Without good quality and accurate barcodes, retailers cannot accurately stock or sell products. In fact, the entire supply chain is affected since barcode reading and verification are integral for tracking products and avoiding shipment disruptions. Barcode failures can slow down production lines and result in wasted products, costly reprints, and many other chargebacks.
Altogether, they can make traceability difficult, resulting in ruined business relationships and expensive fines — no wonder why most businesses are looking for quality barcode scanners and verifiers.
But what are barcode scanners and barcode verifiers, and how are they different? Let’s find out.
Barcode Scanner
Barcode scanners, including barcode scanner machines and wireless barcode scanners, translate the alphanumeric digits and use this information to get a description of the item, price, and the number of items in the stock. Some barcode scanners use lasers to decode the relevant information, while others use cameras or lights to capture, read, and decode the barcode image.
Depending on the software, the barcode scanner may provide print quality metrics required for process control and improvement. However, no two barcode scanners are the same. They can differ in optics, lighting, image resolution, and decoding algorithms.
Most barcode scanners, such as 2D barcode scanners and laser barcode scanners, include advanced algorithms for decoding and are specifically designed to read challenging and hard-to-read codes. It means that a barcode scanner might scan the code successfully while another can be unsuccessful. Quality control standards or process control metrics cannot reliably gauge the handling of the same code by different barcode scanners.
Types of Barcode Scanners
Pen Barcode Scanner
A pen barcode scanner, also known as a wand-type stick, resembles a pen. This style of barcode scanner consists of a photodiode at the tip and an LED light. The tip is passed over a barcode, and the LED light gets illuminated with black and white bars. The photodiode is used to measure the reflection of light and can determine the color and width of every bar. The color determination allows the scanner to read the information digitally and transmit it to another unit for processing.
This type of barcode scanner is highly durable and inexpensive. However, due to imprecision and shakiness of human use, the users may need good practice to perfect the scan.
Laser Barcode Scanner
A laser barcode scanner, such as a laser barcode scanner machine, is more advanced than a pen scanner. It’s capable of reading the exact light, which prevents scanner errors or false positives. In this scanner, the laser beam is shot at the mirror within the actual unit. This mirror moves to sweep the laser across the barcode in a straight line. This light reflects the diode and measures the reflection level. This reflection is converted into a digital signal readout of the barcode. This type of scanner can be a part of a handheld scanner or get mounted on the scanning unit.
CCD Barcode Scanner
Charge Coupled Device (CCD), also known as an LED scanner, is another type of barcode scanner and features hundreds of small LED lights arranged in a long row. These lights are directly shot at the barcode, and the sensor measures the voltage of the light. This measurement of voltage provides a digital screenshot of the barcode. The units of CCD are very expensive and highly accurate.
2D Camera Barcode Scanner
The 2D barcodes allow for the versatility of information coding as they provide more data than standard barcodes; however, they cannot be read by conventional machinery. A 2D camera image scanner, such as a barcode scanner with a QR code reader, is required to read these barcodes. This camera consists of various small lights, like a CCD scanner, arranged in multiple rows. The lights flash on the barcode, take a digital picture of the barcode, and the digital signal is sent to the software. Then, the software decodes the information.
Barcode Verifier
Barcode verifiers, such as linear 1D barcode verifiers and two-dimensional 2D barcode verifiers, are used as testing and grading instruments to ensure the printed barcode quality is compliant with the symbology set pertaining to ISO and ANSI specifications. The barcode verifiers grade the barcodes for various printing methods, including Inkjet, Direct Thermal, Flexographic, and Thermal Transfer. All the barcode verifiers measure the parameters of every barcode to ensure their conformance to ISO/IEC standards for verifiers.
More profoundly, here’s what a barcode verifier does:
- Evaluates the symbol contrast to grade the difference between the lightest and darkest modules
- Measures whether the bars are sufficiently dark to meet the required light ratio that is reflected off of the spaces
- Checks to ensure the contrast between spaces and adjacent bars is high enough
- Identifies the white mark presence in the black bars, and vice versa
- Measures the contrast of black and white spaces throughout the barcode
- Determines the readability of the barcode based on symbology requirements
- Evaluates the decodability to check the accuracy of the widths of the bar and space compared to the standard size
Working Together Altogether, both barcode scanning and barcode verification are exceptionally important for ensuring inventory accuracy and cost savings. They allow you to read, test, and scan the barcodes, including barcode images, to ensure they meet industry standards.
The liability of a bad-quality barcode is much more than monetary. It can break the supply chain process and disappoint trading partners and customers. Lastly, the chargeback of bad barcodes can lead to a loss of company reputation and confidence in the loyal customer base.
Have more questions about barcode quality or want to have your barcode quality tested? Check out the range of barcode products or get in touch with us for more details.
