Barcode quality

step by step guide

Connecting the dots from the verification report

to solving your barcode problems.

2022 Edition
Barcode quality step by step guide | Page 2 of 24 | January 2022
Contents
Introduction 4
Linear barcodes 5
2D barcodes 9
Interpreting Scannability from Symbol Grade 12
Barcode verifiers 14
Glossary 21
Index 23
Contact 24

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Introduction
This booklet will explain how barcode verifiers can help improve the quality of both
linear and 2D matrix barcodes. Quality in this context means print quality (which is the
concern of two ISO/IEC standards), and the correct data content, and the correct size.
When all of these criteria are met, a barcode can be said to be compliant.

Different user applications specify the sizes of the barcodes to be used, and their data
content. Using a barcode verifier will help discover what the problems are, but the
graded parameters that are defined by the ISO/IEC standards do not immediately tell
you what needs to be corrected. This booklet will suggest ways of using the results to
change and improve your printing process.

We have included an index to help readers find relevant content about parameters and
other key terminology in context. A glossary provides a clear definition of key terms as
they apply to the respective ISO standard.

Whatever your method of acquiring this booklet, thank you for your interest. I hope you
find it helpful. Your comments are always welcome.

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Linear barcodes
ISO/IEC 15416: 2016 defines the requirements for measuring the print quality of a
linear barcode. The barcode must be scanned ten times across its height, and the
verifier will measure seven parameters from each scan. The lowest parameter grade
from each scan is used to obtain ten numbers that are then averaged to obtain the
grade for the barcode. The parameters are as follows:

Decode, this checks the start and stop patterns, any check digits, the quiet zones and
Decode,
any other symbology-specific requirements. Decode is a Pass/Fail parameter.

Symbol Contrast (SC),

(SC), which is the reflective difference between the brightest
background (maximum reflectance) and the darkest bar (minimum reflectance).

Reflectance Minimum (Rmin),

(Rmin), This checks that the darkest bar is less than half as
reflective as the brightest part of the background.

Minimum Edge Contrast (ECmin),

(ECmin), is the least
difference between a bar and an adjacent space.
This must be at least 15%.

Modulation (MOD),
(MOD), measures how evenly black
and white the barcode is.

Defects, are irregularities such as voids in bars

Defects,
and spots in spaces and quiet zones.

Decodability, a measurement of the accuracy of the different widths of the bars and
spaces. A good barcode has high decodability.

Reflectance margin,
margin, This is a measure of how close the symbol is to failing because
the edges of the bars and spaces cannot be determined. This is not a graded
parameter, but a value of less than 5% is of concern.
Grade Rmin SC ECmin MOD Defects Decodability

ISO 4 (ANSI A) <0.5 Rmax >70% >15% >70% <15% >62%

ISO 3 (ANSI B) >55% >60% <20% >50%

ISO 2 (ANSI C) >40% >50% <25% >37%

ISO 1 (ANSI D) >20% >40% <30% >25%

ISO 0 (ANSI F) >0.5 Rmax <20% <15% <40% >30% <25%

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Linear barcodes
Correcting linear barcode problems:

Decode
Quiet zones must be large enough, and have nothing
printed in them. Make sure that any keylines around
the barcode are far enough away from the sides, and
don’t place the barcode too near an edge or fold on
the packaging.

Missing or incorrect check digits trigger decode

failure. Check digits are optional in some
UPC-A Barcode
symbologies. Set the verifier to test for check digit
only if they are required.

Damaged, incorrect or missing start/stop patterns downgrade the decode parameter.

Excessive print gain also causes decode failure. Examine narrow bars and spaces. If
they are not the same width, print gain is the likely cause. Check tolerance and print
gain results in the verification report. Optimally, gain is at or near zero, or in low single
digits.

Symbol Contrast
Low or failing Symbol Contrast grades have a straightforward solution: either the bars
are too light or the background is too dark. Make adjustments accordingly. Avoid bars
in red or reddish colors. Avoid green or greenish background colors.

Reflectance Minimum (Rmin)

A pass/fail parameter. Make the bars darker or make the background paler, or both.

