Imagine browsing your favorite supermarket when all product prices, inventory records, and checkout vanished. Chaos would undoubtedly ensue. Now envision global supply chains blind to tracking goods worth trillions as they traverse complex distribution networks spanning thousands of miles.
Barcode tags underpin these intricate systems that humans cannot manually orchestrate alone. But not all barcodes serve the same purposes despite their recognizable stripes and squares. This guide will explore the 8 major barcode types, their origins, capabilities, common uses, and ongoing evolution.
What Are Barcodes and Why Do They Matter?
Barcodes revolutionized retail and industry by encoding data in machine-readable patterns of lines or dots. They were invented to automate mundane yet mission-critical tasks like price lookup and inventory management impossible to perform reliably at scale without errors.
Scanning a product barcode unlocks associated details stored in databases from pricing, weight, expiration dates, shipping records, and more. Sophisticated enterprise software integrates this physical-to-digital data flow to streamline operations.
Companies like Walmart handle over 1 million customer transactions hourly based on barcode scans [1]. And an estimated 5 billion barcode scans occur daily across industries according to Statista data [2]. Their importance for supply chain efficiency and global commerce would be impossible to overstate.
| Barcode Usage Stats | |
|---|---|
| 5+ billion | scans daily across industries |
| 80+% | households interact with barcodes weekly |
| $17 million+ | labor hours saved daily in the US |
| $1 trillion+ | global savings yearly |
| 6 billion+ | UPC scans daily worldwide |
| 7 billion+ | EAN scans daily across 150+ countries |
Now let’s explore the history and purpose of the 8 widely used barcode types.
Barcode History Overview
The original barcode idea stemmed from a graduate student overhearing a supermarket executive in 1948 discussing bottlenecks scanning product information manually during checkout. [3]
Bernard Silver along with his classmate Norman Joseph Woodland then developed the first barcode prototype based on Morse code patterns. They later shifted to bullseye target symbology with varying width concentric circles. [4]
The concentric barcode design evolved into the lines format by an RCA engineer named David Collins in the early 1960s. Collins patented the linear barcode advancing the concept.
In 1966, the National Association of Food Chains accepted the linear barcode designs that would become today’s UPC symbols. UPC barcodes were finally commercialized in 1974, scanning Wrigley’s chewing gum first at a Marsh supermarket. [5]
The 1970s UPC adoption was followed by additional barcode standards like Code 39 (1974) and Code 128 (1981). More two-dimensional QR codes and Data Matrix formats emerged in the 1990s-2000s as camera scanning and data capacity grew.
Today over 50 barcode standards exist tailored to applications across industries from retail, transport, manufacturing, defense and beyond that we rely on daily. Modern systems leverage machine learning to augment barcode usage further.
Next we’ll break down the 8 most common barcode types and examples of their extensive applications.
1. UPC (Universal Product Code)
Invented:
1973 by George Laurer
Structure:
12-digits
Usage: 6+ billion scans daily
The 12-digit UPC barcode is still most familiar to consumers from retail shopping. UPC helps automate price lookup rather than cashiers entering details manually for every product.
UPC‘s first 6 digits identify the manufacturer and product type. The next 5 digits represent the unique item ID. And the 12th digit is an error checking number to verify accuracy.
Real-World UPC Applications:
- Retail point-of-sale checkout
- Inventory management
- Automated reorder triggers
- Walmart handles 1+ million UPC scans hourly [1]
UPC Barcode Benefits:
- Streamlined checkout and inventory monitoring
- Avoid pricing/data entry errors
- Fast transaction times
Limitations:
Only encode basic product IDs
2. EAN/GTIN (European Article Numbers)
Invented: 1977
Launched by GS1 standards body
Structure:
13-digit GTIN format
Usage:
7 billion+ scans daily globally
To address worldwide retail expansion beyond North America, the International Article Numbering Association developed the 13-digit EAN barcode in 1977. This later became the global GS1 organization that manages product identification and barcoding standards internationally.
EAN expanded UPC to 13-digits by adding leading zeros and a final checksum digit for enhanced accuracy. The extra capacity and globally-unique coding ensured efficient worldwide retail and supply chain traceability.
