Barcodes

 

Print your barcodes with a Laser printer or make sure you have a good quality inkjet printer that is properly calibrated.  Test scan your printouts before running large label batches.  If your inkjet is not calibrated properly the barcodes will not work. 

 

Barcode Label Tutorial  :  Address Label Tutorial

Developing Custom Product Codes

 

Scanners

Nevitium relies on a scanner that sends the code and affixes an ENTER keystroke (code + ENTER).  This is the equivalent of typing the code and pressing ENTER  Most regular PC barcode scanners sold these days come configured ready to run in Nevitium.  Some scanners come configured like this: ENTER + code + ENTER  All can be changed if you have access to the scanner's manual.

Purchase a good barcode scanner.  A cheap ($50.00) barcode scanner is OK to test with and do light work but a retail environment or similar will need a high quality barcode scanner.  There are plenty for sale on eBay usually costing around $200 - $300.

Look for USB 2.0 connection; or PS./2 pass-through if you have an older computer.  Make sure it decodes the barcodes you wish to use.  Most come configured to decode all popular barcode types.

Don't buy used unless it is in perfect condition AND COMES WITH THE MANUAL.  You need the manual because it contains pages of barcodes to program the unit if it doesn't work properly with your applications.  Sometimes these manuals can be obtained from the manufacturer.

 

UPC/EAN (Std Retail 12 and 13 digit barcodes)

If you are using a barcode scanner for the first time you need to verify how your scanner works BEFORE using it in Nevitium.  For example, when you scan a regular UPC-A which is 12 digits (numbers) long does your scanner prefix a zero to it?  UPC = 733792645295, UPC with zero prefixed by the scanner = 0733792645295.  Notice the zero at the beginning of the second code?  This is not really a big deal if you do all of your product searches with the scanner, however if you or someone else wishes to type in a UPC to find a product they have to know whether or not to start with a zero; this can be very inconvenient.  This could also cause a problem when printing EAN barcodes but very few have a need for that so it is not included in Nevitium.  Newer EAN barcodes (similar to UPC-A) have 13 digits, some applications treat these the same and that is why a zero is prefixed by some scanners by default.  You can test how your scanner works by opening a text editor or word processor and scanning barcodes; the scanner acts as a keyboard.  I highly recommend getting rid of the zero prefix from your scanner if it is doing this.

Nevitium only prints Code 128 & Code 3 of 9 to simplify barcode operations; if you need a different type of barcode printed contact support.

You do not want to change scanner settings or defaults after you have entered hundreds of products!  With any coding system you need to be consistent or your system will cost more time than it saves, take your time and do it properly. 

 

Developing a Code System

If you plan to use your own code system to represent products or services there are some things you must be aware of first.  Below is a list of issues that need addressed when creating a code system.

When you have to come up with a coding system which is based on a string of numbers, letters and some limited special characters you must be very consistent.  It is usually better to reuse  supplier - manufacturer catalog or product codes.   It is much harder to fabricate product codes than it seems at first. 

  • Analyze all of your products to establish a system that accommodates everything you sell.

  • Use capitol letters only. [A-Z, 1234567890, (minus sign or hyphen) - ]

  • Try to keep your codes to around 10 or 12 characters.

  • Try to use the same amount of characters for each product.

  • Keep special characters to a minimum. [()*&^%$#@!~ / \[]<>.,?] <---avoid these

  • Spaces are allowed with Code 128 and Code 3 of 9.  The use of ( ) characters have special meaning in Code 128 so you may want to avoid those.

  • Completely design your coding system BEFORE using it.  Do not use codes until you have one for each product.

  • Try to design a code system that will let you tell what category of organization each product belongs to.  Ex. CAT-PROD-###

  • Document the conventions you used to create the code system explaining your logic.

  • Allow for the additions of new products and possible code changes.

  • Test your code system with a few products and mock sales before expecting it to work in production.

  • Resist the temptation to describe products with your codes.

 

Notes

  • The Code field on the Inventory screen only stores 16 characters.

  • Nevitium only generates Code 3 of 9 barcodes using capitol letters only; this means that Code 39 Extended is not supported by the label utility.

  • Code 128 supports lower case and upper case letters and many symbols, it generally does what Code 39 will but is more flexible and apparently smaller.

  • Enter all barcodes with the scanner to make sure hey are entered the same each time.

  • You can use the same Code or UPC for two items in inventory, when the code is scanned on the invoice screen both items will be added to the invoice.

 

Good Code Examples:

Swanson Vitamin - E4SWH125, D4SW998, D4SWE033  <<--varying lengths but meaningful

National Garden - 718350, 716230  <<----all are six characters (numbers)

Hewlett Packard  - C8727AN <<---manufacturer product number (ink cartridge)

Think like this: 112233,  11 <--category, 22 <--sub-category?, 33 <--product number,

Codes describe products but in a very detailed but compressed way.

 

Biggest Mistakes:

  • lowercase letters

  • Inconsistent code scheme (Ex. adb-1, small knife, B-ldf-1) ?

  • Un-coded products

  • No apparent code standards (random code names)

Remember that these codes will be used by customers and business partners, funky codes look very unprofessional and do not inspire confidence. 

 

more...

You can find more than you care to about barcodes on the web:

Try these links for general information: Simple Barcode Explanation, Google, Barcode Information, more..(highspeed only)

 

 

 

Nevitium is Free to Download and Use