Minimum Edge Contrast

Another pass or fail parameter. Check the darkness of the bar colour, and whether the
substrate is causing blurred edges. Laminates are often to blame.

Modulation
Modulation measures uniformity of the barcodes blackness and whiteness. When
spaces are too narrow they will not seem as bright as the quiet zones, so check
the bar width reduction. Sometimes the white background needs to be made more
opaque when using semi-translucent materials.

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Defects
Defects are voids and spots in bars, or marks
in spaces. They are usually obvious to the
naked eye or with low power magnification.
They may appear to the scanner as additional
bars or spaces, and this confuses the decode
process.

Poor quality substrates such as corrugated

board can cause this problem. Ensure any
labels are clean, and that any print heads are
correctly maintained. If it is possible, increase Modulation error
the size of the code so that the defects are
less significant. Poorly mixed or partially
coagulated ink can cause voids and spots.

Decodability
Decodability is a measurement of the dimensional accuracy of the bars and spaces.
There are two common causes. The most common is scaling a font-based barcode
file. Another is a mismatch between the DPI setting for the barcode design software
and the printing device. Check the resolution of the master artwork and the print head
resolution for on-demand printed symbols.

Defects error Bar growth error

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The Scan Reflectance Profile
The basis of barcode verification is the scan reflectance profile. This is a graph showing
the reflectance across the width of the barcode. The darkest bar has the minimum
reflectance (Rmin) and the lightest space has the maximum reflectance (Rmax) The
scan reflectance profile is a waveform showing the transition from light to dark from the
left quiet zone, through the bars and spaces to the right quiet zone. In a high quality
barcode, the spread from the highest background value to the lowest dark bars should
be uniform.

A compressed scan reflectance profile results from barcodes with lower Rmax and/or
higher Rmin values.

Excessive print gain will affect the uniformity of the scan reflectance profile, showing
how narrow spaces have lower reflectivity than wide spaces.

The global threshold is the mid-point between the highest and lowest reflectance
values. All of the values for the bars should be below the global threshold, and all of
those for the spaces should be above it.

The scan reflectance profile of poor quality barcodes may show a waveform line
that fails to cross the global threshold. This is when scanning fails and the Decode
parameter will report the failure.

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2D barcodes
ISO/IEC 15415:2011 defines the requirements for measuring the print quality of 2D
(matrix) barcodes. The verifier uses one image of the barcode to grade the following
parameters. Whichever parameter grade is lowest becomes the grade of the barcodes:

1. Symbol Contrast (SC) measures and grades how black and white the symbol is.
2. Modulation (MOD) measures the variation in the blackness and whiteness of the
symbol across its complete area.
3. Fixed Pattern Damage (FPD) evaluates quiet zones, check digits, locator and finder
patterns in the barcode. These are the features common to each 2D symbol type,
regardless of the unique encoded data.
4. Axial Non-uniformity (ANU) measure and grades the uniformity of the height and
width of the modules (squares or dots).
5. Grid Non-uniformity (GNU) measures and grades the dimensional uniformity of
the placement of the squares or dots that should fall accurately on the ideal grid
intersections.
6. Unused Error Correction (UEC) measures and grades the amount of remaining
error correction regarding the user-selected error correction level designed into the
barcode.
7. Reflectance margin. Reflectance Margin measures the variation in reflectance
of the light and dark modules, taking into account whether those modules are
correctly light or dark.

Correcting 2D barcode problems

Symbol Contrast
These barcodes are still tested under red light, like
linear barcodes, even though they can be read by
smartphones. This means that black and white is
still the best colour combination. Ensure that a pure
colour is being used for the black modules and that the
background is uniform and pale.

Symbol contrast error

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2D barcodes
Modulation
The black modules may be too large, meaning
that the white modules appear to be less
bright than they should. Check the size of the
modules as the x-dimension may be too small,
and then check the print gain. The print gain
will often be determined by the on-demand
printing technique together with the substrate, so
investigate the print head resolution to discover
which adjustments can be made. Glossy inks
over a glossy substrate such as mylar can cause
modulation problems.

Fixed Pattern Damage Modulation error

Damage includes quiet zones that are too small
or encroached, missing or incorrect check digits
or damaged finder patterns and clock tracks.