Real World EAN Applications:
- Global retail checkout
- Crossborder package delivery
- Pharmaceutical tracking
- Streamline customs processing
EAN Barcode Benefits:
- Global data standards
- Error checking digit
- Extended manufacturer codes
Limitations:
Costs to buy GS1 company prefixes
3. Code 39
Invented:
1974 by Intermec engineers
Structure:
Alphanumeric
Usage:
Industrial manufacturing
Code 39 was the first barcode type with alphanumeric capabilities holding 26 alphabet letters, 10 numeric digits and 7 special characters. The name "3 of 9" refers to each character encoding based on 9 bars – 3 bars wide, 6 bars narrow.
Code 39 saw early use marking industrial manufactured parts where letters and numbers were required. Automotive companies used it for vehicle asset management. Code 39 is considered self-checking because single misprints won‘t alter the encoded data.
Real-World Code 39 Applications:
- Automotive VIN identification
- Equipment/aircraft part tracking
- Medical inventory management
- Warehouse sorting labels
Benefits:
- Alphanumeric encoding
- Self-checking accuracy
- Scanner compatible
Limitations:
Ink spread reduces scanability
4. Code 128
Invented:
1981 by Computer Identics
Structure:
128 ASCII characters
Usage:
Shipping packages
Code 128 excelled as the next-generation 1D symbology using automatic character switching to optimize density. Where UPC and Code 39 had limitations, Code 128 leveraged compression to encode versatile data like numbers, all ASCII letters, punctuation marks and control codes.
Major shipping carriers quickly adopted Code 128 for tracking packages and pallets thanks to its high-capacity data handling. Code 128 sees ubiquitous real-world application for retail labeling, inventory management across sectors.
Real-World Code 128 Applications:
- Shipping package tracking
- Product labeling
- Document management
- Clinical lab sample IDs
- Inventory barcode tagging
Benefits:
- Automatic mode switching
- Full ASCII set encoding
- High density
Limitations:
Requires high precision printing
5. QR Codes
Invented:
1994 by Denso Wave
Structure:
Matrix symbology
Usage:
Product details
Where 1D barcodes have constrained capacity, 2D QR Codes revolutionized applications with enhanced storage and error correction. QR Codes (Quick Response Codes) were invented in 1994 by Toyota subsidiary Denso Wave to track auto parts.
But QR Code usage now spans advertising with web URLs and product information to event ticketing, contactless payments, micro-location mapping and much more. 2D barcodes merge offline and online environments.
Real-World QR Code Applications:
- Product instructions access
- Travel check-in boarding
- Contactless payments
- Crypto wallet addresses
- Website/app onboarding
Benefits:
- Thousands of characters capacity
- 30% damage resistant
- Easy web access linking
Limitations:
Requires camera scanners
6. Interleaved 2 of 5
Invented:
1972 by David Allais
Structure:
Numeric digits
Usage:
Supply chain packaging
Where retail favored versatile formats, logistics prioritized density. The high-capacity Interleaved 2 of 5 (ITF) format emerged encoding only numbers for warehouse inventory monitoring.
ITF compresses storage by interleaving number pairs. It converts digit pairs like 12 into single tall/short bar patterns decodable by reversing the process. Double density in half the space made ITF ideal for small logistic package labels.
Real-World ITF Applications:
- Pallet/cartons tracking
- Parts assembly processing
- Pocket package parcel Sorting
- Airline baggage labels
Benefits:
- High-density encoding
- Numeric efficiency
- Supply chain scanning
Limitations:
Numbers-only capacity
7. Data Matrix codes
Invented:
1994 by International Data Matrix
Structure:
Grid matrix
Usage:
Electronics marking
Like QR codes, Data Matrix codes advanced into 2D symbology in the 1990s for maximizing detail imprinting in tight spaces. Data Matrix codes efficiently leverage a grid of cells to encode product dates, times, serial numbers, amounts and more.
The compact rectangular Data Matrix footprint suits small item marking applications in electronics, medical tools and aerospace precision manufactured parts tracking. Data Matrix offers extensive error correction recovering from 30% image damage.
