TransBar
Printing
   barcode
        solution

TransBar 5 Codes 128

Code-barres Code 128
Code-barres GS1 128 / Ean 128

Fields of application

TransBar 5 Ean 13 & 8 allow to create barcodes for the following fields of application :

Storable characters

The Code 128 barcodes can store informations with any length, composed by :

In the particular case of the GS1 128 / Ean 128 standard, the barcodes store the overpacking’s reference or the overpacking’s products, otherwise called GTIN number or Ean 14. This number can be completed with other informations like the fabrication date, the sale deadline date, batch number, etc, all according to a specific syntax that will be verified by the transcription : the message to code have to be composed by a data ID with two characters, often represented between parentheses, followed by a data that, depending of the ID, may be composed of defined or indefinite number of digits or ASCII characters. The ID is significative of the content and the format of the message that follows. For example :

Several messages can be regrouped in a same GS1 128 / EAN 128 barcode, one after the other or divided on several barcodes assigned to the same overpack.

Consult the technical documentation TransBar GS1 128 / EAN 128 !

Consult the ID list of GS1 128 / EAN 128 !

Supported standards

The barcodes generated by TransBar 5 Codes 128 respond to the common standards and appellations :

as well as :

Supported sets :

In Code128, each subset of 3 bars present 3 differents significations depending of the current sete which can be variable in the barcode. Thereby, a same information can be represented by many barcodes with different graphics ; among them, the most interesting are those with the smallest number of bars and therefore the smallest width, but for this, they use several sets in a single barcode, which implies a complex transcription using to an optimization calculation. For simplicity, some specifications recommend the use of a single set, which TransBar 5 allows by the following choices :

in addition to : as well as :

Content validity verification, GS1 128 / Ean 128 standard

The information to be encoded can be entered in TransBar according to various syntaxes, for example the entries :

will all be accepted and will give the same result, while : will displayed an error because, (11) have to be followed by a date with the YYMMDD format, the 31st of February 2013 is not acceptable.

Graphic possibilities, Classic Code128

Except in the special case of the GS1 128 / Ean 128 standard, TransBar 5 Codes 128 generates barcodes with seven common heights :

Hauteurs Code 128
and in all sizes, within the limits of the standard, or even after a warning, beyond the limits of the standard :
Grandeurs Code 128

The barcodes are obtained without legend or are automatically provided with a legend (single-set transcription only) :

Légendes Code 128

In the "Set C only" or "optimized set" transcriptions, the barcode width can not be deduced from the number of characters alone, it also depends on their type and distribution. For example, 13 or 16 digits lead to identical widths, and 15 digits brings more width than 16...

Largeurs Code 128
Moreover, the coding in "set C only" of an odd number of digits causes a shift of the legend on the left; if this graphic feature is not accepted, we have to use a non-legendary barcode and associate a legend obtained by a second inscription in a traditional font, below examples :

Graphic possibilities, GS1 128 / EAN 128 standard

The standard GS1 128 / Ean 128 originally specified a nominal bar code dimension and described some common modification factors, both by the height and width of the bars. These requirements are poorly respected, because most barcode creation solutions do not allow them to be respected, and because the need has arisen to print GS1 128 / Ean 128 barcodes of small dimensions, for example on product catalogs.

TransBar allows to respect them or not, at the operator's choice.

To achieve small and full-size symbols, TransBar implements its general-purpose uncaptioned Code 128 fonts.

To obtain symbols with standardized dimensions, TransBar implements six specific fonts :