Other Barcodes

Here you can get an idea of what barcodes are required for different purposes. The following discusses some of the more common types of barcodes we sell.

QR Codes – Quick Response (QR) Codes are the 2D Barcodes seen commonly on business cards and signs. The primary use for these is to automatically link people to website URLs when they scan the QR Code with a cell phone app scanner however they can also be used to create VCards and VCal events whereupon scanning the barcode with their cellphone the person will be prompted to either add the encoded contact information to their phone or add the encoded event. Please see our QR Codes page for more details on these.

ITF-14 – Interleaved 2 of 5 (ITF-14) are the barcodes used on outer carton boxes for a product. To create these an EAN-13 number is converted into a 14-digit number and encoded in ITF-14 symbology. These barcodes are for use on boxes with a set amount of one product in them (i.e. a carton of 12 items) – The EAN-13 number from the products inside the box is used to create the ITF-14 number. ITF-14 barcodes are used by larger stores for keeping track of stock and shouldn’t be used for scanning at the checkout.

Code-128 & Code-39 – Both of these formats are used for asset tracking. In each case, a sequence of numbers is created (i.e. 0001-1000). The barcodes can then be used on things like library cards, gym membership cards or in large businesses for keeping track of assets.

Code-39 can encode alpha-numeric characters (letters and numbers) whereas code-128 can only encode numbers. However, Code-128 can encode a larger amount of information in a small barcode number. Therefore if there is little space on your products then code-128 may be the better option.

Most barcode scanners can read both easily however some have difficulty with code-39 if it has letters encoded.

These types of barcodes are most commonly printed directly onto Barcode Labels before being manually stuck onto each item.

GLN Numbers – Global Location Numbers are unique location identifiers required as a prerequisite for trading with some stores. These can be purchased here