UPC / EAN Barcodes in LEADTOOLS

The Universal Product Code (UPC) and European Article Number (EAN) barcodes are two of the most widely adopted and long-standing barcode symbologies. They are in use throughout the world for identifying products at points of sale for retail applications. There are several variants supporting different sizes and densities, and thus can be used for virtually any retail application. These barcodes are practical in a wide range of applications, from uses in large warehouses with massive inventories, to specialty shops dealing with small items and limited space for attaching barcodes.

UPC-A

UPC-A barcodes consist of 4 parts: a number system, a manufacturer code, a product code, and a check digit. The number system is the number to the left and outside of the bars. The manufacturer code is the group of 5 digits on the left. The product code is the group of 5 digits on the right. The check digit is the number to the right and outside of the bars.

Sample Barcode

Symbology
BarcodeSymbology.UPCA		UPC-A is the most widely used barcode in the United States and is used extensively to identify consumer goods.

Barcode Support

Data Options	Member
LEADTOOLS Symbology Identifier	BarcodeSymbology.UPCA
Data Class	BarcodeData
Read Options	OneDBarcodeReadOptions
Write Options	OneDBarcodeWriteOptions

UPC-E

The UPC-E symbol is a compressed version of the UPC-A symbol and is generally used anywhere a UPC-A symbol will not fit.

Sample Barcode

Symbology
BarcodeSymbology.UPCE		The compression algorithm used removes unneeded zeroes from the underlying data structure, effectively converting 10 characters into 6.

Barcode Support

Data Options	Member
LEADTOOLS Symbology Identifier	BarcodeSymbology.UPCE
Data Class	BarcodeData
Read Options	OneDBarcodeReadOptions
Write Options	OneDBarcodeWriteOptions

EAN / UCC-13

The EAN/UCC-13 symbol is used internationally to identify consumer goods. It is based on the UPC-A symbol, with one difference. The numbering system in UPC-A can only be one digit, (0-9). The EAN-13 numbering system consists of two digits, 00-99.

Sample Barcode

Symbology
BarcodeSymbology.EAN13		The numbering system in EAN-13 is basically a country code. Additionally, EAN-13 is a superset of UPC-A, meaning EAN-13 barcode readers can also decode UPC-A symbols.

Barcode Support

Data Options	Member
LEADTOOLS Symbology Identifier	BarcodeSymbology.EAN13
Data Class	BarcodeData
Read Options	OneDBarcodeReadOptions
Write Options	OneDBarcodeWriteOptions

EAN-13 Data Structures

JAN Codes (Japanese Article Number)

JAN Codes are EAN-13 symbols that use 49 or 45 for the number system or country code. This barcode is used for the majority of products distributed in retail stores in Japan and is compatible with other UPC / EAN codes and supplements.

Barcode Support

Data Options	Member
LEADTOOLS Symbology Identifier	BarcodeSymbology.EAN13
Data Class	BarcodeData
Read Options	OneDBarcodeReadOptions
Write Options	OneDBarcodeWriteOptions

Bookland Codes

Bookland Codes are EAN-13 symbols that use the "978" number system and store book ISBN numbers without the ISBN check digit (last digit of the ISBN). For example, the ISBN for "Managing Human Resources" by Bohlander and Snell is 0-324-31463-9. To convert this to a Bookland code, pre-pend "978" to the beginning and drop the ISBN check digit (the last digit) and dashes, resulting in 978032431463. Use that number to calculate the EAN-13 check digit which is 2. The final Bookland code is 9780324314632.

Barcode Support

Data Options	Member
LEADTOOLS Symbology Identifier	BarcodeSymbology.EAN13
Data Class	BarcodeData
Read Options	OneDBarcodeReadOptions
Write Options	OneDBarcodeWriteOptions

EAN / UCC-8

The EAN/UCC-8 symbol is used internationally to identify consumer goods but is shorter than EAN-13 symbols. Unlike UPC-E that can be expanded back into a UPC-A symbol, EAN-8 cannot be expanded into an EAN-13 symbol.

Sample Barcode

Symbology
BarcodeSymbology.EAN8		Manufacturers must request separate EAN-8 and EAN-13 codes from the appropriate numbering authority.

Barcode Support

Data Options	Member
LEADTOOLS Symbology Identifier	BarcodeSymbology.EAN8
Data Class	BarcodeData
Read Options	OneDBarcodeReadOptions
Write Options	OneDBarcodeWriteOptions

EAN / UPC Supplementary Extensions

UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, and EAN-8 symbols can include a supplemental symbol to the right of the main symbol. This additional symbol is not as tall as the main symbol and will contain 2 or 5 characters of data. This supplemental data represents the periodical issue number or manufacturer suggested retail pricing up to $99.99.

EAN 2-Digit Supplementary Extension

The EAN 2 Extension contains 2 characters of data.

Sample Barcode

Symbology
BarcodeSymbology.EANEXT2		The EAN 2 Extension represents periodical information such as magazine and newspaper issue numbers.

Barcode Support

Data Options	Member
LEADTOOLS Symbology Identifier	BarcodeSymbology.EANEXT2
Data Class	BarcodeData
Read Options	OneDBarcodeReadOptions
Write Options	OneDBarcodeWriteOptions

EAN 5-Digit Supplementary Extensions

The EAN 5 Extension contains 5 characters of data.

Sample Barcode

Symbology
BarcodeSymbology.EANEXT5		The EAN 5 extension represents the suggested retail price of books. The first digit represents the currency. The remaining 4 digits represent the amount. For example,"57500" indicates a suggested retail price of $75.00.