You are viewing this content as a subscriber
Subscribers only

Types of barcodes used in the label and packaging industries

Barcodes are a standard method of identifying the manufacturer and product category of a particular item

Barcodes are a standard method of identifying the manufacturer and product category of a particular item. They have evolved over a number of years and have steadily developed for different uses and applications.

Invented in the early 1950s, barcodes have undoubtedly had a significant impact on accelerating the flow of products and information in the global business community. In total there are believed to be over 220 different barcodes, although only a few of these are currently used; even fewer are widely used.