UPC/EAN
The UPC/EAN barcode is used mostly in the retail supermarket. Originally called the UPC barcode (Universal Product Code), it has been successfully used in North America and is adopted internationally. The new international standard is now called the EAN (European Article Numbering) barcode.
The UPC and EAN barcode has several variations which are introduced below. Each of this barcode can also be expanded by an EXT2 (Extension 2) or EXT5 (Extension 5) barcode. The EXT2 is mainly used to identify the issue number of the magazine. For example, a magazine is tagged with an EAN barcode to identify the magazine and and EXT2 barcode to identify the issue number. The EXT5 is used to mark the pricing in dollars and cents and is also typically used in combination with other barcodes like UPC or EAN.
All the UPC, EAN and EXT barcodes can only encode numbers and they share a common set of bar and space representations. Thus ConnectCode uses a common font to represent these different barcodes.
Members of this Barcode Font family
- UPCA - The 12-digit Universal Product Code. This barcode is used to identify each product with a unique code. It consists of a 1 digit Numbering System, 5 digits Manufacturer's code, 5 digits Product Code and 1 Check Digit.
- UPCE - A 6 digits condensed version of UPCA. This barcode is typically used on items where space is a constraint.
- EAN13 - 13 digits European Article Numbering barcode. This barcode is used to identify each product with a unique code internationally. It consists of a 2 digits Country Code, 5 digits Manufacturer's code, 5 digits Product Code and 1 Check Digit. The ISBN(International Standard Book Number) barcode and ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) barcode uses EAN13 as the underlying barcode. For ISBN, the 13 digits starts with 978(or 979. Sunrise 2005 Compliance) while for ISSN it starts with 977.
- EAN8 - 8 digits European Article Numbering barcode. It consists of 2 digits Country Code, 5 digits Product Code and 1 Check Digit.
- EXT2 - Extension 2 barcode (indicate issue number of magazines).
- EXT5 - Extension 5 barcode (indicate suggested retail price of books and magazines). Typically used with ISBN(International Standard Book Number).
UPC/EAN Font Names and Sizes
ConnectCode UPC/EAN barcode supports seven different heights. These barcodes are provided under seven fonts with different names. The barcode names are appended with characters like "S1" or "S2" etc... with each one of them representing a different height. The list below illustrates the different fonts supported.
Without Human Text
- CCodeUPCEAN_S1
- CCodeUPCEAN_S2
- CCodeUPCEAN_S3
- CCodeUPCEAN_S4
- CCodeUPCEAN_S5
- CCodeUPCEAN_S6
- CCodeUPCEAN_S7
- CCodeUPCEAN_HRBS1
- CCodeUPCEAN_HRBS2
- CCodeUPCEAN_HRBS3
- CCodeUPCEAN_HRBS4
- CCodeUPCEAN_HRBS5
- CCodeUPCEAN_HRBS6
- CCodeUPCEAN_HRBS7
- CCodeUPCEAN_HRTS1
- CCodeUPCEAN_HRTS2
- CCodeUPCEAN_HRTS3
Character Map
UPC/EAN barcodes support only numeric characters. However the data characters do not have a direct mapping as in other barcodes. The mapping of the characters depends on a Parity Map table. The mechanism is complex and thus it is recommended to use the Encoder or Macros / Formulas provided in ConnectCode to generate these barcodes.
Control Characters
| Data Character | Barcode Font Character |
| EAN13/EAN8/UPCA Start Character | '[' |
| EAN13/EAN8/UPCA Stop Character | ']' |
| EAN13/UPCA Center Guard Bar Character | '-' |
| UPCE Start Character | '{' |
| UPCE Stop Character | '}' |
| EXT2/EXT5 Start Character | '<' |
| EXT2/EXT5 Separator Character | '+' |
Text Only Characters without barcode bars and spaces (This is only avaliable in the fonts with Human Text)
| Data Character | Barcode Font Character |
| '0' | '!' |
| '1' | '"' |
| '2' | '#' |
| '3' | '$' |
| '4' | '%' |
| '5' | '&' |
| '6' | ''' |
| '7' | '(' |
| '8' | ')' |
| '9' | '*' |
Left Odd Parity
| Data Character | Barcode Font Character |
| '0' | '0' |
| '1' | '1' |
| '2' | '2' |
| '3' | '3' |
| '4' | '4' |
| '5' | '5' |
| '6' | '6' |
| '7' | '7' |
| '8' | '8' |
| '9' | '9' |
Left Even Parity
| Data Character | Barcode Font Character |
| '0' | 'o' |
| '1' | 'p' |
| '2' | 'q' |
| '3' | 'r' |
| '4' | 's' |
| '5' | 't' |
| '6' | 'u' |
| '7' | 'v' |
| '8' | 'w' |
| '9' | 'x' |
Right Parity
| Data Character | Barcode Font Character |
| '0' | 'a' |
| '1' | 'b' |
| '2' | 'c' |
| '3' | 'd' |
| '4' | 'e' |
| '5' | 'f' |
| '6' | 'g' |
| '7' | 'h' |
| '8' | 'i' |
| '9' | 'j' |