Barcode standards play a crucial role in the efficiency and accuracy of supply chains, inventory management, and retail operations worldwide. These standards ensure that products are easily identified and tracked throughout the entire supply chain process. Manufacturers must adhere to global barcode standards to ensure seamless communication and compatibility between different sectors. In this article, we will discuss the importance of barcode standards for different types of barcodes (including EAN-13 and UPC barcodes) and how your business can comply with them.

What are the Global Barcode Standards?

EAN-13 or UPC barcodes:

The standard size of an EAN-13 or UPC barcode is 37mm wide x 25mm high.

The smallest recommended barcode size for an EAN-13 or UPC barcode is 80% of standard size (approx. 30mm wide x 20mm high). This includes a 3mm "quiet zone" (blank space) on the left and right sides of the barcode bars.

ITF-14 Carton Codes:

The standard size for ITF-14 Carton Codes (100% size) is about 122mm wide x 32mm bar height (with 10mm quiet zones on the left and right).

The specified magnification range for an ITF-14 Barcode Symbol scanned in a General Distribution Scanning environment is between 50 and 100%. For other scanning environments, the range is 25-100%. If printing onto corrugate fibreboard, the ITF-14 should be above 62.5%.

The minimum height for the bars in a General Distribution Scanning Environment is 32mm. In other scanning environments, the bar height should be as high as possible. 13mm is the minimum bar height.

QR Codes:

QR Codes don't have strict sizing standards. The space needed for a QR code will depend on how much data is encoded within it, and what the scanning distance will be.

The practical minimum QR code size is 2 cm by 2 cm (0.8 inches by 0.8 inches) for close scanning environments, excluding the quiet zone.

The optimal size for a QR Code depends on several factors including the available space on the packaging, the scanning environment, the quality of the printing, and the resolution of the printing process. If a QR Code is too small, it may not be easily readable by scanners or may be challenging to print at a high quality and sufficient resolution. Conversely, if the QR code is too large, it may be difficult to scan up close or print with adequate quality or resolution.

Barcode Colours

Barcode scanners pick up black or cool colours (blue, green) and ignore white or warm colours (red, orange, yellow). Therefore it's important to make sure the barcode bars are printed in black or cool colours, and the background needs to be white or warm colours. Reflective surfaces or metallic colours won't scan well.

Barcode Position

EAN-13 and UPC barcodes are usually positioned horizontally. If you are printing on a curved surface (e.g. a bottle) it is best practice to rotate the barcode 90 degrees so that it is vertical. Don't position the barcode close to any edges. Position it on a flat surface if possible, and make sure there is plenty of blank space around the barcode bars (at least 3mm).

For more information about barcode standards please visit Barcodes Australia at their landing page https://barcodesaustralia.com/.