There are dozens of different types of barcodes, many of which have specific use cases and data structures. Barcode symbologies are developed and standardized by the international non-profit GS1. Generally, barcodes are categorized by linear or 1D barcodes and matrix or 2D barcodes.
1D barcodes
Depending on the barcode symbology, 1D barcodes can contain up to 85 alphanumeric characters. These characters are encoded in parallel lines and interleaved spaces, with the widths of the spaces and bars corresponding to specific characters. Each character represents different information about the product, and a database provides the details for each character.
Common 1D symbologies include:
- GS1 DataBar Omnidirectional
- Universal Product Code (UPC)
- European Article Number (EAN)-13
- Code 128
What are the parts of 1D barcodes?
2D barcodes
2D codes store data horizontally and vertically, allowing them to contain up to 3,116 numeric characters or 2,335 alphanumeric characters encoded in squares, dots, hexagons, or other geometric shapes. All 2D codes have built-in error correction, similar to the check digits in some 1D codes. For example, within a single 2D Data Matrix code, the data is typically encoded three times, increasing the chances the code will be correctly read.
The most common 2D symbologies are:
- Data Matrix
- Quick Response (QR)
- GS1 DataBar Stacked