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Friday, December 10, 2010

What is the Difference Between Linear and 2D Barcodes

Barcodes help the businesses to improve the workforce productivity and efficiency of the business. Businesses are increasing speed, effectiveness, and accuracy for better customer by integrating the barcode technology in their businesses.

Generally barcode system contains the barcodes, external database, barcode labels, scanners and printers. Barcodes labels are printed on different products or items by barcode printers. Barcode printers are essential for businesses, who use the barcodes. So it is important to use the reliable barcode printer such as Zebra printer - ideal for any organization or business. Barcodes are many types, but 1D and 2D are basic types of them. There are few differences between them, such as:

Linear barcodes:
These barcodes contain parallel black bars on white spaces which represent the data. There are common 1D symbologies such as, UPC, Code 128, and Code 39, which are used currently.

The data on these barcodes is stored in horizontal direction, because linear barcodes consists of vertical bars and spaces. Barcodes are considered as one dimensional barcodes.


A smaller amount of data is stored by linear or 1D barcodes. Generally it can be up to 12 or 20 digits. It has one draw back - if the barcode is poorly printed or it is damaged, then it is difficult to retrieve the stored information.


2D barcodes:
These barcodes have more data representation capability. They can contain more information in detail. They are in a matrix or stacked format. These barcodes can store data in both horizontal and vertical directions of a barcode. They can encode several thousands of characters, which a machine can read.

Large amount of data can be stored in these barcodes in a smaller space, so they can save the space. Though barcode is damaged, information or data can be retrieved by the these barcodes. Zebra printers are best to read these types of barcodes.

These are the differences between linear (1D) and 2D barcodes. We can say that 2D barcodes are efficient than the 1D barcodes.

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