How to Guarantee the Quality of Product Barcodes from the Perspective of Printing Technology

There are many factors that affect the quality of product barcodes, of which the quality assurance system of printing companies is the decisive factor. The “Implementation Measures for the Certification of Commodity Bar Code Printing Qualifications” issued by the former State Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision is to start with the printing companies and to ensure the quality of good product barcodes at the source. Controlling and improving the quality of commodity barcodes will play a positive role in protecting the interests of system members, printing companies, and distributors of commodity barcodes.

How should a printing company ensure the quality of product barcode printing in order to protect the rights of system members and the company's own interests? The author believes that we should start from the following aspects.

Do a good job of the bar code printing suitability test

The printability test is a test performed to verify the adaptability between the printing equipment, the carrier, the printing process, the ink, and other printing conditions to determine the barcode film design data. Printing companies are conducting suitability tests to determine the bar width adjustment (BWC) and the minimum magnification required to make a bar code film under a particular printing condition.

The steps of the print adaptation test are:

1) After the printing company obtains the bar code symbol grade printing suitability rule from the branch of the China Article Numbering Center, it places it on the edge of the printed film and prints it together to ensure the printing equipment and the printing carrier used for the bar code printing suitability test. Printing conditions such as printing processes and inks are exactly the same as the formal printing bar code symbols and printing conditions.

2) The printing company selects 9 samples from the printed materials of bar code symbol printing suitability rules, and sends them to the China Article Numbering Center branch office for testing, and initially determines the bar width adjustment under the printing conditions (BWC) and the printing conditions. The minimum allowable magnification factor (Mmin).

3) The bar code film for verification is provided by the branch of China Article Numbering Center based on the determined bar width adjustment (BWC) and the minimum magnification factor (Mmin). The printing company uses this film to print under the same conditions as the fitness test, and then re-sampling. Upon inspection, if the inspection is satisfactory, the bar width adjustment (BWC) and the minimum magnification (Mmin) under the printing conditions can be determined. If it fails, continue to test and adjust until it is qualified.

The original film is ordered according to the bar code film design data determined by the print suitability test, and the film content such as the code system, amplification factor, reduction in strip width, positive and negative films, etc. are consistent with the requirements, and also in accordance with the suitability test The data determines the printing direction of the product barcode, such as vertical printing, parallel printing, and the like.

Choose a reasonable empty color match

Product barcodes are read by dedicated reading equipment according to the width, width and contrast of the empty space. Therefore, the greater the contrast between the color of the bar and the blank, the better the empty color is, the darker the bar is, and the red bar must not be used. Can not use gold (such as gold paper, silver paper) blank color.

Select a standard print position

The principle of determining the barcode printing position of a product is that the printed barcode symbol is not covered, deformed, and easy to read. Therefore, GB/14257 “Location of Universal Product Bar Code Symbols” should be strictly implemented to select the correct and reasonable printing position.

The appropriate bar code symbol size should be selected according to GB12904 "Product Bar Code". In principle, the bar code symbol should not be cut off. The size of the left and right blank area must be sufficient according to the requirements of the national standard. Otherwise, it will affect the correct reading of the bar code symbol.