Barcodes have become an integral part of our daily lives. We scan them millions of times per day at shops, libraries, and elsewhere to quickly retrieve information. But have you ever wondered, among the plethora of barcodes we encounter, which is the smallest? In this article, we will find out what the smallest barcode is and learn some interesting facts about barcodes along the way.
What are barcodes?
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data relating to the object to which it is attached. It consists of parallel lines and spaces of varying widths that represent numbers and other symbols. The bars and spaces are arranged according to a given standard to represent data that can be read by optical scanners called barcode readers or scanned from an image by special software.
Some of the most commonly used barcode standards include:
- UPC (Universal Product Code) – Found on retail products
- EAN (International Article Number) – Largely used in Europe
- Code 39 – Used in inventory tracking, logistics, etc.
- Code 128 – Very compact symbology used widely
- PDF417 – Stacked 1D barcode used on transport labels, etc.
- DataMatrix – 2D barcode used for small item marking
- QR Code – 2D barcode commonly used for product tracking, marketing, etc.
The data encoded in the barcode represents information like product numbers, serial numbers, manufacturer information, prices, etc. This helps in streamlining the checkout and inventory control processes in a variety of industries.
History of barcodes
The concept of using machine-readable symbols to represent data in a visual format can be traced back to the early 1930s. The first patent for a barcode-like concept was issued to Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver in October 1949. Their barcode used a set of concentric circles that were read from the center outward.
In 1966, the National Association of Food Chains (NAFC) in the USA held a meeting to try and determine a standard way of identifying products at the checkout. This led to the UPC barcode system being chosen as the standard in the 1970s. The first product scanned with UPC barcode in a retail setting was a pack of Wrigley’s chewing gum at Marsh’s supermarket in Ohio in 1974.
Since the 1970s, various other barcode standards have been introduced and two-dimensional barcodes like QR codes have become popular with the rise of smartphone cameras and e-commerce. Today, barcodes are used ubiquitously around the world for streamlining processes in retail, inventory management, document management and more.
How do barcodes work?
A barcode works by converting numbers and letters from a barcode standard into patterns of lines and spaces that can be easily read by machines. The machines shine a beam of light onto the barcode and measure the amount of light reflected back. The reflected light pattern is then decoded back into the original data.
The variation of reflected light is caused by the variation between the printed bars and blank spaces. This way, a barcode scanner can read sequences of bars and spaces as sequences of 1s and 0s which is interpreted as data. The interpreted data is then forwarded to the system software or database.
For two-dimensional or matrix barcodes like QR codes, the information is encoded across two axes instead of just one dimension. This allows storing more information like website URLs, product details, etc. in a small space.
Types of barcodes
There are broadly two types of barcodes – Linear or 1D barcodes and 2D or Matrix barcodes.
Linear or 1D barcodes
These barcodes represent data along one dimension or a straight line. They are capable of storing a small amount of data like product numbers, serial numbers, etc. Some examples include:
- UPC-A – Used worldwide for retail products
- EAN-13 – European version of UPC
- EAN-8 – Smaller version of EAN-13
- Code 39 – Used in logistics and inventory tracking
- Code 128 – Very compact symbology used widely
2D or Matrix barcodes
These barcodes can store larger amounts of data by arranging data across two dimensions or an entire area. Some examples include:
- QR Code – Commonly used for product tracking, marketing, payments
- DataMatrix – Used for marking small items
- PDF417 – Used on transport labels, etc.
Two-dimensional barcodes are more robust as even if they get damaged partially, the encoded data can still be recovered from the undamaged portion of the code.
Parts of a barcode
A typical linear or 1D barcode is made up of the following parts:
- Quiet Zone – Blank margin before and after the printed barcode
- Start Pattern – Indicates the start of barcode data
- Data Characters – Bars and spaces representing the encoded data
- Check Character – Used to verify the integrity of scanned data
- Stop Pattern – Indicates the end of barcode data
- Quiet Zone – Blank margin after the barcode
Two-dimensional or matrix barcodes have a more complex structure but also consist of patterns like finder patterns, format information, data regions, etc.
