| A barcode is a machine-readable representation of | | | | marking small parts. |
| information in a visual format on a surface. Barcode is | | | | Barcode Printers employ two major printing methods |
| widely used to implement Auto ID Data Capture | | | | – Direct Thermal (DT) and Thermal Transfer (TT). |
| (AIDC) systems that improve the speed and accuracy | | | | Direct thermal printers use a print head to generate |
| of computer data entry. | | | | heat that causes a chemical reaction in specially |
| A barcode printer is a computer peripheral for printing | | | | designed paper that turns the paper black. Direct |
| barcode labels or tags that can be attached to | | | | thermal printers are generally less expensive, but they |
| physical objects. Barcode printers are commonly used | | | | produce labels that can become illegible if exposed to |
| to label cartons before shipment, or to label retail items | | | | heat, direct sunlight, or chemical vapors. Barcode |
| with Universal Product Codes. | | | | printers require regular cleaning of the ribbon and the |
| Desktop barcode printer has become a commonplace | | | | print head. Specks of dust may cause distortion of the |
| tool for entering product information at retail chains and | | | | bar codes. The outputs of these printers using ANSI |
| shopping complexes. Industrial barcode printers are | | | | software need to be continuously checked in order to |
| used in manufacturing facilities and large warehouses | | | | check for system malfunctions. |
| helping in inventory management and sales process | | | | Thermal transfer printers also use heat, but instead of |
| automation. | | | | acting directly on the paper, the heat melts a waxy or |
| The most common barcode standards are UPCs and | | | | resin substance on a ribbon that runs over the label or |
| EANs. | | | | tag material. The heat transfers ink from the ribbon to |
| Universal Product Code Bar Code - The standard bar | | | | the paper. Thermal Transfer requires the use of a |
| code printed on retail merchandise. It contains the | | | | heated ribbon to produce long-lasting images of data |
| vendor's identification number and the product number, | | | | onto a label and/or tag, whereas Direct Thermal |
| which is read by passing the bar code over a scanner. | | | | process prints the image directly on the label/tag. |
| European Article Numbering is the European standard | | | | Direct thermal and thermal transfer barcode printers |
| for barcodes. There are two different versions of | | | | can print bar code labels on variety of media. The |
| EAN bar codes, EAN-13 and EAN-8, which encode 13- | | | | range of bar code printers varies from light duty |
| and 8-digit numbers, respectively. A special EAN-13 bar | | | | printers to rugged and high speed industrial printers for |
| code with a 5-digit supplemental code is used on | | | | meeting diverse requirements. In industrial printers, the |
| books to encode the International Standard Book | | | | range varies from medium to heavy duty to extra |
| Number (ISBN) and the price. This bar code is called | | | | heavy-duty printers. These printers can be integrated |
| “Bookland”. | | | | to existing applications / ERP for on demand label/tag |
| Traditional one-dimensional bar codes use the bar's | | | | printing. |
| width to encode a product or an account number. | | | | Industrial barcode printers are used in large |
| Two-dimensional bar codes, such as PDF417, | | | | warehouses and manufacturing facilities. They have |
| MaxiCode and DataMatrix, are scanned horizontally | | | | large paper capacities, operate faster and have a |
| and vertically and hold considerably more data. PDF417 | | | | longer service life. For retail and office environments, |
| is widely used for general purposes. MaxiCode is used | | | | desktop barcode printers are most common. |
| for high-speed sorting, and DataMatrix is used for | | | | |