Ratio: Specifies the ratio between the widths of the wide and narrow elements in a barcode.ĭensity: Specifies the width of the bars and spaces in the barcode and defines how many characters can be encoded per inch. Therefore, the X dimension correlates directly with the overall width of the barcode and therefore its density. A single X dimension is called a 'module.' Wider elements in the barcode are measured as multiples of the X dimension. Usually, this is the width of the narrowest bar or space. X dimension: Specifies the width of the narrowest unit in a barcode. Depending on the symbology and application, users may be able to customize everything from the size and color of a barcode symbol to its industry function.Ĭomponents that are common to most barcode symbols include: Sometimes, the same data can be captured by different symbols, and choices must be made about which symbology fits the users' needs best.

The term 'symbology' refers to the rules by which the data is encoded into the physical elements of the symbol. The term 'symbol' refers to the physical elements that encode the data: the lines and spaces or squares (or dots) and spaces. The encoded data can be used by a computer to look up additional information about the item in a database, such as price and description. Data can be numeric, alphabetic, or alphanumeric. This data can be nearly anything: part number, manufacturer ID, transaction code, location code, expiration date, and so on. The term 'code' refers to the actual data that is contained in the arrangement of lines and spaces or squares and spaces. AIDC technology creates the potential for improving performance, productivity, consumer safety, and efficiency in industry worldwide. The technology enables real-time data to be collected accurately and rapidly.

A barcode is a type of automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) technology that consists of a series of parallel, adjacent bars and spaces (in the case of linear symbologies), dots and squares (in the case of two-dimensional symbologies), or a combination of these (in the case of composite symbologies).

Definition of barcode x dimension