Code 39 barcode font allows concatenation of symbols and space. Code 39 linear symbology consists of variable symbol length, uppercase letters (A-Z), digits, optional check character and number of special characters (-, ., $, /, +, %) etc. Barcode label maker software designs multiple scannable Code 39 barcodes with different barcode value, header, footer, alignment etc. An additional character denoted "*" is used for both the start and stop delimiters. Each character of a barcode is composed of nine elements: five bars and four spaces.
The advantage of the Code 39 barcode is that, since there is no need to generate a check digit, it can be integrated into an existing printing system by adding a barcode font to the printer and then printing the raw data in that font. The most serious drawback of Code 39 is its low data density, so it requires more space to encode data in Code 39, which means that very small products cannot be labelled with a Code 39 barcode. However, it is still widely used and can be decoded with virtually any barcode reader.
Application Area : Widely used in non-retail environments, Healthcare industry etc.
Sample of Code 39 Barcode Font designed using DRPU Barcode Label Maker Software.
Usage of Code 39 Barcode
- Code 128 is widely used in the health sector and medical equipment.
- It is used by Defense Department for military equipment.
- It is used in the airline and aviation industry on airplane parts.
- Code 128 is used in tracking transportation and assembly of parts made at different locations.
- Employee membership cards for security checks.
Code 39 Compositions
- One one-letter character is represented by nine bars and spaces.
- Asterisks "*" are attached to the start and end of the barcode like start/stop characters.
- Space between characters is called the inter-character gap. In general, the gap width is the same as the narrow bar width, and the maximum width is 3 to 5.3 times wider than the narrow bar width.
Code 39 Barcode Advantages
- Code 39 can encode all 26 alphabets of the English language and the numerals, which was not possible with the previous barcodes.
- It is much more secure and is not prone to errors in encoding and decoding.
- Code 39 is a self-checking barcode format code 39, which means a single print defect cannot lead to the misrepresentation of the character into another character.
- The Code 39 barcode reader is readily available and compatible with most of the readers on the market.
Code 39 Barcode Limitations
- The Code 39 barcode can be easily damaged and distorted like any other linear barcode.
- It is a width-encoding code 39 symbology that can quickly become unreadable on a slight ink spread during printing.
- Maximum number of characters possible to encode in code 39 barcode.
- Code 39 is 30% wider than code 128; this makes scanning the code more difficult, and users face practical challenges.
- Code 39 is an auto-correcting barcode, it cannot be fixed manually if the system misses anything.
- Lowercase characters are not allowed in the code 39 format but code 39 extended formats.
- Some barcode readers do not accept the extended code 39, so make sure to try out your code before with your reader.
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