Axial Non-uniformity
The print process often causes stretched modules
so that they are not perfectly square or circular.
This may be caused by printing too quickly.
Control excessive ANU by lowering print speed.
Sometimes this will also require adjustment to
print head temperature in thermal printing.

Fixed pattern damage

Axial Non-uniformity error

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Grid Non-uniformity
GNU downgrades when square
or dots in the symbol do not fall
accurately in grid intersections.
Causes include distortion of flexible
substrate in the print process, during
product insertion or subsequent
handling.
Grid Non-uniformity error
Unused Error Correction
Understanding the cause of
downgraded UEC determines the solution. Prevent scuffed or scratched symbols by
relocation to a less damage-prone area, protect with lamination or shrink-wrap, or
handling with greater care.

Contrast Uniformity
Excessive print gain causes areas of lower contrast uniformity. Lower values for CU
often accompany lowered Modulation grades. Print gain is a frequent cause. Silvered
or highly reflective substrates can be a problem.

Modulation error
Margin error

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Interpreting scannability from symbol grade
An ANSI “A” or ISO 4.0 Symbol Grade does not guarantee that a barcode will
successfully scan everywhere. Nor does an ANSI “F” or ISO 1.0 Symbol Grade
guarantee that a barcode will fail everywhere.

Symbol Grade is a guideline, a predictor but not a certification of scanning success.

This is because scanning technology is an ever-changing, ever-broadening sea of
varying optics, varying electronics and varying firmware, all of them aging and operated
with varying degrees of rough handling, all in different and varying environments.
The unit of measure for the verifier grade protocol is one scan. This is also known as
“first read rate”. A barcode with Symbol Grade A will generally scan successfully on the
first try.

Symbols achieving a Symbol Grade B will not be as high quality as Symbol Grade A
barcodes; one or more of the ANSI/ISO parameters is downgraded to a B; the unit of
measure or first read rate will be lower. These symbols will likely require rescanning to
be decoded successfully.

Symbol Grade C barcodes will need to be rescanned even more than Symbol Grade
B barcodes. Rescanning means redundant scanning of the same symbol, and more
frequent rescanning of different examples of the same symbol. It is important to
understand that the performance of a single barcode does not necessarily predict the
quality of an entire print run.

A symbol with a Symbol Grade D will require multiple scans in different parts of the
barcode to decode successfully. When Symbol Grade D results can be anticipated,
such as barcodes printed on corrugated, users should specify scanners that perform
best in that application.

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F grade symbols are unlikely to scan successful in most scanning environments. Users
sometimes believe that F grade symbols are actually acceptable because the verifier
was able to decode them. The significant thing is the Symbol Grade, not the successful
decode. Verifiers and scanners differ in this regard.

How the Symbol Grade is obtained is an important consideration. The verification

process should never be optimized. The test samples should be representative of the
entire print run, usually drawn from the beginning and the end of the run, with
in-process samples pulled periodically during the run.

The tested samples should always be in their final form exactly as they are ultimately
presented to the end-user scanner. If they are shrink wrapped in final form, they should
be shrink wrapped when they are verified. If they are inserted into a plastic case, they
should be in the plastic case when verified. If they are on translucent plastic bottles
with a colored liquid inside, they should be verified accordingly.

The process is every bit as important as the verification device itself. The verifier should
be an ANSI/ISO compliant device. It is meaningless to use a quality testing tool with
an unknown performance benchmark. And for the same reason, the verifier should be
recently calibrated.

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Barcode verifier
What is a barcode verifier and how to check barcode quality.
If you need to be sure that your printed barcode will scan everywhere, how can you
check it? Using a scanner to test the barcode will only tell you if it can be read by that
particular scanner, but a barcode verifier will allow you to grade each barcodes quality.

International standards for measuring and grading the printed quality of barcodes
have been developed since the first American and European standards, ANSI X3.182
and EN 1635, were first published in 1990 and 1995 respectively. The latest ISO/IEC
standards define the techniques required for both conventional linear barcodes, and
two-dimensional barcodes such as Data Matrix, and QR Code.

