Each number in a barcode has a unique sequence of bars, but how?

Each number in a barcode has a unique sequence of bars, but how?
I watched a show on television that taught me something about barcodes (EAN-13). It said that the gaps in barcodes are actually white bars, and the thick black lines made up of black bars. Then they said the number ’2′ had 0,0,1,0,0,1,1 (0- white bars, 1- black bars). But I don’t really quite understand how this really works yet.

Best answer:

Well that’s interesting, considering that is the binary code for the letter S.

So I guess it’s like computer code. And considering that’s what this webpage is made up of in the end, you can actually store a fair bit of information in a handful of on/off sequences.

Hope that helps, if not I’d recommend searching ‘how barcodes work’ on something like wikihow.

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1 Comment for Each number in a barcode has a unique sequence of bars, but how?

  • 1. ugly_zeke  |  October 1st, 2007 at 12:10 am

    For a more detailed description of the coding systems see the link.

    All of the bar code systems have features built in to facilitate reading them accurately with laser scanners, regardless of their orientation when scanned. These additional codes don’t make things particulalry easy for a human trying to decipher them.

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