Almost daily, we are faced with the procedure of reading the barcode, making purchases in the store. It is this attribute that is the main element in the identification of goods and provides information about them in a volume sufficient to make a purchase.
So, using a barcode reader, you can find out data about the country and the specific manufacturer of the product, its distinguishing features (article, color, size, name, etc.), as well as determine the authenticity of the information indicated on the label by comparing it with the information received . All this allows for the implementation of a barcode printed on consumer or transport packaging. Checking it for authenticity is quite simple. In the article, we will look at how this can be done, and also analyze in detail what this code is, how to read it, and why it is useful to know its decoding.
Barcode: what is it and what data contains
This code is a kind of trademark that allows you to identify the product by reading it with a special electronic device. The barcode is an image in the form of stripes and numbers, which is applied to the packaging of the product and contains detailed information about it. In order to get it, you need to decrypt the corresponding characters. As a rule, there are thirteen or eight of them (the most common options in our country).
The 13-digit barcode is called EAN-13 and refers to the European Commodity Numbering Association. In some cases, an 8-digit code is used, EAN-8. It is applied to small packaging. There are also systems designed for encoding settlement and payment documents, which are also compatible with EAN.
What information does the barcode carry? You can check on it the data encrypted in numbers and stripes about:
- the country in which the code databank is located;
- country of origin of goods;
- product
- control number (more about it below).
How to do it? Let's get a look.
We reveal the secret of the barcode
The coding of alphanumeric characters is carried out using light and dark stripes of various widths, alternating with each other - strokes and spaces. The unit of the stroke width is the approved module - 0.33 mm (the narrowest stroke or space). Seven modules, grouped in two dashes and two spaces, encode one digit of the barcode. The width of each of them can be from one to a maximum of three modules. For example: the number "4" will look like a sequence of the form "1011100". Similarly, each code character is represented. What are these figures talking about?
- The first digits (two or three) contain information about the country of origin of the goods. In some countries, these are several options for combining numbers (due to the large scale) that make up the barcode. You can check them for a particular state in special directories or on numerous online resources. For Russia, these values are from 460 to 469, for China - 690, Great Britain - 50, Germany - from 400 to 440, etc.
- The following numbers (there are five) indicate the specific enterprise that manufactured the goods. This code is assigned by the national authority of the country to which the organization belongs.
- The following (also five) are the numbers of the product code, they are determined either by the manufacturer or the seller in the form of a registration number within the organization. What can be encrypted in these numbers? You can check the product using a barcode for data such as name, size and weight, color, grade and other characteristic information.
- The last digit of the code is a check number. It is necessary for the scanner to read the information contained in the barcode. This figure is calculated by a special algorithm, which we will consider later.
Barcode Check Digit: How to Identify
You can check the barcode for authenticity by the last digit indicated in it. How to do it? It is necessary to make calculations according to the following algorithm:
- Each digit, except the last, is assigned a value from 1 to 12 in order.
- The numbers located in even places (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12th) are added up, and the resulting value is multiplied by 3.
- The numbers are located on odd places (1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11th).
- The results of the second and third points are also summarized. It turns out a number of two or three digits.
- At the final value, only the last digit is left. She is subtracted from ten.
The resulting difference will be the check digit that completes the barcode. You can verify the truth of this algorithm yourself by taking the code digits on any product you have at hand.
Strokes and spaces
Not only numbers carry information, but also strokes, spaces, as well as their width and combination between themselves. The size of the standard EAN-13 code is 31.35 mm. At the same time, there should be free space around the barcode, which increases its nominal width to 37.29 mm. There is also an indication of the beginning and end of scanning - elongated edges of the code strip. In the bands themselves, the numbers reflected on the barcode of the product are encrypted. About how they are encoded, it was said above.
Barcode verification: how and why
Everyone wants to buy genuine goods, but not good (or bad) disguised fakes. It is not always possible to determine by appearance whether it is an original or a copy. Especially often, such problems happen when buying clothes of famous brands. In this situation, you can check the barcode of the country of origin and get information about the true origin of the goods. For these purposes, there are special online services. By entering the appropriate numbers in the data window, you will find out where and by whom the products having a specific bar code are manufactured. Often on the label / tag flaunts the inscription "Made in France" or "Made in the USA", but in fact the thing is an ordinary Chinese consumer goods.
However, the inconsistency of the information may be due to other reasons:
- the goods are manufactured at a subsidiary located in another country;
- the goods are manufactured in one country, but under a license from a company in another state;
- the founders of the enterprise are firms registered in various states;
- the company received the code in the country to which the export is directed.
In these cases, it is worth learning more about the manufacturer and the features of its work. By the way, not so long ago there were special applications for smartphones that allow you to check the barcode of products directly in the store to get complete information about them without outside help.
Postcode barcodes
This feature is no longer a novelty for most citizens who occasionally order something on the Internet. Today it is possible to check the package by barcode and determine its location when it is still on the way. This code (which is assigned to all items) is also the mail identifier used to track mail. It is entered on special resources (on the Russian Post website or other "thematic" services) and allows you to get information about the main postal points passed and the "processing" status (formed, sent, delivered) of the item, its weight, type and so on.
There are some differences in the parcel barcode. They also consist of 13 digits (in the Russian Federation - 14), but their values are different:
- first 6 digits - recipient index;
- 7, 8th digits - month of departure;
- 9-13th digits - parcel number;
- 14th is the control value.
Thus, knowing the barcode, you can check whether it is your package, and also find out information about it when it is on the way.
Conclusion
The image that is applied to the packaging of any product manufactured and to be sold is called a barcode. Check with it you can information about the product itself, its manufacturer and country of origin, as well as to identify the authenticity of the data indicated on the label / packaging. In addition, special barcodes of mail items are used to identify and track them during the delivery period. This attribute is an essential element of automated product identification worldwide.