Your Ultimate Guide to 1D Barcode Types & Uses

Barcodes are essential tools for automating data capture in industries like retail, logistics, and textiles. 1D (linear) barcodes, characterized by parallel black bars and white spaces, encode data in a simple, scannable format. Mindware, located at S-4, Plot No-7, Pocket-7, Pankaj Plaza, Near Metro Station, Sector-12, Dwarka, New Delhi-110078, India, is your trusted industry leader, offering a comprehensive range of barcode solutions at the best price, with unmatched quality and superior service support. From thermal transfer printers to taffeta rolls for durable labeling, Mindware delivers tailored solutions for generating over 100 unique barcode instances. If you’re buying from others, you’re missing out on the exceptional quality only Mindware provides. This guide details the 18 standard 1D barcode types, their uses, and visual descriptions, designed for business owners, manufacturers, and professionals. Contact us at gm@indianbarcode.com to transform your operations.

1. UPC-A

Uses

UPC-A is the standard for retail product identification, used on groceries, electronics, and consumer goods. It links to databases for pricing, inventory tracking, and point-of-sale operations, widely adopted in North America and online marketplaces like Amazon.

Visual Description

A UPC-A barcode features black vertical bars and white spaces encoding 12 digits. It has quiet zones (blank spaces) on both sides, with thin guard bars at the start, middle, and end. The bars vary in width, and the 12-digit number is printed below for human readability.

2. UPC-E

Uses

Designed for small retail items like candy, cosmetics, or small electronics where space is limited. UPC-E compresses UPC-A data into a shorter format while remaining compatible with UPC-A scanners, ideal for compact packaging.

Visual Description

UPC-E is a condensed version of UPC-A, with fewer black bars and white spaces encoding 6-8 digits. It includes guard bars and quiet zones, resembling UPC-A but shorter. The number is printed below, ensuring clarity on small labels.

3. EAN-13

Uses

The international standard for retail, used on books, consumer goods, and apparel globally. It includes a country code, making it versatile for international trade and compliance with global retail standards.

Visual Description

EAN-13 features black bars and white spaces encoding 13 digits, similar to UPC-A but with an extra digit. It has guard bars and quiet zones, with the number printed below. The linear pattern ensures compatibility with standard scanners.

4. EAN-8

Uses

Used for small retail items like cigarettes, snacks, or small accessories where space constraints prevent using EAN-13. It’s common in international markets for compact product labeling.

Visual Description

EAN-8 is a compact barcode with black bars and white spaces encoding 8 digits. It resembles a shorter EAN-13, with guard bars and quiet zones. The number is printed below, ensuring readability on small packages.

5. Code 39

Uses

Versatile for non-retail applications like automotive, defense, and electronics for inventory and asset tracking. It supports alphanumeric characters, making it ideal for labeling industrial uniforms or equipment.

Visual Description

Code 39 uses black and white bars with wider gaps, encoding up to 43 characters. Each character is represented by 9 modules (3 bars, 3 spaces), with asterisks (*) as start/stop characters. The barcode is longer for more data.

6. Code 128

Uses

High-density barcode for shipping, packaging, and logistics. It’s used in supply chains for tracking, compliance, and inventory management, compatible with Mindware’s taffeta rolls for textile labeling.

Visual Description

Code 128 features dense black bars and white spaces with varying widths, encoding alphanumeric data. It includes start/stop bars and a check digit, making it compact yet robust. The pattern is tighter than Code 39, ensuring efficiency.

7. Code 93

Uses

Used by Canada Post for delivery information and in industrial applications requiring higher density than Code 39. It supports alphanumeric data for labeling and tracking.

Visual Description

Code 93 is similar to Code 39 but more compact, with black bars and spaces in 9-module patterns. It includes two check digits and start/stop characters, ensuring accuracy. The barcode appears dense, suitable for small labels.

8. Interleaved 2 of 5 (ITF)

Uses

Common in warehousing and distribution for carton labeling and inventory tracking. It encodes numeric pairs efficiently, used in logistics and supply chains.

Visual Description

ITF interleaves black bars and white spaces to encode two digits per symbol, requiring an even number of digits. It has start/stop patterns and a dense structure, ideal for high-volume scanning.

9. Codabar

Uses

Used in libraries, blood banks, and overnight delivery (e.g., FedEx airbills). It’s simple for numeric data with special characters, suitable for niche applications.

