterns - the black stripes of the bar code would be absorbed and the white reflected, allowing the code to be read. In 1974, a pack of chewing gum was the first retail product sold with the help of the Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode and scanner.

The barcode itself is a series of black and white bars and white spaces with varying widths representing binary components. A scanner reflects the light and interprets this code as numbers and letters, and then transfers this information into a computer system. Linear barcodes are based on bars or spaces, bar height, bar position or distance of adjacent bars.

Barcodes require a quiet zone surrounding the barcode to allow the scanner to find the leading edge and begin reading. Many label design software packages already calculate the appropriate dimensions to create barcodes for labeling. View our solution - CODESOFT 9 Barcode Label Design Software.

Typical linear or "picket fence" barcodes include UPC, Interleaved 2 of 5 (I of 5), Codabar, Code 39, and code 128.

In 1996, the 2 Dimensional (2D) barcode was introduced in order to get more information in a smaller space based on "dot" locations within a matrix.

Typical 2D barcodes include Datamatrix, Aztec, and Maxicode. These are commonly used on component marking, hazardous materials, medical instruments, patient labeling, laboratory vials, and electronics.

Continue Reading: Benefits of Barcodes & Steps to Implement >

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