Code39 is a symbology that is widely used in industrial bar code applications. It is discrete, self-checking, variable length symbology that can be printed readily by a variety of technologies.

Code 39 ASCII

Code39 supports 43 data characters but it is possible to encode all 128 ASCII characters using Code39's Full ASCII feature. This symbology is also known as Code 39 Extended.

Code 93

Code 93 is specifically designed to provide a high-density complement to Code39. The Code 93 symbols consist of a start code followed by an arbitrary length data region, followed by two check characters(the 'C' and 'K' check characters) and a stop character.

Code 128

Code 128 not only gives you the ability to encode all 128 ASCII characters, when encoding numbers only, it can actually encode them more densely than other barcodes. It is commonly used for certain shipping labels, primarily as defined by the Uniform Code Council in their UCC-128 shipping container bar coding standard. Code 128 supports three character sets and they can be summarized as follows:

Code A: The Full ASCII set, except for the 26 lower case letters.
Code B: The Full ASCII set, except for the 26 "control" characters.
Code C: Double-density numeric. This character set is numeric-only, but any one character actually represents two digits. Therefore, 100 of the 102 characters in code set C are used to represent the 100 two-character combinations from 00 through 99. If the specific character set is not specified (ie you specify to just use Code128 instead of CODE128A), SmartCodeStudio will choose the most optimal character set or even use a combination of the character sets to encode your data efficiently.

DataMatrix

Data Matrix is a two-dimensional matrix symbology which is made up of square modules arranged within a perimeter finder pattern. There are two types : ECC 000-140 with several available levels of convolutional error correction and ECC 200 which uses Reed-Solomon error correction. For new applications, ECC 200 is recommended. SmartCodeStudio supports the new ECC200. Each Data Matrix symbol consists of data regions, which contain nominally square modules set out in a regular array. In larger ECC 200 symbols, data regions are separated by alignment patterns. The data region is surrounded by a finder pattern. Data Matrix supports both square and rectangle shape symbol.

Industrial 2 of 5 (Standard 2 of 5)

Standard 2 of 5 is a low-density numeric symbology that has been with us since the 1960s. It has been used in the photofinishing and warehouse sorting industries, as well as sequentially numbering airline tickets. The symbology is called "2 of 5" due to the fact that digits are encoded with 5 bars, 2 of which are always wide (and the remaining three are narrow). Standard 2 of 5 is a very simple symbology in that all encoding information is encoded in the width of the bars. The spaces in the barcode exist only to separate the bars themselves. Additionally, a bar may either be wide or narrow, a wide bar generally being 3 times as wide as a narrow bar. The exact size of the spaces is not critical, but is generally the same width as a narrow bar.

Interleaved 2 of 5

Interleaved 2 of 5 is a higher-density version of 2 of 5. While it is reasonable to support Standard 2 of 5 for legacy systems, new projects should seriously consider using Interleaved 2 of 5 rather than Standard 2 of 5.

EAN13

The European Article Numbering system (abbreviated as EAN) is a superset of U.P.C and was introduced about 1978. An EAN-13 symbol contains the same number of bars as U.P.C Version A, but encodes a 13th digit from the character set pattern of the left-hand six digits, in the same manner as the encodation of the check digit in a U.P.C Version E symbol.

EAN8

An EAN-8 symbol is structured in the same manner as a U.P.C Version A, but with only four digits encoded in each half. An EAN-8 symbol encodes two flag digits, five data digits assigned for the product by the Country Coding Authority, and one check digit.

ISBN (International Standard Book Number)

The "Bookland" barcode (ISBN) is really an EAN-13 barcode that follows a specific format (prefix with a number system of 978) and is used exclusively with books. The ISBN is a unique machine-readable identification number, which marks any book unmistakably.

ISSN (International Standard Serial Number)

The ISSN is the standardized international code, which identifies any serial publication independently of its country of origin, its language or alphabet, or its frequency, medium, etc. ISSN barcode symbols begin with "977" followed by the first seven characters of the ISSN. The last character in the symbol is a check character, which is generated.