Visual Description

Codabar features black bars and wide spaces encoding digits and symbols (-:.$/+). It starts and ends with A, B, C, or D, with a less dense pattern than modern barcodes.

10. GS1 DataBar (RSS)

Uses

Used in grocery for fresh produce, encoding lot numbers, expiration dates, and point-of-sale data. It’s compact for small items and supports GS1 standards.

Visual Description

GS1 DataBar features compact black bars and spaces, sometimes stacked in two layers (e.g., GS1 DataBar Stacked). It encodes up to 14 digits, with a tight linear pattern.

11. MSI Plessey

Uses

Used for inventory control in warehouses and retail shelf labeling. It’s numeric-only, simple, and reliable for basic tracking needs.

Visual Description

MSI Plessey uses black bars and white spaces in a continuous pattern, encoding digits. It includes a check digit and has a simpler, less dense structure than Code 128.

12. Standard 2 of 5

Uses

Early barcode for warehousing and industrial applications, now less common due to lower density. Used for numeric data in legacy systems.

Visual Description

Standard 2 of 5 encodes data in black bars with white spaces and start/stop patterns. It’s less compact than Interleaved 2 of 5, with a straightforward linear design.

13. POSTNET

Uses

Used by the U.S. Postal Service for mail sorting, encoding ZIP codes for automated processing.

Visual Description

POSTNET uses long and short black bars (no spaces) to encode up to 20 digits. The bars vary in height, creating a unique, non-traditional linear pattern.

14. Planet

Uses

Used by USPS for mail tracking, encoding postal data similar to POSTNET but with a different scheme.

Visual Description

Planet features short and tall black bars in a linear pattern, encoding numeric postal data. Its bar height variation distinguishes it from other 1D barcodes.

15. Pharmacode

Uses

Used in pharmaceuticals for packaging control, ensuring correct printing and drug identification.

Visual Description

Pharmacode uses colored bars (often black or multicolored) encoding numbers 3-131071 in a binary pattern. It lacks start/stop characters, making it distinct and simple.

16. Telepen

Uses

Used in libraries and industrial tracking for alphanumeric data, supporting full ASCII character sets.

Visual Description

Telepen features dense black bars and spaces encoding variable-length data. It includes start/stop characters, with a compact pattern suitable for small labels.

17. ITF-14

Uses

Used for cartons and pallets in supply chains, encoding 14-digit GTINs for bulk packaging tracking.

Visual Description

ITF-14 resembles Interleaved 2 of 5 but includes a thick bearer frame (border) around black bars and spaces, encoding 14 digits for robust scanning.

18. Code 11

Uses

Used in telecommunications for equipment labeling. Less common due to lower density but reliable for numeric data.

Visual Description

Code 11 uses black bars and spaces encoding digits and some symbols (e.g., -). It includes one or two check digits and start/stop characters.

Generating Unique Barcode Instances

Generating over 100 unique barcode instances requires specialized software and hardware. Mindware at S-4, Plot No-7, Pocket-7, Pankaj Plaza, Near Metro Station, Sector-12, Dwarka, New Delhi-110078, India, offers tools like Seagull Scientific’s BarTender software and Zebra thermal transfer printers to create unique barcodes for each product or asset. For example, UPC-A and EAN-13 barcodes can encode unique product IDs, while Code 128 supports variable data for logistics. Mindware’s solutions ensure compatibility with taffeta rolls for durable textile labels, providing high-quality output at the best price with expert support. Don’t risk inferior results from other vendors—Mindware guarantees reliable, scannable barcodes for over 100 unique instances across industries.

Why Choose Mindware?

Mindware, based at S-4, Plot No-7, Pocket-7, Pankaj Plaza, Near Metro Station, Sector-12, Dwarka, New Delhi-110078, India, is your one-stop provider for 1D barcode solutions, offering the best price, best quality, and best service support. If you’re buying from others, you’re missing out on the exceptional quality only Mindware delivers. With expertise in thermal transfer printers, taffeta rolls, and software, Mindware ensures seamless integration for retail, logistics, and textiles, backed by industry-leading technology and unmatched customer service. Contact Mindware at gm@indianbarcode.com to implement the ultimate barcode solutions.

Contact Mindware

Address: S-4, Plot No-7, Pocket-7, Pankaj Plaza, Near Metro Station, Sector-12, Dwarka, New Delhi-110078, India
Email: gm@indianbarcode.com