Which Barcode Type is Best?

by Nate Schubert

Whether you are familiar with barcodes or completely new to the idea of integrating barcode generation capability into your systems or processes, comprehending barcode technology can be quite the challenge. Which barcode type is best? Which implementation is going to best suit the demands of your business? Do you need to scan your barcodes for accuracy or for other reasons? Do you have everything you need to print your barcodes? These and other questions should definitely be considered before making any barcode-related purchase.

There is a lot that can go into making an accurate determination, however, and we can't fit it all into one article. Please enjoy part one of this series about choosing the right barcode product, and be on the look out next week for part two!

Which Barcode Type is Best?

To decide which barcode type will best suit your needs, consider the following:

• What type of information do you want to encode?
  Different barcode types are capable of encoding different information. Common examples include uppercase letters, lower case letters, numbers, special characters and functions. It is important to be sure that the barcode type you want to use is capable of encoding the data you need in the barcode itself.
• How small (or large) do you need your barcode to be?
  Some barcode types such as Code 39 can get very large depending on the number of characters being encoded, while high-density barcodes like Code 128 are able to encode more data in less space. 2D barcodes like Data Matrix and QR Code can encode up to 800 characters of information, and may be sized quite small in comparison to others.
• Is there a specific standard or specification your barcodes should meet?
  There are quite a few standards that exist for a given industry, and a variety of different standards can be met within the same barcode.

Once you have answers to the above questions, you can contact IDAutomation via a number of different methods. Considering your options before contacting our sales staff can make the process much easier. Be on the lookout next Monday for part two in our series which asks, which barcode product is right for my environment or implementation?