Not all barcodes are interchangeable. The best symbology depends on where the label will be scanned and what kind of information it needs to carry.
EAN-13 for retail
EAN-13 commonly represents a 13-digit GTIN on retail products. Its final digit is a check digit. Generating the black bars does not assign a valid product identifier; legitimate retail use may require a GS1-issued number.
UPC-A and EAN-8
UPC-A is common in North American retail and uses 12 digits. EAN-8 is a compact retail symbol for small packaging and has its own allocation rules.
Code 128 for internal workflows
Code 128 can encode a wide range of characters and is useful for inventory, shipping references and internal labels. It often makes more sense than a retail GTIN symbol for an internal stock code.
Code 39 and ITF
Code 39 is found on industrial labels, with a more restricted character set. ITF formats are numeric and appear in logistics and outer packaging.
Choose and test
- Identify the scanning environment.
- Check whether letters are required.
- Verify product-number ownership where applicable.
- Test the printed label with the actual scanner.