Every product manufactured and sold in the market has some type of number on it that most people tend to ignore. Oftentimes, this number can be found on the labeling of the product and occasionally, imprinted to on the item itself. Though they may seem to be nothing of value, those numbers actually were placed there for a reason. It is essential to educate ourselves about what those numbers represent and how they are used especially if you are a business owner, either on the manufacturing or retail side. Here is some important information about the numbers found on everyday products.
You have probably seen a barcode before. They are those black lines within a white box commonly found on a product's packaging with numbers found at the bottom. Bar codes are usually scanned to get the price of a particular product and input it to the POS machine. It is important to note that there are different types of bar coding systems implemented today. Two of the widely used bar coding schemes used by most companies are the Universal Product Code and the Electronic Product Code.
The Universal Product Code or UPC is a barcode system used by most manufacturers from all around the world to keep track of the items they produce and distribute. All products that use the UPC barcode system are assigned with a unique identifier in the form of a 12-digit number. Each number in the series is represented by a vertical black bar and white spaces which forms the barcode. No barcode is the same and the 12-digit number complies with a standard rule. It is fascinating to know that a maximum of 1 trillion barcodes can be made so no two products are the same.
The Electronic Product Code system on the other hand or EPC was developed to become a universal identifier which provides a unique ID number of every physical object from all countries. They are commonly used on RFID data carriers but not exclusive. They also can be constructed to work with traditional optical data carriers such as those using linear bar codes. EPC is compatible with existing product coding systems and can define new schemes when necessary. It was designed to cater to the needs of manufacturers from various industries.
There are also special codes that manufacturers place on their products in addition to UPCs and EPCs such as serial numbers and dates of expiration. This specifically applies on medicines, beverages and food items. For this reason, a special piece of equipment known as an ID coder is needed for printing these important numbers onto your products. There are several brands that offer this equipment. Some of the best known names are VideoJet coders, Altima coders or brands such as Domino, Maxima and Imaje.
New coders can be quite expensive, so it might be best to consider purchasing a used and refurbished coder. Some product id companies rebuild coders and restore them to near-new condition and this can be an excellent money-saving alternative to a new Domino coder, a VideoJet coder or some other type of CIJ coder. Branded inks are not necessarily needed and you can still get the same excellent result using generic types of ink and these product id companies also often create very high quality versions of Imaje ink, Domino ink and many other popular brands.
You have probably seen a barcode before. They are those black lines within a white box commonly found on a product's packaging with numbers found at the bottom. Bar codes are usually scanned to get the price of a particular product and input it to the POS machine. It is important to note that there are different types of bar coding systems implemented today. Two of the widely used bar coding schemes used by most companies are the Universal Product Code and the Electronic Product Code.
The Universal Product Code or UPC is a barcode system used by most manufacturers from all around the world to keep track of the items they produce and distribute. All products that use the UPC barcode system are assigned with a unique identifier in the form of a 12-digit number. Each number in the series is represented by a vertical black bar and white spaces which forms the barcode. No barcode is the same and the 12-digit number complies with a standard rule. It is fascinating to know that a maximum of 1 trillion barcodes can be made so no two products are the same.
The Electronic Product Code system on the other hand or EPC was developed to become a universal identifier which provides a unique ID number of every physical object from all countries. They are commonly used on RFID data carriers but not exclusive. They also can be constructed to work with traditional optical data carriers such as those using linear bar codes. EPC is compatible with existing product coding systems and can define new schemes when necessary. It was designed to cater to the needs of manufacturers from various industries.
There are also special codes that manufacturers place on their products in addition to UPCs and EPCs such as serial numbers and dates of expiration. This specifically applies on medicines, beverages and food items. For this reason, a special piece of equipment known as an ID coder is needed for printing these important numbers onto your products. There are several brands that offer this equipment. Some of the best known names are VideoJet coders, Altima coders or brands such as Domino, Maxima and Imaje.
New coders can be quite expensive, so it might be best to consider purchasing a used and refurbished coder. Some product id companies rebuild coders and restore them to near-new condition and this can be an excellent money-saving alternative to a new Domino coder, a VideoJet coder or some other type of CIJ coder. Branded inks are not necessarily needed and you can still get the same excellent result using generic types of ink and these product id companies also often create very high quality versions of Imaje ink, Domino ink and many other popular brands.
About the Author:
Keren Kipfer loves researching products for industrial manufacturers like ink jet printers. For more info on VideoJet equipment or to discover about commercial printers, please go to the PrintJet website now.