Linear barcodes
These are the types of barcode found on product
packaging and outer cases. They are made up of
black parallel lines of different widths on a white
background, with data encoded by the different
widths of the bars and spaces. The width of the
narrowest bar or space is called the x-dimension,
and all the other bars and spaces are multiples of
this width. The single width is also known as the
module width.

Some linear barcodes are also made up by having

shallow rows of barcodes stacked up together
and each row is read separately as part of a
complete symbol. These are two-dimensional
but they are generally known as stacked linear
symbols. The best example is PDF 417, and GS1
DataBar also has some stacked options.

All of these symbols can be read by conventional laser scanners, provided they are
suitably configured, and were introduced before the more modern 2D barcodes that
need to be read by CCD or camera-based systems.

GS1-128 Barcode

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Two-dimensional or 2D barcodes
These are the square or rectangular barcodes that look like miniaturised chess boards.
They are made up of patterns of perfectly square black and white elements, which
are called modules. The height and width of a module should be the same, and this is
known as the x-dimension.

These cannot be read by conventional laser scanners, but CCD and camera-
based scanners are designed to do this. These symbols can also be easily read by
smartphone cameras used by customers.

These symbols can encode more data than linear barcodes, and they are increasingly
being used on products to encode extra information such as the product’s batch
number, serial number, best-before or expiry date. Some of these barcodes are
used to provide a link to a product specific web page that users can look at on their
smartphone.

What a barcode verifier will do

As well as following the international standards for grading the printed quality of
a barcode, a verifier will also tell you how large the barcode is by measuring its
x-dimension, and decode the barcode so that you can check if this data is correct.
Axicon verifiers will show if any check digits for the data are correct, and will display the
extra information that many barcodes include. So you can see if any encoded dates
are correct, check the serial and batch numbers, and so on very easily.

When checking GS1-128 or Code 128 barcodes the verifier will also make sure the
data is encoded optimally, so that your barcodes can be as short as possible.

Sector-specific data requirement checks for the barcodes can also be switched on by
the user, and these plugins have been designed to meet the needs of most industrial
and trade sectors.

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Barcode verifier
Linear barcode verification
Each barcode should be scanned in ten different places across the height of the
barcode. Each scan line produces a graph of the whiteness and blackness of the
barcode across its width, and each graph is called a scan reflectance profile or SRP.
The ten SRPs are then used to measure the barcode and produce the results of the
verification.

As well as showing the x-dimension, and the data content, the verifier will measure
seven different parameters of the barcode:
1. How black and white it appears to a
scanner (Symbol contrast).
2. Whether the dark bars have enough
difference from the white spaces (Minimum
reflectance).
3. The least distinct difference between a bar
and a space (Edge contrast minimum)
4. How much the contrast between black
and white varies across the barcode
(Modulation).
5. The presence of white marks in the bars or dark marks in the spaces (Defects)
6. How accurate the different widths of the bars and spaces of the barcode are
(Decodability).
7. Whether the quiet zones (the light margins on each side), the encodation of data,
and the check digit are all correct (Decode).

The lowest grade for any parameter from each scan is used to get ten results, and
these are averaged to obtain the grade.

The grading runs from 4.0 down to 0.0 with 4.0 is the best result, 1.5 is the pass
grade for most barcodes, 0.5 is allowed for outer case barcodes printed onto brown
corrugate, and 0 is a fail. The American ANSI standard was developed using alphabetic
grading running from A to D, then F, so a pass grade of 1.5 or C is often required.

ISO/IEC grade ANSI Grade

How the ANSI grades compare 3.5 - 4.0 A
to the ISO/IEC grades 2.5 - 3.5 B
1.5 - 2.5 C
0.5 - 1.5 D
0.0 - 0.5 F

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The international standards specify different aperture
sizes (in effect sampling areas) for different sizes of
barcodes, so ideally the verification result quotes
this, as well as the wavelength of light being used
for the measuring. This reporting will then show that
the barcode has been correctly verified, with the
appropriate adjustments.

A result of 3.8/06/660 means the grade is 3.8 (A), the

aperture reference is 06, meaning a diameter of 6 mils
or 150 microns, and the wavelength of light is 660 nm.

