EAN-13	5214527892450
Product Name	Purefire
Language	English
Created	01-24-2014 6:45:59am
Modified	02-16-2017 2:23:27am
MD5	f7413c4273c0015c1843751e259a7b3e
SHA256	30435aa4402569d58c10ab91c5a04be1f3ec0c640f4a892e58cacc0436cc74e8
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Code39 Barcodes

Code 39, also known as USD-3 and 3 of 9, is one of the most widely used linear barcode symbologies. It is known for its simplicity and versatility, capable of encoding alphanumeric characters along with a few special symbols. Each character in Code 39 is represented by a pattern of narrow and wide bars, along with inter-character gaps for separation. This simplicity in design makes Code 39 easy to print and read, even with low-resolution printing equipment or in challenging scanning environments. Due to its flexibility and ease of implementation, Code 39 is commonly used in various industries, including logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare, for encoding product identification numbers, shipping labels, and patient records.

One of the key features of Code 39 is its self-checking capability, which helps ensure data accuracy during scanning. Code 39 includes a built-in checksum character that enables barcode scanners to verify the accuracy of the decoded data. This checksum character is calculated based on the values of the other characters in the barcode, allowing scanners to detect and correct errors caused by printing defects or scanning inaccuracies. Additionally, Code 39 supports a wide range of characters, including uppercase letters, numeric digits, and a few special symbols, making it suitable for encoding a variety of data types. Overall, Code 39's simplicity, reliability, and versatility have cemented its status as a popular choice for barcode applications where alphanumeric data encoding is required.

Code39 also known as Code 3 of 9 allows you to encode text using characters A-Z and 0-9 and some punctuation. Using an extended encoding system, it is possible to encode the entire ASCII character set.

Each character is made up of 10 elements where 5 are bars and 5 are spaces. You may have seen this described as 9 elements on other sites where 5 are bars and 4 are spaces but there is always a narrow space stripe between characters which means we might as well consider that trailing narrow space part of each character making the total number of elements 10. The final trailing narrow space simply appears to be absorbed into the quiet zone to the right of the final barcode. There is no check digit in this symbology unlike others. The variation between the width of the bars is what define the value of each character.

In the image below you will notice the start and stop block are the same. In most Code39 fonts,this is encoded as the asterisk (*) character although may or may not be displayed under the barcode. The text under the barcode is optional and is for human use only. The start and stop asterisks are not decoded when scanned and may or maynot bedisplayed. Also how the text is displayed depends on the process used to create the barcodes. Often, the text is simply under the barcode without the indent displayed in our sample.

Normally, there are only 43 characters that can be encoded using Code39. But if you want to encode the full ASCII characterset, you can prefix letters with special characters to get the characters you need including lower case and special characters. Although it is possible to encode the full ASCII set, if you actually need to do this it is better to use Code128 because it will produce a smaller barcode.

If you want to create your own Code39 barcode, you can visit our very own barcode generator page.