A barcode is a graphic label in which information about a product is encrypted in a special way. When the code is read by an electronic device - a scanner - the data is displayed on the screen in the form of a short text. This technology is widely used in shopping malls, when sellers checkout at cash registers. However, you can even get certain information from a barcode with the naked eye.
Instructions
Step 1
Consider carefully the packaging of the product. The code mark can be printed directly on the label by typography or on a separate label from self-adhesive tape. Both methods are completely legal. And in any case, the stripes and numbers of the barcode should be readable, not blurry and indistinct.
Step 2
Barcode supplements, but does not replace, common consumer information. Important information about the product must be present on the packaging in the form of text and / or graphics.
Step 3
Do not be surprised to find several tags on one product at once. The international EAN coding system provides for two types of barcodes: regular and internal. A regular code is assigned to mass-produced items. Internal is used on the territory of one enterprise, for example, in supermarkets for identification at the checkout of bulk goods or piece products of its own production.
Step 4
Count the number of characters in a regular barcode. Russia adheres to the European EAN standard, which provides for marking of 13 Arabic numerals. The digital mix is unique. There are no two products in the world with the same code. The barcodes are assigned by the regional offices of the international organization EAN International.
Step 5
The numbers in the code are read from left to right and mean:
- the first two or three digits - the country from which the goods came;
- the next four or five digits (depending on the length of the country code) are the manufacturer;
- five more digits - consumer properties of the product (name, features, weight, composition, color);
- the last digit is a control one, which is used to check the accuracy of reading the code by the scanner.
Step 6
The check digit can identify a fake barcode applied by an unscrupulous manufacturer or seller. To do this, you need to calculate the sum of all other digits according to a certain formula and compare it with the control value.
Step 7
For example, in barcode 8808993505166 check digit you can check like this:
- add the numbers in even positions: 8 + 8 + 9 + 5 + 5 + 6 = 41
- multiply this amount by 3: 41x3 = 123
- add the numbers in odd positions, except for the check one: 8 + 0 + 9 + 3 + 0 + 1 = 21
- add the numbers obtained in the second and third calculations: 123 + 21 = 144
- discard hundreds and tens, leaving only ones: 4
- subtract the remaining number from 10: 10-4 = 6
As a result, the check digit turned out to be correct. This indicates the authenticity of the product.
Step 8
The barcode is not related to the quality of the product. By its label, it is impossible to determine whether a particular product has been produced in accordance with all technological requirements. However, by the combination of the code digits, you can find information about the manufacturer in the international system GEPIR, which maintains the barcode database up to date.
