Thursday, February 18, 2010

User Tips For Barcode printing

Barcodes must be printed properly for successful scan of barcode without causing any errors. Few tips are:

Contrast: The two primary methods of calculating the accurate absorption and reflection factors of scanners are by print contrast signal (PCS) or minimum reflectance difference (MRD). These calculations should be sufficiently large, so that scanners can properly differentiate between bars and spaces. More the difference between light and dark spaces, the better it can be scanned.

Media: Media will also affect the contrast. Enough opacity must be present to avoid background surfaces from obstructing the scanners ability to read the media. The more the fundamental reflectivity of the face sheet, the higher will be the difference between light and dark spaces and the better it can be scanned.

Media Color: Color of substrate can affect contrast. White substrate is the preferred choice. When label stock other than white is used, colors with blue content must be avoided and pink or yellow background colors are the reliable choices.

Horizontal and Vertical Orientation: Labels can include bar codes in two different orientations, namely picket fence or ladder codes. Applications, which entirely employ light pens, must select the horizontal orientation to provide more natural motion of the hand sweep.

Bar Code Height: Hand scanning is generally not done in straight lines, it is done in bending motions. So, minimum barcode height should be maintained as per the barcode standards.

Human Readability of a Bar Code: The coded information printed at top or bottom of the bar code must be in an alphanumeric human readable font. This helps for key entry, if the bar code is not scanned.

Bar Code Print Quality Standards: In 1990, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) issued ANSI x3.182-1990 Bar Code Print Quality Guidelines. These guidelines provide measurement procedures and standardized methods of interpretation of bar code print quality.

Preprinted Versus On-Site: Preprinting bar code documents or labels and on-site printing are appropriate for different situations. Factors they are based on are cost per unit, cost of printing and verification equipment, and on-site proficiency to print bar codes.

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