2D barcode verification
All verifiers must use a standardised lighting configuration, with light of a specified
wavelength, to take an image of the barcode. This image is then analysed using a
known sampling area (defined as the aperture reference) to measure seven different
aspects, or parameters, of the symbol.

Unlike linear barcode verifiers, only one image is

used. The seven parameters are each measured,
and the measurements converted into grades
4,3,2,1 or 0, with 4 being best, and 0 being a failure.
The parameter with the lowest grade becomes the
overall grade for the 2D symbol.

The grade is then reported with the details of the

aperture, the light, and the angle of illumination as
follows:

N.0/aa/www/30/45/90

Where N.0 is the grade, aa is the aperture reference number, which refers to the
diameter of the aperture measured in 1/1000s of an inch, www is the wavelength
of light measured in nm, and 30 or 45 or 90 is the angle of the incident light used to
illuminate the barcode.

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Barcode verifier
The seven parameters are all briefly explained below:

1. Decode: This is the first step in the verification and applies the reference decode
algorithm - the set of rules defined by ISO/IEC for decoding the symbol - to
the image. If there is a valid decode, the grade is 4.0. If the barcode cannot be
decoded, the grade is 0.0.
2. Symbol contrast: The symbol contrast is the
difference between the darkest and lightest
areas of the barcode. The quiet zones
will normally be the lightest areas. This is
measured in percentage terms, and the
percentages are converted into five different
bands – 4,3,2,1, or 0 (A,B,C,D or F).
3. Axial non-uniformity: All matrix 2D symbols
should comprise perfectly square, and evenly
spaced, elements. Axial non-uniformity is a
measure of how square these elements are,
with lower scoring symbols having rectangular modules. This is measured and then
graded from 4 to 0.
4. Modulation: A barcode should be evenly black and white across its whole area.
Modulation compares the least black-to-white area of the symbol to the greatest
difference between the black and white elements. This is measured and then
graded from 4 to 0.
5. Grid non-uniformity: Grid non-uniformity measures how the symbol is distorted
in terms of how much the implied x and y axes are not at an angle of 90°. It is in
effect measuring how twisted the image is.
6. Unused error correction: All matrix 2D symbols include error-correction characters
that may be used to reconstruct damaged parts of the symbol. A perfect symbol
will not require any use of the error-correction characters, and will receive a top
grade of 4.0. The parameter is measured and then graded from 4 to 0.
7. Fixed pattern damage: The fixed patterns of a matrix 2D symbol are used by the
scanner to find the barcode. If any of these are damaged the barcode will be more
difficult to read, so any damage is measured and graded from 4 to 0.

For a Data Matrix or GS1 DataMatrix symbol, the verifier will look at the quiet zones,
the L-shaped finder pattern, the clock track (the dotted line on the opposite two sides
of the symbol), and calculate an average grade from seven different fixed pattern
damage possibilities.

Other 2D matrix symbols have different fixed patterns, and the verifier will again assess
these in accordance with the symbol specification.

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What the results mean
A barcode with the highest grade of 4.0 (A) is expected to be able to be scanned faster
and more reliably than lower grade barcodes. As the performance of barcode scanners
has improved since their introduction, most users will accept barcodes with a grade of
1.5 (C) or better, but these lower grade barcodes may need more attempts to be read.

Higher quality barcodes will be readable by a wider range of scanners, and at a faster
rate than those barcodes that are close to failing.

The verification report

The Axicon verification report will provide information about the size, the print quality
and the data content of the barcodes. Size is not graded, but it is still very important.
The size is given in terms of the symbol’s x-dimension, which is the width of the
smallest element of a linear barcode, i.e. the width of the narrowest bar or space. The
size measurements provided for 2D symbols are the width (x) and height (y) of the
individual square or circular module. The measurements should be the same, but they
are often different.

