Bar Codes

Dublin_Gunner

Hi all, I need to know where I can obtain a number of barcodes from.

Its basically for 12 greeting cards, and I need a barcode for each.

I'm assuming a randomly generated code would do for each, but as I've never actually had to deal with obtaining barcodes before (I've usually been supplied with them), I have no idea how to go about it!

1. Could I get free bar codes, and would they be suitable?
2. Do I need to actually purchase / register them, and if so, where? What sort of cost?

Any help is much appreciated!

Chochese

In work we use Bar Code Pro. Very Handy for doing large volumes of sequential barcodes.

A lighter alternative is the online generator made by Terry Burton. This will create an array of different barcodes and you can download them in EPS, BMP, JPG, PNG and TIFF formats.

Barcodes can be very complicated things, so make sure the people you're doing the cards for have the correct numbers to generate the correct barcodes. If they're being sold in shops, be sure that the range of numbers being used isn't being used by another product in the store.

I'm not 100% certain on the technical aspects of barcodes, but they can get complicated. For instance, with EAN barcodes, companies use the first range of numbers to identifiy themselves on products. If you randomly chose the same numbers as one of these companies by coincidence, your cards would show up as being made from that company and play havoc with the store's stock monitoring system.

Just be sure to use the correct type of barcode.

BoB_BoT

are you having these sold in other shops? If selling in shops, you may need a UPC (Universal product code). Although that may be for International use, not quite sure.

A friend of mine had a CD produced and had to get a UPC so he could apply barcodes to his CD cases.

Dublin_Gunner

Chochese wrote: »

In work we use Bar Code Pro. Very Handy for doing large volumes of sequential barcodes.

A lighter alternative is the online generator made by Terry Burton. This will create an array of different barcodes and you can download them in EPS, BMP, JPG, PNG and TIFF formats.

Barcodes can be very complicated things, so make sure the people you're doing the cards for have the correct numbers to generate the correct barcodes. If they're being sold in shops, be sure that the range of numbers being used isn't being used by another product in the store.

I'm not 100% certain on the technical aspects of barcodes, but they can get complicated. For instance, with EAN barcodes, companies use the first range of numbers to identifiy themselves on products. If you randomly chose the same numbers as one of these companies by coincidence, your cards would show up as being made from that company and play havoc with the store's stock monitoring system.

Just be sure to use the correct type of barcode.

Thanks for that. I've just been trying out the Terry Burton generator before you posted. I used a random number generator to generate the 12 digits I needed for each barcode, and used that to generate the 12 barcodes I needed (using EAN13).

I'm gonna use these for the samples anyway, but I'm gonna play safe rather than sorry and leave the barcodes, and the generating / purchasing of them up to the client.

Thanks again.

Chochese

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

I'm gonna play safe rather than sorry and leave the barcodes, and the generating / purchasing of them up to the client

That's the best thing to do. All of the product packaging that we design, we get the barcode numbers sent from the client's company.

Dublin_Gunner

Chochese wrote: »

That's the best thing to do. All of the product packaging that we design, we get the barcode numbers sent from the client's company.

Yes, or at least the numbers, from which I can generate the barcodes I mean.

Thanks again.

Rulmeq

If you are doing this to sell your cards in shops, no you cannot just make up random numbers. If you just make up some random number, you will most likely fall foul of the check digits (for every correct EAN there are 9 incorrect ones), or you will have a clash with an existing product.

In Europe the allocation of article numbers is controlled by EAN (now called Global Irish for some reason) http://ean.ie/. They charge for the use of the numbers, however some companies managed to buy codes in bulk before the latest rules were introduced, so you should be able to buy individual codes from one of these companies, and use them on your cards.

BTW, unless the prices are different for each one, you don't really need 12 different ones, you can just use the same code (most greeting cards use the same code, and the shops identify individual cards using their own codes, if they do it at all). Although if you want to keep track of individual cards it can be useful.

Edit: Hmm, I posted the link to EAN without reading the site, it's got nothing to do with article numbering :oops: I can't find a link to EAN ireland anymore, they must have disappeared into the mists. Here is a link to how EANs are genereated though: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Article_Number

Dublin_Gunner

Rulmeq wrote: »

If you are doing this to sell your cards in shops, no you cannot just make up random numbers. If you just make up some random number, you will most likely fall foul of the check digits (for every correct EAN there are 9 incorrect ones), or you will have a clash with an existing product.

In Europe the allocation of article numbers is controlled by EAN (now called Global Irish for some reason) http://ean.ie/. They charge for the use of the numbers, however some companies managed to buy codes in bulk before the latest rules were introduced, so you should be able to buy individual codes from one of these companies, and use them on your cards.

BTW, unless the prices are different for each one, you don't really need 12 different ones, you can just use the same code (most greeting cards use the same code, and the shops identify individual cards using their own codes, if they do it at all). Although if you want to keep track of individual cards it can be useful.

Edit: Hmm, I posted the link to EAN without reading the site, it's got nothing to do with article numbering :oops: I can't find a link to EAN ireland anymore, they must have disappeared into the mists. Here is a link to how EANs are genereated though: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Article_Number

I think its now GS1.ie is the site you are thinking of.

About the check digits - I was using generators which generate the correct check digits, no no problem there, and they would probably be fine, but I'm gonna leave it up to the company as per my earlier post.