How to use your barcode

1. Assign your barcode numbers to your products

Choose which barcode number you want to assign to each product. Each product and product variation (different sizes, colours) needs a different barcode number. Keep a list of which barcode numbers you’ve assigned to which products (e.g. on an excel spreadsheet), for your own reference & to provide to your retailers if needed.

2. Add the barcode image to your product packaging

When you buy barcodes from our company the barcode numbers and images will be emailed to you straight away. The images will be provided in several different image formats. Choose whichever image format works best for you or your graphic designer. Resize the image to fit into your product packaging (the minimum recommended size for barcodes is about 30mm wide x 20mm high).

You can then incorporate the image into your product packaging in a prominent flat location (to ensure ease of scanning). Alternatively, you can have the barcode printed onto adhesive labels and manually applied to your product.

If you are placing the barcode on a curved surface, such as a bottle, the orientation of the barcode is critical. Rotate the barcode so that it resembles a ladder (rather than a fence), with the edges of the barcode not wrapping around the curve.

3. Print your product packaging

We recommend printing a sample of your product packaging with the barcode included on it (before doing a full print run), to make sure the barcode scans and reads fine with a barcode scanner. You can ask a local shop if they can test the barcode for you by scanning it with their handheld barcode scanner – or you can download a barcode scanner app to your phone and test it that way, The barcode images we provide are high quality, but sometimes barcode quality can reduce depending on how the images are re-sized or re-formatted when they are included into a product package design. If you have any issues with your barcode not scanning correctly, please send us a photo/scan of your barcode included onto the product label or packaging and we will have a look. Always check your barcode label artwork works correctly BEFORE doing a full print run of your product packaging. Verify that the barcode numbers are accurate and that the printed barcode image is still of high quality and within the official size range. Changes and errors may occur at various stages in the process, so it is critical to carefully check the artwork before printing.

4. Send your product to your retailers

Once you have printed your product packaging, the next step is to send your products to your retailers. It is at this point that the barcode becomes linked to the product. When the barcode is scanned into a retailer’s system for the first time, no product information appears. The retailer must enter the product and price information into their system. After that, whenever the barcode is scanned in that retail store, the correct product information will appear.

NOTE: You do not need to register your barcode number or product details anywhere. There are some online barcode/product registration databases (some are free and others require payment). None of the databases are complete, and there is no official requirement to register your barcodes in any database. As owner of your barcodes you are required to keep your own record of which barcode numbers you have assigned to which product, to make sure you don’t re-use your old barcodes on new products, and to provide accurate barcode/product information to your retailers.