The print quality grade will vary Verification Report

according to the printing process (01)03400936441460(17)131031(10)0W0036

used, the colour of the bars, and the

Data Matrix - ECC 200
Print Quality: 3.0/08/660 (B) - Pass (≥1.5)
quality and colour of the substrate. Application Validation: N/a

On-demand printing, often used for Software Version:

Scan Time:
2.1.0
14:15:31 16/06/2021 (+0100)
Serial Number:
Factory Configuration:
1559F
19/03/2021

2D symbols that will incorporate data Decode Time:

Computer Name:
14:15:35 16/06/2021 (+0100)
CPOLLOCK-M
User Calibration:
User Name:
16/06/2021
cp

such as batch or serial numbers, and Minimum Reflectance

Maximum Reflectance
17%
88%
dates, is more variable, and lower X Dimension
Y Dimension
436 µm
426 µm

quality symbols may be down to poor X Print Gain

Y Print Gain
35 µm, 8%
4 µm, 1%

maintenance or the wrong choice of ISO Parameter Grade Percentage

consumables. Consumables include

Overall 3 (B)
Decode 4 (A)

the type of printer ribbon, if they are

Symbol Contrast 4 (A) 71%
Axial Non-Uniformity 4 (A) 2%

being used, and the type of label or

Grid Non-Uniformity 4 (A) 16%
Modulation 3 (B)
Reflectance Margin 3 (B)
substrate; choosing the wrong type Unused Error Correction
Contrast Uniformity
4 (A) 100%
38%

can markedly reduce print quality. Fixed Pattern Damage

Left "L"
4 (A)
4 (A)
Bottom "L" 4 (A)
Left Quiet Zone 4 (A)

The data in the barcode must Bottom Quiet Zone

Clock Tracks
4 (A)
4 (A)

also be correct if the barcode is FPD Average

Print Quality Standard: ISO/IEC 15415

4 (A)

to be compliant to any particular Symbology Specification: ISO/IEC 16022

Verifier Conformance Standard: ISO/IEC 15426-2
Axicon Camera Verifier 2.1.0
Axicon Auto ID Limited [Link]

standard, such as the GS1 General

Specifications. Different applications
require certain sets of data to be
present, and the verifier can be setup
to use plugins to help you do this
checking. 1/1

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Barcode verifier
How to use the results
First of all check the size. Almost all specifications provide a range of sizes for a
particular application, whether that is the retail point of sale, goods receiving at
warehouses, patient wristbands, and so on. Many poor quality barcodes are simply too
small, too small to be printed accurately, and too small for the scanners to read.

The print quality may be perfect, but the barcode could be the wrong size for its
intended use.

Then look at the parameters and find the one with the lowest grade. If this is
‘modulation’, it is probably caused by the white spaces not being wide enough. Look
at the measurement for ‘average bar gain’. This is a measure of how much wider the
black bars are than their perfect measurement, and it is given as a percentage. A
positive figure suggests that the master artwork has not been correctly adjusted to
take into account the printing process and the substrate being used.

Printers can usually provide advice on the amount of ‘bar width reduction (BWR) that
should be applied to the master image for a particular print process. Increasing the size
of the barcode, as well as checking the BWR, will often improve the quality.

Sometimes the barcode fails completely with a 0 or F grade. This usually means that
the quiet zones or light margins are not large enough, and the barcode cannot be
reliably decoded.

How to improve barcode quality

1. Check the barcode is the right size for the application. Make sure linear barcodes
are tall enough. Check the specifications if you are not sure.
2. Use pure black for the colour of the bars. Other pure colours can be used
successfully but these must appear black under red light.
3. Provide adequate quiet zones to the left and right sides of linear barcodes, and on
all sides of a 2D symbol.
4. When printing on-demand, check that the resolution of the print head can produce
the desired width of bars or modules.
5. Do not print anything over a barcode such as a logo. 2D barcodes do use error
correction techniques that can sometimes cope with this, but it makes reading the
barcodes more difficult.
6. Use verification results over time to monitor the print production processes.
Establish your own minimum quality grade (this may be higher than 1.5 ( C)) that is
appropriate for your particular product, so that you notice sooner any degradation
in the quality.

