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The ISO 15416 linear barcode parameter Decodability differs from other parameters because it measures element (bar and space) widths and positions. All of the other ISO parameters are based on [...]

There are two kinds of barcode mysteries. Both are bad. one is worse. BAD One kind of bad barcode is the one that does not scan at all. Like the crossword puzzle in the airline magazine, the [...]

Some substrates can be very challenging for barcodes. The UDI requirement has introduced some new situations. Recently we were invited to a company that prints linear barcodes on clear plastic [...]

Recently I ran across an excellent article* about Measurement Systems Analysis. The opening paragraph caught my attention: “Despite a persistent and incremental march toward automation, people [...]

Decodability is one of the graded ISO parameters that determine barcode quality. Why test and grade a barcode for quality? This is done to predict with reasonable accuracy that the barcode scans [...]

Bar width reduction or BWR is pre-press compensation for press gain. Ink spread is one of the most common causes of poor barcode performance. Bar Width Reduction is not just a setting Not all [...]

It all started in 1974 in an Ohio grocery store, scanning the first UPC symbol. Today there are dozens of different types of barcode symbols. Why is that? Why not just use the humble, reliable [...]

My mother used to say, “Two’s company, three’s a crowd.” I did not fully understand the saying until I had kids of my own. A kid with one friend could play well together, but add a third kid and [...]

Barcode scanning problems fall into two categories: the barcode does not scan at all, or it scans inconsistently. Non scanning barcodes are the hardest to diagnose since the verifier is not [...]

When I met Jeff several years ago, he was a work in progress—and so was Barcode Test. His very life was an expression of his non-conformity. On the other hand, I had about 35 years of barcode [...]