Code 128

Industry Type:  Retail distribution, pharmaceutical

Symbol Size:    variable

Characteristics:  106 different characters

                               very high density

                               continuous symbology

Code 39

Industry Type:  Non retail of many types, health care, automotive

Symbol Size:   Variable length

Characteristics:  discrete (each character can stand alone)

                               each character has five bars and four spaces

                               first alpha numeric code

Codabar

Industry Type:  Libraries, blood banks, air parcel services

Symbol Size:    Not defined

Characteristics:  self checking

                               discrete symbology (each character can stand alone)

                               16 characters available

Interleaved 2 of 5

Industry Type:  Distribution, grocery outer shipping containers

Symbol Size:    Not defined

Characteristics:  High density

                               self checking

                               continuous symbology

                               Every character encodes two digits, one in the bar and one in the spaces

EAN (European Article Numbering)

Industry Type:  Grocery, general merchandise

                           Allows for country designation

Symbol Size:   8 characters  (EAN 8)

                          13 characters (EAN 13)

Characteristics:  fixed length

                              numeric

                              continuous symbology

UPC (Universal Products Code)

Industry Type:  Grocery, general merchandise

Symbol Type:   12 characters

                                  1 digit number system

                                  5 digit manufacturer's code

                                  5 digit product code

                                  1 digit check digit

Characteristics: fixed length

                             numeric