In today’s post we are going to talk about the barcode verifier, what it is and how it can benefit your business.
Barcode verifiers are used to demonstrate code quality compliance and barcode verification itself is the process of grading the quality of 1D, 2D, and direct part mark (DPM) codes. In our busy modern world, an increasing number of regulated industries require barcode verification and having a barcode verifier is one way to ensure that your barcodes are always up to standard.
Barcode verifiers provide you with guidance through the marking process and ensure you create codes that meet the minimum quality standards. Many use high quality optics, advanced algorithms, and easy to use software to ensure compliance with industry standard guidelines.
Here at AIS Ltd, we use Omron Microscan products. Omron Microscan are the world’s leading manufacturer of Barcode Verifiers and we have a range of barcode verifier products to choose from including:
- LVS 9510 Barcode Verifier
- LVS 9580 Barcode Verifier
- LVS 9585 DPM Direct Part Marking
- LVS 9570 Handheld Barcode Verifier
- In-Line Barcode Verification Kits
What Does a Barcode Verifier Do?
Barcode verifiers are used to guarantee that the barcodes you print are of a high quality and 100% compliant with the symbology specifications you have to meet. They can also provide a detailed report about the print and read quality of a barcode as set out by ANSI and ISO specifications.
As well as this, barcode verifiers can also suggest any actions that need to be taken based on deficiency. Therefore, using a barcode verifier can help reduce errors and save your business time and money.
Ensuring that the barcodes you print are up to standard ensures that everything between barcode printing and scanning runs smoothly and both industries and individuals can depend on the symbols being printed and scanned successfully no matter where they are produced or handled.
Barcode verification helps to confirm that a barcode being printed will be accepted anywhere and by any barcode reader. It is the only way that businesses can assign a grade to a barcode and it’s the most reliable way to diagnose and fix any marking errors.
How To Check Barcode Quality with a Barcode Verifier
If you need to make sure that your printed barcode can be scanned anywhere a barcode verifier is a must. Using a scanner to test it will only tell you whether the barcode can be read by your particular scanner. A barcode verifier however, will let you grade the quality of the barcode. There are international standards for measuring and grading the printed quality of barcodes and the latest ISO/IEC standards define the techniques for both linear barcodes and 2D barcodes such as QR codes.
Linear barcode verifiers measure seven different parameters of the barcode including:
- Symbol contrast
- Minimum reflectance
- Edge contrast minimum
- Modulation
- Defects
- Decodability
- Decode
The results of this are then used to give the barcode an overall grade. Grades run from 4.0 down to 0. 4.0 being the best result. 1.5 is a pass for most barcodes and 0.5 is permitted for outer case barcodes printed onto brown corrugated. 0 is a fail.
For more information on barcode verification and to see our range of barcode verifiers be sure to check out our website or get in touch with one of our AIS Ltd experts who will be happy to answer any questions you have and provide practical advice on choosing the barcode verifier that will work best for you.