Barcode Verification
Officially verify your barcode scans to standard
Barcode Verification
Some retailers will request barcode verification reports, especially larger stores that have a high product volume going through their checkouts.
We don’t know of any retailer that currently requires barcode verification in Malta.
Some examples of shops that frequently request these reports from their suppliers are Bunnings Warehouse in New Zealand or Woolworths in Australia.
Verification reports are designed to ensure a barcode has been printed and formatted correctly, and won’t have issues scanning at the checkout. They are special scans of a barcode (on its final printed label or packaging). The barcode is given a grade which represents how easy it is for scanning machines to read it. A pass grade is A, B, C or D.
Our verification tests are performed using the latest verification technology to internationally accepted barcode standards. If your retailer requires verification, make your order below & then post/courier your barcode to us (on it’s final printed label or packaging). Reports take 2-3 days after we receive your barcode (we will email the verification report to you).
After you order a barcode verification, please post a copy of your final printed barcode to us (our address is on our Contact Page). To our knowledge, our verification reports are accepted by all retailers worldwide.
Approximately 20% of the barcodes we have verified fail the test. This is usually because of a few easily preventable reasons (such as the barcode being too small). The pages below are useful to read:
1. Retail barcode official size standards
2. How to pass barcode verification
We provide verification reports. We do not interpret failed verification reports. Please discuss your verification report with your printer.
The 7 parameters verification looks at:
- Modulation – how much the contrast between black and white varies across the barcode as some parts can be blacker than others.
- Defects – dark marks in white spaces and white marks on black bars.
- Decodability – how accurate the different widths of the bars and spaces of the barcode are.
- Decode – whether the light margins on each side (left and right white spaces), the encodation of data, and the check digit are all correct.
- Symbol contrast – how black and white it appears to the scanning machine.
- Minimum reflectance – whether the dark bars are sufficiently different from the white spaces (hence be careful when printing on coloured backgrounds).
- Edge contrast minimum – The least distinct difference between a bar and a space.
Please also see this link for help on solving barcode printing problems.
A barcode verifier is not the same as a barcode scanner. A barcode scanner is typically a mass-produced item that interfaces with a computer providing machine recognition of the information (data) encoded in a barcode image. Using a scanner to test or read a barcode only assures that the scanned bar code has some area on it that is readable by that barcode scanner. Hence, the better the barcode scanner, the less barcode quality assurance is maintained (e.g. a good barcode scanner could read a poor quality barcode image).
In contrast, a bar code verifier is a precision machine that is designed to predict how easily the barcode will be read by typical barcode scanners. The barcode verifier can decode, measure and check the quality of barcode images and indicate any areas that need to be improved.
“Dear David, Just to say a massive thank you for sorting this out for me, so very efficiently and promptly. I am truly grateful to you. First-class service!”
Jo (Kiddy Coupons Ltd)