New Creative Uses For Barcodes
Recent advances in barcode design and barcode printer technology has allowed the creation and use of expressive (vanity) barcodes.
This means that barcodes now fall into three categories as:
- Standard Functional Barcodes – Standard block style
- Expressive Functional Barcodes – Creative, artistic renderings with a usable barcode.
- Expressive Non-functional Barcodes – Creative, artistic renderings that are unstable, being on the product solely for the purpose of making the product more attractive and enticing.
Some example of these are:
Expressive Functional
- A Soft drink can with barcode lines that are topped by bubbles.
- Packaged fruit with a fruit tree attached to the top of the barcode lines.
- A Granola package with barcodes blades of wheat growing out of the barcode lines. Barcode lines that are topped by image of a Ice Cream Sandwich.
Expressive Non-Functional
- A bag of peanuts with a Statue of Liberty barcode.
- A shopping bag with a New York City Skyline barcode.
- A floral barcode of protective florist paper.
- A mixer barcode that appears like it is mixing up the number below it.
Most existing barcode printers and scanners support the government industry standard of GS1, that was originally produced in the 1970’s. There are some companies now producing Vanity barcodes which may or may not print or scan with the older technology that you have in place.
Please contact CCS Retail Systems if you like to have either your barcode equipment/configuration reviewed, or if you would like more information regarding this new technology.