3D Barcode Generator

A three-dimensional (3D) barcode generator is a computer program that makes barcodes that can be embossed on items during the manufacturing process, because these barcodes stand up to chemicals better than labels would. There are many standards for 3D barcodes, and most 3D barcode generator programs meet many of these standards. To use the barcodes, the 3D barcode generator exports the image as a more commonly used graphics format. Most generators offer high-resolution graphics, because these barcodes emboss better than low-resolution ones. Text is sometimes needed around barcodes, and some generators have minor text-editing features.

Depending on the manufacturer’s niche, the company may need to use a certain barcode format to satisfy guidelines and standards. There are many different formats, so the majority of 3D barcode generator programs are equipped to work with many of these formats, though most generators do not include all formats. Each format makes barcode lines in a slightly different way and, if the manufacturer chooses the wrong format, the products may not properly scan.

Most 3D barcode generator programs make the barcode in a special format that only the generator understands and can work with. While this optimizes the generator’s ability to work with that image format, embossers typically cannot use the image. To correct this issue, generators are able to export and convert the barcode into a different image format that is more commonly used for embossing and printing. As with the barcode format, most generators offer many image formats, but not all of them.

2D Barcode

A 2D barcode is a graphical representation of a sequence of numbers or letters. It was designed to be easy to print, compact in size and readily read by a scanner. The barcode identifies an item, person or other object by a unique number that potentially links to information within a database. This allows the scanning of a barcode to bring up prices, product descriptions or medical patient information, depending on how the scanning system works. Unlike its one-dimensional counterpart, a 2D barcode is capable of storing far more information, primarily because it uses a grid-like array of dots instead of simply a sequence of lines.

The 2D barcode evolved from the one-dimensional design that was developed to help in managing the inventory of grocery stores. Over many decades it went through several changes as technology slowly caught up with the concept. It finally took collaboration between several large companies to make the concept work and spread it throughout retail outlets around the world.

The 2D barcode is an advance over the one-dimensional barcode for several reasons. It is able to represent more than just numerical data and instead can represent letters, numbers and other characters. It also contains a method of error correction to ensure the code was read into a computer correctly.

Best Tips for Barcode Inventory Management

Inventory management is the practice of tracking items that a business keeps in stock. Items in inventory are considered to be assets because they have value in that they can be sold or used in manufacturing, production, and communication processes that guide day to day operations. Barcode inventory management is an asset management system in which inventory items are given barcodes that can be scanned. Information, such as count, receiving dates, and location then appears on a computer monitor. One of the best tips for barcode inventory management is to create a job position responsible solely for managing this system.

By creating a position, such as inventory manager, responsible for overseeing barcode inventory management, a business manager can centralize the inventory process. This is helpful for creating a database that is overseen by one professional who can make sure that all data is current and consistent. An inventory manager is also able to dedicate his or her time to managing inventory, allowing other warehouse workers to concentrate on other important duties.

Another important tip for barcode inventory management is the creation of a consistent system or protocol regularizing inventory procedures. For example, an inventory manager might decide that certain information should be available from a barcode scan, such as inspection dates and comments regarding health of a piece of equipment. For ease of reference, it might be a good idea for the manager to design and follow a notation system that allows for the clear conveyance of information and a faster data entry time.

Difference between Barcode and RFDI

Before looking at the differences between barcode and RFDI, an example of each technology has been included below to demonstrate how each is used. Although the way they function is very different, barcode and RFDI technology are both useful for inventory management and other applications. A quick note about terminology. RFDI stands for Radio Frequency Data Identification or Radio Frequency Data Identifier. It is more commonly referred to as RFID which stands for Radio Frequency Identification, or less commonly, Radio Frequency Identification Device.

A barcode is a series of lines and numbers used to record information about an item. For example, a product bar code found in a supermarket on a can of chicken noodle soup might contain the manufacturer lot number for the can, which also tells the user when this can of soup was produced. It might also dictate the item code that tells the user which item has been selected. Barcodes can also include the price of the item, as would be the case for the chicken noodle soup, allowing the cash register to scan the barcode and record the price of the item. This also serves as an inventory tracking mechanism for the soup, when the item is scanned by the cashier, these units can be removed from inventory.

