MIL-STD-130N Requirements for Label Markings

UID Marking quality and print quality specifications

MIL-STD-130N states that label markings must comply with the following UID marking quality requirements:

• Machine-Readable Information Marking: Machine-readable markings should be applied to all items subject to DFARS-mandated IUID criteria.
• UII Limitation: Limited to 50 characters, in compliance with ISO/IEC 15459-4.
• Lettering: All letters must be capitals without serifs (sans-serif). Common sans-serif fonts include Arial, Futura, Gothic, and Trebuchet MS, among others.
• Numerals: All numerals on UID labels should be Arabic. Roman numerals may also be used if designated by an applicable industry or Government standard.
• Data Matrix: The minimum marking on a UID label is a Data Matrix ECC200 symbol, in accordance with ISO/IEC 16022. Items need to be marked according to ANSI MH10.8.7. The data elements need to be encoded into the Data Matrix Symbol using the syntax of ISO/IEC 15434 with:
  • Format 05 for Application Identifiers (AI)
  • Format 06 for Data Identifiers (DI)
  • Format 12 for Text Element Identifiers (TEI)
    
    The module size should be no smaller than 0.0075 inch (0.19 mm) and no larger than 0.025 inch (0.64 mm). Square symbol sizes may not exceed one inch (25.4mm).
• Linear Bar Code: Linear Bar Codes may be Code 39 Symbols, Code 128 Symbols or GS1-128. The ratio of wide element to narrow element must be within the range of 2.1:1 to 3.1:1. The narrow element dimension (X dimension) range must be within the range of 0.0075 inch (0.19 mm) to 0.015 inch (0.38 mm).

MIL-STD-130N also states that label markings must meet the following UID print quality requirements:

• Linear Bar Code Minimum UID Print Quality: 3.0/05/660, where the minimum grade is 3.0, measured with an aperture size of 0.005 inch (0.127 mm) with a light source wavelength of 660 nm in accordance with ISO/IEC 15416.
• Data Matrix Symbol Minimum UID Print Quality: 3.0/05/650 measured with an aperture size of 0.005 inch (0.127 mm) with a light source wavelength of 650 nm ± 20 nm.
  Exception: ISO/IEC 15415 parameters Modulation (MOD), Symbol Contrast (SC), or both may measure a 2.0, providing the overall ISO/IEC 15415 grade would be 3.0 if the MOD and SC grades are 3.0 or higher.

More information about measuring UID print quality is specified in ISO/IEC 15415, which bases the overall grade on a single scan.

UID print quality may be graded with a verifier, such as the Microscan LDP Compliance Verifier, which is found in many of the Brady DoD UID System packages.