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Codabar Barcodes
Codabar barcodes, also known as USD-4 and NW-7, are a type of linear barcode symbology widely used in various industries, including libraries, blood banks, and logistics. Codabar barcodes are unique in that they can encode not only numeric digits (0-9) but also a limited set of special characters, including the dollar sign ($), colon (:), slash (/), period (.), plus sign (+), and hyphen (-). This versatility makes Codabar barcodes suitable for encoding a wide range of data, such as identification numbers, product codes, and inventory information. The simplicity and flexibility of Codabar barcodes make them particularly popular in applications where space is limited or printing options are constrained.
One notable feature of Codabar barcodes is their self-checking ability, which enhances reliability and accuracy in scanning operations. Unlike some other barcode symbologies that require separate checksum digits to detect errors, Codabar barcodes utilize start/stop characters and inter-character gaps to ensure accurate decoding. This self-checking mechanism simplifies the scanning process and reduces the likelihood of misreads, making Codabar barcodes ideal for high-speed scanning environments such as retail checkout counters and inventory management systems. Despite advancements in barcode technology, Codabar remains a widely used and trusted symbology due to its simplicity, versatility, and robust error detection capabilities.
This symbology was originally designed to be easily scanned even when printed on dot-matrix printers or on multi-ply paper such as receipts, invioces and alike. Codabar is being replaced by newer symbol sets that store more data in a smaller area but there is already a large install base where these codes are currently being used.
Codabar uses 4 bars and 3 spaces to encode each character. A narrow space is used between characters. The characters that can be encoded using codabar are the digits 0-9 and the characters $ (dollar sign) - (dash) + (plus) : (colon) / (slash) . (period). There are also 4 start/stop characters represented by A, B, C, D or possibly T, N, * (asterisk), E. These start and stop characters are not represented as data just like other barcodes.
Using the 16 different variations of start and stop characters make it possible to identify some applications of the barcode. For example FedEx tracking numbers start with C and end with D while library barcodes start with A and end with B. This doesn't always hold true because there are so many applications of these numbers but this can be a guide to help identify how the barcode is being used.
If you want to make your own Codabar barcode, please visit our barcode generator page. Save the images you create and use them how ever you like.