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Glossary
2D barcode A data carrier that encodes information in the vertical and
horizontal axis.
ANSI A barcode quality testing method based mostly on
reflectivity where grading is expressed alphabetically (A,
B, C, D, F).
Aperture Width of lens opening or photo-receptor; smaller (by
specification) than the X dimension.
Axial Non-uniformity Axial non-uniformity is a measure of how out of square
the barcode is when checked against its horizontal and
vertical axes.
Check digit A pass/fail traditional parameter based on the presence
(where applicable) of a correctly calculated security digit.
Data Capacity The maximum amount of data a symbol can encode.
Decodability A graded ANSI/ISO parameter based on the amount of
tolerance remaining for the scanner after the imaging
process.
Decode A pass/fail ANSI/ISO parameter based on whether or not
the correct pattern of bars and spaces are detected and
known to be consistent with a valid barcode symbology.
Defects A graded ANSI/ISO parameter based on the presence
and size of artifacts in the spaces or voids in the bars of a
barcode.
Edge contrast The reflectance difference between adjacent bar and
space; the minimum edge contrast is the smallest edge
contrast within a scan reflectance profile.
Element Module, X dimension: the smallest bar, square, dot or
space in a 1D or 2D symbol.
Fixed pattern damage The fixed patterns of a matrix 2D symbol are used by the
scanner to find the barcode. If any of these are damaged
the barcode will be more difficult to read.
Global Threshold A horizontal or “equatorial” line exactly half way between
the highest reflectance and lowest reflectance value on
the SRP
GTIN Global Trade Identification Number; identify trade items in
various GS1 symbologies

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Glossary
Grid Non-uniformity Grid Non-uniformity (GNU) measures and grades the
dimensional uniformity of the placement of the squares
or dots that should fall accurately on the ideal grid
intersections.
ISO A barcode quality testing method based mostly on
reflectivity where grading is expressed numerically (4.0 -
0.0)
Linear barcodes Also called 1D barcode: parallel lines and spaces on one
axis such as Code 128
Micron Thousandths of a millimeter
Mil Thousandths of an inch
Minimum reflectance A pass/fail ANSI/ISO parameter based on whether the
minimum reflectance value of at least one bar is less than
or equal to one half of the highest reflectance value of at
least one space.
Modulation A graded ANSI/ISO parameter based on the ratio of the
minimum edge contrast to symbol contrast.
Parameter An attribute or characteristic of a specification, such as
ISO 15415
Print gain The physical spreading of a printed feature such as a bar
due to ink wicking and/or impression force or pressure
Quiet zones A pass/fail traditional parameter based on the presence of
a minimum blank space preceding and trailing a barcode
Scan reflectance profile A graphical representation of the light and dark
reflectance values of a barcode symbol
Symbol contrast A graded ANSI/ISO parameter based on a straight
subtraction of the minimum reflectance value from the
maximum reflectance value
Unused error correction All matrix 2D symbols include error- correction characters
that may be used to reconstruct damaged parts of the
symbol
Verification Testing and grading a symbol in accordance with
applicable specifications
Verifier Barcode test device that grades a symbol in accordance
with an international standard

Barcode quality step by step guide | Page 22 of 24 | January 2022

Index
2D Barcodes 4, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18,
19, 20, 21
Axial Non-uniformity 9, 10, 11, 21
Barcode verifier 4, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,
18, 19, 20
Contrast uniformity 9, 11
Data Matrix 4, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18
Decodability 5, 7, 16, 21
Decode 5, 6, 8, 16, 18, 21
Defects 5, 7, 16, 21
Fixed pattern damage 9, 10, 18, 21
Grid Non-uniformity 9, 11, 18, 22
GS1-128 14, 15, 19
ISO 4, 5, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18,
22
Linear barcodes 4, 6, 7, 14, 20, 22
Minimum edge contrast 5, 6, 16
Modulation 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 16, 18, 20,
22
QR-Code 11, 14, 18
Reflectance minimum 5, 6, 8, 16
Scan reflectance profile 8, 16, 22
Symbol contrast 5, 6, 9, 16, 18, 22
Symbol grade 12, 13
Unused error correction 9, 11, 18, 22
UPC-A 6

Barcode quality step by step guide | Page 23 of 24 | January 2022

 Barcode-Test
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Ruckersville, VA 22968
United States

Tel: +01 (630) 235 6077

Email: sales@[Link]
Web: [Link]

2022 Edition THE BARCODE EXPERTS