Barcode Reader

Barcodes consisting of black lines with spaces between them are often used to keep track of inventory and simplify other aspects of running certain businesses, especially grocery stores and other places where complex tracking is necessary. A barcode reader provides a quick way to translate the codes, and using one requires very little effort on the part of workers. Barcodes represent numbers that can be linked to items in a database, and the readers have an ability to measure light reflections, allowing them to pick up the barcodes off the surfaces of packaging. Most barcode readers are shaped either like a gun or a pen, but some are set up in fixed positions.

Prior to the invention of barcodes and the barcode reader, grocery stores and other kinds of shops had much more difficulty keeping track of inventory, relying more heavily on manual methods. Knowing exactly how many items are available in a store is often crucial for retailers because it allows them to keep a tally of how well things are selling and simplifies the process of making decisions about quantity when making another order. Typically, a barcode reader is set up at each cash register, connected to a computerized database with information on all the items in the store. When the clerk scans items during a purchase, the system registers the sold item in the database, keeping a real-time inventory estimate.

Barcodes are always made up of black lines because of the way readers work. Since black surfaces are typically known to absorb more light and brighter surfaces are more reflective, bouncing light off a barcode generates a simple pattern of spaces and lines that can be registered with relatively simple equipment. The actual technology used in barcode readers has changed over time, including the use of lasers, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and even actual cameras with the ability to pick up codes from a greater distance or read multiple codes simultaneously.

The form factor for a barcode reader is often dependent on its use. Many are designed so that clerks and other operators can maneuver them for easier access to barcodes, and these are often shaped a lot like guns or pens. Others are set up so that they remain stationary and the barcode is moved into a position where the scanner can read it, including the kind that are set up inside the conveyer belt tables in some grocery stores.

Best Tips for Barcode Asset Tracking

Asset tracking is the practice of managing tangible items of value. Examples of tangible assets include products that are for sale, equipment, tools, computers, and any other device that helps a business to optimize day to day operations. Managers who are responsible for asset tracking often choose to use barcode systems that allow them to scan inventory items in order to access information regarding receiving and shipping dates and other relevant notations. Some of the best tips for barcode asset tracking are to allow time for complete implementation of a system and to use a system to track the health of equipment.

Implementing a barcode asset tracking system can be a time consuming process. Most asset managers already have inventory data stored in a database. Transferring existing information to a new system can require hours of work. In some cases, information in one database can be moved easily to another system, though this depends on the features of each program, as well as compatibility of the programs.

Before implementation, a manager should decide how a barcode asset tracking system should be used. In many cases, basic information regarding receiving dates and location are included in each file. Managers may also find it useful to include information regarding statuses of equipment. For example, there can be a comment space where employees can write reports regarding malfunctions. When equipment is leased, a manager can create an interface that allows users to access contract information.

Barcode Scanners

Barcode scanners are devices which use some sort of light-emitting device and a photo conductor to read barcodes. They are usually designed to attach to a computer, via either PS2 or some other interface, though they may also be used on their own and store the data for future retrieval by a computer.

Barcode scanners typically utilize a laser scanner, though LED and imaging varieties also exist. Light is shot out of the barcode scanner onto the barcode, then reflected back, picked up by a photodiode in the scanner and decoded. The decoded information is then transmitted to the computer that the scanner is hooked up to.

Barcode scanners may be completely handheld, in which case they usually look almost like a science-fiction era gun, with a laser emitting from the barrel, and a trigger to turn the light on or off. These are found in some stores, and consumer-level barcode scanners are most often of this variety. Barcode scanners may also be built into a surface such as a register counter, so that barcodes can be read by swiping them across the laser. These types of barcode scanners are most typically found in supermarkets because of their ease of use and speed.

Smaller barcode scanners, often shaped like small pens, are also in use. This variety is often found in video stores or book stores. Their smaller, usually lower-quality light source does not allow for the same consistency of reading as larger scanners, but is often adequate for simple uses.