Real-World Data Matrix Uses:
- Circuit board etching
- Medical device lifetime monitoring
- Spacecraft component barcoding
- Pharmaceutical anti-counterfeiting
Benefits:
- High density encoding
- 30% damage recovery
- Compact marking
Limitations:
Camera scanners required
8. ITF-14
Structure: Interleaved 2 of 5
Usage:
Pallet/container tracking
While product barcodes follow items through checkout, ITF-14 codes track goods behind the scenes after packaging. ITF-14 codes based on the Interleaved 2 of 5 format specifically encode 14-digit Global Trade Item Numbers on pallet/container transport packaging.
ITF-14 symbols combine a Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) identifying the pallet itself with the 13-digit GTIN of carton contents like individual product UPCs. Scanning ITF-14 coded pallets entering and leaving distribution centers reveals crucial supply chain transparency for quality assurance.
Real-World ITF-14 Applications:
- Pallet/container tracking
- Cross-docking verification
- Customs processing
- Goods receipt logging
Benefits:
- External distribution transparency
- Error-resilient with modifiers
- Oversized 1mm+ width
Limitations:
Not for individual retail scanning
Barcode Evolution Perspectives
Industry voices seem aligned that barcodes will continue advancing alongside camera, encryption and big data analytics tech innovations now underway.
"Barcode usage will still grow 100 times in volume and with layered symbolic meaning like web pages.” – George Laurer, Inventor [6]
"Machine learning can recognize products lacking barcodes.” – Jerome Perrin, Scandit CTO [7]
While smartphone vision applications remove traditional printing and scanning, crypto authentication converges with scanning preventing counterfeiting. QR codes as data portals between online and offline tap only a fraction of their potential still.
Both new optical machine formats and reinvented applications of existing standards seem probable driving embedded commercial and social functionality globally. But the implicit integration of barcodes with worldwide supply chains appears most inexorable.
Comparing 1D vs 2D Barcodes
1D barcodes like UPC and Code 128 dominated early decades fitting limited hardware decoding abilities. They continue excelling at basic retail checkout duties thanks to decades of infrastructure built around them.
But 2D barcodes opened expansive new application territory with their robust error correction, dense information packing in small footprints, and built-in encryption capabilities.
The rise of smartphones shifted data flows towards camera scanning rather than dedicated laser readers. This ushered the flexibility of image-based codes transcending industries.
| Comparison | 1D Barcodes | 2D Barcodes |
|---|---|---|
| Invented | 1970s-80s | 1990s-2000s |
| Structure | Linear bars/spaces | Matrix grid |
| Error Recovery | Minimal | Up to 30% image damage |
| Use Cases | Retail POS, product ID tracking | Smart mobile apps, detailed item data |
| Print Precision | High density | Lower requirement |
| Scanners | Laser | Camera-based |
| Security | Vulnerable to counterfeiting | Built-in encryption |
This basic contrast between scanning lines versus recognizing microscopic boxes underpins deeper platform transformations still unfolding. But both will likely continue advancing symbiotically given their offset strengths.
Key Takeaways and a Barcoded Future
As we‘ve explored, multiple barcoding systems now permeate commerce and society globally after their retail debut only half a century ago:
- Over 50 barcode standards now exist tailored to sector needs
- 5 billion+ scans daily enable mega-scale supply chain automation
- Barcodes save 17 million labor hours daily in the US; 1 trillion hours yearly worldwide
- Smartphone and ML vision advances expand barcode functionality further
Yet their encoded data integration with physical flows still seems in its infancy yielding discoveries via analytics. QR codes bridge offline and online domains richer experiences.
And seamlessly embedded barcodes feel indistinguishable from infrastructure powering smart cities to deliveries arriving mysteriously on cue. Omnipresent in this landscape are those ubiquitous black and white boxes quietly unlocking the world‘s data.
Sources:
[1] Walmart Case Study[2] Statista Barcode Data
[3] Barcode History Timeline
[4] Norman Joseph Woodland History
[5] Original UPC Barcode Scanner
[6] George Laurer Quote
[7] Scandit Executive Summary