MSI

MSI was developed by the MSI Data Corporation, based on the original Plessey Code. MSI, also known as Modified Plessey, is used primarily to mark retail shelves for inventory control. MSI is a continuous, non-self-checking symbology.

PDF417

PDF417 is a multirow, continuous, variable length symbology which has high data capacity. Every symbol has between thee to ninety rows. Every symbol includes at least two error correction codewords and this is selectable up to 512 Error Codewords. The error correction codewords can be used to correct erasures (where a character is undecodable) and actual errors(where the position and value of a character is unknown).

Postnet

Postnet is widely used by the U.S Postal Service. It is a numeric symbology that uses five bars and four spaces. A constant width and spacing is used throughout the symbol. It is a clocked technology in which a scan through the bottom of the bars provides a timing track.

Rational Codabar (aka Ames Code/USD-4/NW-7/2 of 7 Code)

Codabar was developed was developed in 1972 by Pitney Bowes, Inc. It is a discrete, self-checking symbology that may encode 16 different characters, plus an additional 4 start/stop characters. This symbology is used by U.S. blood banks, photo labs, and on FedEx airbills.

RSS 14

RSS14 encodes the full 14-digit EAN.UCC item identification in a symbol that can be omnidirectionally scanned by suitably configured point-of-sale laser scanners.

RSS Limited

RSS Limited encodes a 14-digit EAN.UCC item identification with Indicator digits of 0 or 1 in a small symbol that will not be scanned at the point of sale.

RSS Stacked

RSS-14 Stacked is a RSS-14 Truncated two-row formats. The top row is 5X high and the bottom row is 7X high with a 1X high separator pattern between the two rows. RSS Stacked Omnidirectional RSS-14 Omnidirectional is a full height RSS-14 two row format. A 3X high separator patternseparate the symbol rows.

RSS Truncated

RSS-14 Truncated is structured and encoded the same as the standard RSS-14 format, except its height is reduced to a 13X minimum. It may be used for small items, instead of RSs Limited, when an Indicator digit greater than one is required. It is designed to be read by scanners such as wnads, handheld lasers, and linear and CCD scanners. It cannot be read efficiently by omnidirectional slot scanners.

UCC/EAN 128

UCC/EAN-128 was developed to provide a worldwide format and standard for exchanging common data between companies. Other than encoding data, it also encodes what that data represents. UCC/EAN-128 has a list of "Application Identifiers" (AI). Each AI tells the system what kind of data will follow and in what format. For example, AI 320 indicates that the data that follows is a net weight in pounds. It is used to encode shipping/product information.

UPCA

U.P.C is designed to uniquely identify a product and its manufacturer. It is a coding system as well as a symbology. It is the original coding system and symbology developed for use in North America. U.P.C Version A is a 12 digit code: the first six digits represent the number system character, and the manufacturer of the labeled item, the next five digits are a unique product identifier and the 12th digit is a check character, based on the previous 11 digits of data.

UPCE

U.P.C Version E (also known as the "zero suppression version") allows manufactuers to encode a limited number of unique 12-digit product codes in six digits. The six digits are enclosed between two left-hand guard bars and three right-hand guard bars. The check character is encoded by the character set pattern of the six data digits.

UPC Extension 2

UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, and EAN-8 may all include an additional barcode to the right of it. The additional barcode can be UPC Extension 2. 2-digit supplemental barcodes should only be used with magazines, newspapers and other such periodicals. The 2-digit supplement represent the issue number of the magazine. This is useful so that the product code itself (contained in the main barcode) is constant for the magazine such that each issue of the magazine doesn't have to have its own unique barcode. Nevertheless, the 2-digit supplement can be used to track which issue of the magazine is being sold, perhaps for sales analysis or restocking purposes.

UPC Extension 5

5-digit supplemental barcodes are used on books to indicate a suggested retail price.