Smallest type of barcode
Now that we have understood what barcodes are and how they work, let’s find out what the smallest barcode is.
Among linear or 1D barcodes, the smallest barcode is EAN-8.
The EAN-8 barcode consists of 8 data characters (including 1 check character), a start and stop pattern, and leading & trailing quiet zones. It can encode a total of 7 digits of data like country code and item reference.
Here are the specifications of an EAN-8 barcode:
- Number of data characters – 8 (7 digits + 1 check digit)
- Total width – 2.235 inches or 56.9 mm
- Width of narrowest bar – 0.06 inches or 1.5 mm
- Barcode area
- Quiet zone – 0.197 inches or 5 mm on each side
- Bars + spaces – 1.46 inches or 37 mm
This small size allows EAN-8 barcodes to be used on very small items where fitting larger barcodes might be difficult.
Some examples of EAN-8 barcode use include:
- Tiny electronic components
- Jewelry items
- Cosmetics
- Candies and confections
The EAN-8 barcode is closely related to the longer EAN-13 barcode used commonly for retail products worldwide. An EAN-8 barcode can be converted into an EAN-13 barcode by adding leading zeros.
Comparison of EAN-8 with other small barcodes
Let’s see how the EAN-8 barcode compares with some other small barcodes:
| Barcode | Total Width | Data Characters | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAN-8 | 2.235 inches | 8 (7 digits + 1 check) | Very small items like jewelry, electronics components, etc. |
| Code 128 | 2.4 inches | Up to 31 | Used widely in logistics, inventory management, etc. |
| Code 39 | 2 inches | Variable length | Logistics, inventory tracking |
| UPC-A | 3.25 inches | 12 (11 digits + 1 check) | Retail products |
As is evident, the EAN-8 barcode has the smallest width at only 2.235 inches and can encode the least amount of data. The small size comes at the cost of reduced data capacity compared to other codes like Code 128 and Code 39.
2D barcodes for small spaces
Two-dimensional or matrix barcodes are also a good choice when you need to encode data in a small space. Some examples are:
Data Matrix
These are square or rectangular barcodes commonly used for marking small items. Data matrix codes can encode up to 3116 numeric digits or 2335 alphanumeric characters. They have high data density and can work well in spaces as small as 0.001 square inches.
QR Code
QR codes can store thousands of characters in a small space. The smallest QR code (version 1) can encode up to 25 numeric digits in an area of only 0.8 x 0.8 inches. QR codes are commonly used for applications like product tracking, marketing, payments, etc.
Choosing the right small barcode
When choosing a barcode for small spaces, consider the following factors:
- Amount of data to be encoded – Numeric-only data like product numbers requires less space than alphanumeric data like URLs
- Scanner capabilities – 1D scanners can only read linear barcodes while 2D scanners are required for matrix barcodes
- Printing considerations – Resolution of barcode printed should be high enough to render small bar widths accurately
- Error correction – Matrix barcodes like QR code have inbuilt error correction allowing data recovery if partially damaged
While EAN-8 is the smallest 1D barcode, 2D barcodes like Data Matrix and QR offer greater data capacity in small areas for applications requiring compact encoding.
Conclusion
In summary, the EAN-8 barcode with just 8 characters and a width of 2.235 inches is the smallest commonly used 1D barcode. Its compact size makes it useful for marking tiny items where fitting larger barcodes might be challenging.
Two-dimensional barcodes like Data Matrix and QR codes are also good choices when you need to encode data in a very small space. But they require 2D imagers for scanning instead of 1D laser scanners.
The choice of barcode depends on the amount of data to encode, scanner types, printing restrictions, and error correction needs. By selecting the right barcode for small spaces, key item information can be encoded in a scannable format even on miniature surfaces.