Top 5 reasons for Barcode failure
There are many reasons why a barcode can fail to properly scan. Below is a list of the top 5 reasons why barcodes miss-scan.
1 Poor quality print.
Poor print quality can lead to barcode scanning issues. The bars and spaces can tolerate a limited amount of gain or loss in width, but when the printing process exceeds that tolerance,the barcode will run into scanning issues.
2 Colour combinations
Certain colour combinations will cause barcodes to misread. Red barcodes against a white background or black bars against a green background can cause difficulties with misreads.
3 Quiet Zone
The quiet zone is the blank margin on either side of a barcode that’s used to tell the barcode reader where a barcode begins and ends. The purpose of a quiet zone is the prevent the reader from picking up information that does not relate to the barcode that is being scanned. If the quiet zone areas are affected or reduced in size this may lead to scan errors.
4 Barcode Structure
An incorrect barcode structure can be another common mistake. This can happen especially when using more complicated barcode configurations like GS1 – 128 and GS1 Databar. Incorrect information or dates entered in the wrong sequence can lead to a barcode not scanning.
5 Faulty Scanners
Scanners can also misread otherwise acceptable barcodes. The most likely cause can be traced to damaged or dirty optics. Regular cleaning and maintenance of scanners can help alleviate potential problems. Problems may also occur with older, high-mileage scanners such as lasers tend to be more prone to misreads than newer, more sophisticated digital scanners.
