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YouTube Video - Graphical Barcodes |
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They are used to represent data and consequently are
very powerful:
1. A checkout operator in a supermarket scans a product barcode as the
customer passes through the checkouts. The price will be automatically
displayed and as more products are checked out the total cost will be
calculated. This means the checkout operator does not need to manually
type in the price of each product. This makes the checkout procedure less
time consuming and it is less likely that mistakes will happen.
2. As products are scanned at the checkout, the supermarket computer
system will automatically determine whether more products need ordering so
that replacements are placed back on the shelves. This saves time and
manpower as it does not require an employee to constantly check the
shelves or to manually order replacement products. Stock control is much
more efficient as a result of the introduction of barcodes.
3. In the airline industry barcodes allow airlines and their customers to
keep track of luggage. As a customer checks in at the airline desk each
piece of luggage is given a barcode label. The automated system ensures
that each piece of luggage is scanned and then placed on the correct
plane. If bags are lost anywhere in the world, they can be located through
the barcoding software. For instance, if your luggage is left in
Kathmandu, Nepal - when you arrive in London and find your bags are
missing the information desk should be able to locate the bags almost
immediately - by accessing the airline barcoding system. This is also
useful if your luggage is placed on the wrong plane and ends up thousands
of miles away. |
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Barcodes are usually overlooked by the customer. They
appear boring and are rarely part of the design work for the package. The
two examples below where taken from the packaging for tea. Diagram ‘A’
shows the normal way of displaying a barcode, black and white strips and
numbers. Diagram ‘B’ shows a more imaginative way of displaying the same
barcode as it incorporates graphics/images relating the product, in this
case tea leafs.
Do you think diagram ‘B’ is a more imaginative and interesting way of
presenting barcodes?
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The barcode shown opposite could be used on the
packaging of mobile phones. Adding an image or symbol does not alter the
barcode at all, it can still be scanned at the checkout.
Designs can be added to barcodes but only if they do not interfere with
the barcode lines and numbers.
What do think of the layout of this barcode?
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This barcode has been designed for a florist. Grass and
wild flowers have been added to the basic barcode so that it fits in with
the shop theme.
What do think of the layout of this barcode?
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The barcode layout shown below has been designed for
the packaging of a toy / model car. The barcode shape has been altered
slightly but there is enough to scan. The barcode appears from the exhaust
and the numbers are in place below it. |
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GRAPHICS INDEX PAGE |
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