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Have you ever noticed that every UPC label is different?
UPC Barcodes (Universal Product Codes)
are required on products
by retailers and distribution centers. UPC labels are on
almost everything we buy. With UPC barcodes, proper tracking
can be achieved throughout the entire distribution network.
If you are only using barcodes for your own internal use,
you will not need a UPC number, but the minute a product is
sold in the retail marketplace, it HAS to have a UPC code!
UPC barcodes are not to be assigned
for internal purposes but rather for mass circulation and
tracking—therefore they cannot be not arbitrarily assigned. In
order for retailers to properly identify your products, a
UNIQUE UPC BARCODE is required for each and every
product. Before you can put a
UPC bar code on your product, you need to have a UPC
assigned for the product.
How do you get a UPC Barcode? You will need
to request a number from the
GS1 US (formerly known as the Uniform Code Council).
The GS1
is a global
standards organization that guarantees the every product,
asset, service or location will be uniquely identified,
virtually worldwide. They
are the only authorized source in the United States for UPC
bar codes.
To be honest, obtaining UPC numbers through the GS1 is not
cheap. Even if you are a small business you will have to pay
a fee every year to use the company number that is assigned
to you. For some businesses this is a formidable
requirement. As a way around this, small companies can
buy a single UPC number for a single product through one
of three US-based companies that joined the UCC/GS1 prior to
2002. They are allowed to subdivide and issue single UPC
numbers under there own business numbers:
Simply Barcodes (www.UPCcode.us)
www.upcexpress.com
legalbarcodes.com.
This is really not a good idea however and EIMINC®
does NOT endorse this option. If your company needs UPC
codes for a large number of products or if you are going to
sell them through The Kroger Company or Wal-Mart Stores,
Inc. you will HAVE to deal with GS1 directly. You may also
find that—over time—the number of large retailers forcing
GS1 Compliance for traceability requirements will grow.
What are ISBN and Bookland numbers and how are they
different from a UPC Barcode?
The Bookland EAN or ISBN-13 barcode is used internationally
to identify books as well as videos, audio cassettes and
software. The unique number assigned to each item is the
International Standard Book Number (ISBN). ISBNs are printed
on books using the EAN-13 barcode symbology. The Bookland
EAN barcode may be followed by a 5-digit add-on supplemental
code which contains the suggested retail price.
If you are a new publisher and need one or more ISBNs, the
agency responsible for assigning these numbers in the USA
is:
R.R. Bowker
(Toll-free 888/269-5372, Fax 1-908/665-3502,
www.isbn.org
What do I do once I get my UPC or ISBN? You can then
have them printed on labels for you, you can print your
own labels, or you can have them printed directly on your
product.
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EIMINC® can print your UPC labels
and assure you of the highest quality
scans.
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You can print your own UPC labels
using our BarTender®
label software,
blank labels and a label printer.
For Packaging that incorporates a UPC or ISBN right in your
graphic design, EIMINC®
can provide the code in electronic format (typically
an EPS file).
Contact
our Label Experts
for more details.
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