Basic Information About Numbers On Products

By Keren Kipfer


Every product manufactured and sold in the market has some type of number on it that most people tend to ignore. Oftentimes, this number can be found on the labeling of the product and occasionally, imprinted to on the item itself. Though they may seem to be nothing of value, those numbers actually were placed there for a reason. It is essential to educate ourselves about what those numbers represent and how they are used especially if you are a business owner, either on the manufacturing or retail side. Here is some important information about the numbers found on everyday products.

Whenever the term numbers on products are mentioned, it often refers to the strip of black bars found on product labels. This strip of black bars is what we call a bar code which is a scannable piece of data that can be interpreted using a specialized device and computer program. They are usually used at retail shops and grocery stores as a way to identify the price of a specific item. It is important to note that there are different types of product coding systems today. The most widely implemented product numbering systems used by major brands in the world are the Universal Product Code and the Electronic Product Code.

The Universal Product Code or UPC is a barcode system used by most manufacturers from all around the world to keep track of the items they produce and distribute. All products that use the UPC barcode system are assigned with a unique identifier in the form of a 12-digit number. Each number in the series is represented by a vertical black bar and white spaces which forms the barcode. No barcode is the same and the 12-digit number complies with a standard rule. It is fascinating to know that a maximum of 1 trillion barcodes can be made so no two products are the same.

The Electronic Product Code system on the other hand or EPC was developed to become a universal identifier which provides a unique ID number of every physical object from all countries. They are commonly used on RFID data carriers but not exclusive. They also can be constructed to work with traditional optical data carriers such as those using linear bar codes. EPC is compatible with existing product coding systems and can define new schemes when necessary. It was designed to cater to the needs of manufacturers from various industries.

Regardless of type and location, manufacturers also add coding to many of their products and need to be able to imprint serial numbers or batch numbers quickly. This would also include expiration dates in the case of food items and beverages. A specialized printer is needed to place these numbers on every product. This type of machinery is known as an ID coder. There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing ID coders. Some of the popular brands include VideoJet, Imaje, Altima, and Domino coders.

Because of their high cost, a great number of manufacturers choose to get refurbished ID coders from ID product companies. Some also prefer generic coder inks and make-up fluids. These ID coder companies can provide you with good quality versions of coder inks from the major brands which will provide excellent printing results, all for a much cheaper cost than if you purchased inks directly from the manufacturer of your printer.




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