Barcode Q&A

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BAR CODES FOR RETAIL STORES

Question: I have a product and I want to get a barcode to sell it in retail stores. What do I need to do?

Answer: This is a one of the most common barcode related questions. The type of barcode that is required to sell a product in retail stores is called a UPC barcode. UPC stands for “Uniform Product Code.” These are the barcodes that are read at retail cash registers. You cannot, however, just assign your own barcode number. This is pretty understandable. If people just assigned their own numbers it would only be a matter of time before numbers started to overlap! And it is critical that UPC barcode numbers be unique. In order to insure that each number is unique an organization called the UCC (Uniform Code Council) was established. Now, each party that wants to print UPC barcodes must contact the UCC and obtain a manufacturer number. This number essentially consists of the first 6 digits of the UPC code. Of the remaining 6 digits (a UPC-A barcode has 12 digits total in total) the manufacturer is free to assign 5 or 6 of these digits. The 12^th digit is a calculated “check” digit and is determined mathematically with a formula selected by the UCC.

TO RECEIVE YOUR UPC BAR CODE
UCC - UNIFORM CODE COUNCIL

To get a UPC “Manufacturer’s Number” contact the UCC. Their contact information follows:

The Uniform Code Council
7887 Washington Village Drive, Suite 300
Dayton, OH 45459
Vox: 937-435-3870 Fax: 937-435-7317

info@uc-council.org
www.uc-council.org

BARCODE FONTS AND BARCODE GENERATORS

Question: Okay, I now have a manufacturer number supplied by the UCC. How do I go about putting UPC barcodes on my products?

Answer: Once your company has its unique manufacturer identification number you are then free to use this number to as the basis for your barcode numbers. The next step is to assign your portion of the UPC barcode to create the specific barcodes for each of your products.

But frequently the next question is how do you get your barcode on your products.You have basically two choices. One, you can print labels and attach them to your existing packaging. Two, you can actually incorporate a barcode into the graphic design of your packaging.

If you decide to use barcode labels you have more choices to make. You can purchase pre-printed barcodes or you can print your own. If you decide to print your own, then either you will need to purchase a barcode label software package, or you can purchase UPC barcode fonts.

A good source for both barcode software and barcode fonts is www.barcodediscounters.com. Their barcode label software is inexpensive and extremely easy to use. It prints barcodes using a regular ink-jet or laser printer and can print on labels from virtually any manufacturer including readily available labels like Avery or NEBS. Another advantage is it also allows the creation of simple (PICT) barcode graphics. If you decide to purchase UPC fonts you can print your labels using the label printing function of most databases or spreadsheets like Excel, MS Access or Filemaker Pro. However, if you choose to use a font instead of a barcode label software package you will have to calculate your own check digit.

BARCODE GRAPHICS AND BARCODE SOFTWARE

If you prefer to integrate your barcode into your original packaging you again have choices. You can purchase a barcode film or barcode graphic file from a third party, or you can purchase a barcode graphics generation program and generate your own barcode graphics. If you buy a physical “film” you will have to “strip” this into your design and scan it. This process is manually intensive, and best left to graphics professionals.

However for the same price as a physical barcode film (and much less expensive if you take into account the cost of “stripping”) you can purchase a barcode graphic. Barcode graphics come in a wide variety of formats including EPS, TIFF, PICT or Illustrator format. These graphics can therefore be inserted like any other graphics directly into your packaging design using a layout program like Quark, PageMaker, Illustrator or Photoshop. Don’t be intimidated by all the acronyms. The vendor who supplies you with the files should be able to advise you which format is right for you and explain why in simple terms. Check out our favorite barcode graphic vendor and they should be able to help. Typically a barcode graphic file or a film should cost about $25.00 each. If you purchase a graphic file another advantage is that your vendor may be able to email you the file(s) you need right away!

If you have to create a lot of barcode graphics (more than ten) you may want to purchase your own barcode graphic software generator. These programs allow you to create your own barcode graphics. They are generally easy to use, and easy to master. They typically run about $250 each. Another “do it yourself” software solution is to purchase a barcode font. Be careful to specify that you want a UPC barcode font! And remember, whereas most barcode software generator programs will automatically calculate the check digit, if you choose a barcode font you will have to calculate the check digit yourself.

Question: If I make my own barcodes how can I be sure they are readable?

Answer: This is an excellent question. It is important to make sure that the barcode you create are readable. If they are not the consequences can be very serious. Illegible barcodes can result in having your products removed from retail shelves or they can result in serious fines as well. Making readable barcodes is generally much easier than it used to be because of advances in printing technology.