Label Type: Barcode Labels
Barcodes we verify before they ship
A barcode only earns its keep if it reads every time: at the register, on the receiving dock, down the production line. We print every major symbology, then grade each job to ANSI/ISO with 100% inline video web inspection on GS1-compliant materials. Made in Hillsborough, NJ since 1986.
Verified to ANSI/ISO
Barcode label manufacturing
Printed to the right symbology, then graded before it leaves
Reliable scanning is the entire job of a barcode. We match the symbology and the material to where the label actually works, print it on our presses, and verify it to ANSI/ISO as it runs. Authorized Zebra and Datamax dealer; sizes from 0.25" x 0.25" up to 16" x 24"; ships nationwide.
Barcode symbology explorer
Which barcode does your product actually need?
Pick a symbology to see a sample and where it is used, or required. The right choice is driven by where the label gets scanned, not by preference.
1D linear Encodes: 0 36000 29145 2
UPC-A / UPC-E
- What it is
- The 12-digit retail barcode scanned at every US checkout. UPC-A carries the full number; UPC-E compresses it for small packages.
- Where it is used
- Consumer products sold through retail in the United States and Canada.
- Where it is required
- Effectively required by every US retailer to stock an item at point of sale. The digits come from your GS1-registered company prefix, which you register; we encode and print it.
1D linear Encodes: 5 012345 678900
EAN-13 / EAN-8
- What it is
- The international retail barcode: 13 digits, or a shortened 8-digit version for small items. Interchangeable with UPC at modern point of sale.
- Where it is used
- Retail outside North America, and products sold across both markets.
- Where it is required
- Required for retail sale across Europe and most of the world.
1D linear Encodes: (01)10036000291452 (17)271231 (10)A1B2
GS1-128
- What it is
- A Code 128 barcode that carries GS1 Application Identifiers: data such as GTIN, batch or lot, expiration, quantity, and the SSCC that identifies a carton or pallet.
- Where it is used
- Shipping cartons and pallets moving into retail and distribution networks.
- Where it is required
- Required on carton and pallet labels by major retailers and distributors for receiving. We build the AI structure to the receiving spec you are given.
1D linear Encodes: CLS-SHIP-4821
Code 128 / Code 39
- What it is
- General-purpose alphanumeric barcodes. Code 128 is compact and encodes the full character set; Code 39 is older and simpler, common on installed equipment.
- Where it is used
- Internal part numbers, asset tags, work orders, healthcare, and industrial tracking.
- Where it is required
- Not tied to a retail mandate. Chosen to match the scanners and software you already run.
2D matrix Encodes: (01)00312345678906 (21)SER1234
GS1 DataMatrix
- What it is
- A dense 2D matrix that packs GTIN, serial number, lot, and expiration into a small square, read by camera-based scanners.
- Where it is used
- Supplement serialization, traceability, and small-part direct marking.
- Where it is required
- Used where a lot of data must fit a small space and a linear barcode will not, such as supplement serialization and unique 2D codes.
2D matrix Encodes: https://verify.example/9146
QR Code
- What it is
- A 2D matrix read by any phone camera. Links a physical label to web content, authentication, or traceability data.
- Where it is used
- Consumer engagement, product authentication, and supply-chain track-and-trace.
- Where it is required
- Not mandated at point of sale, but increasingly specified for GS1 Digital Link and consumer-transparency programs.
1D linear Encodes: 1 00 36000 29145 7
ITF-14
- What it is
- Interleaved 2-of-5 encoding a 14-digit GTIN, printed inside a heavy bearer-bar frame that stabilizes scanning on corrugated.
- Where it is used
- Shipping cases and cartons, often printed directly on brown corrugated.
- Where it is required
- Required by many grocery and distribution programs to identify a case pack (the outer carton), separate from the item UPC.
Stacked 2D Encodes: PDF417 · multi-row payload
PDF417
- What it is
- A stacked linear barcode that stores large amounts of data across multiple rows, with built-in error correction.
- Where it is used
- Government ID, shipping documents, transportation, and logistics.
- Where it is required
- Specified where a lot of data must live in the barcode itself and be read offline, such as the back of a driver's license and AAMVA documents.
Not sure which one your retailer or program calls for? Send us the spec sheet and we will confirm the symbology, data format, and grade requirement before we print.
What we check on every barcode
A barcode can look perfect and still fail the scan
Tap each marker. These are the parameters an ANSI/ISO verifier measures, and what our inline inspection watches across the whole run, not just the first label off the press.
Quiet zone
The blank margin before the first bar and after the last one. A scanner needs it to find where the code begins and ends. Too little quiet zone is one of the most common reasons a printed barcode will not read.
This is what a grade report documents. How ANSI/ISO verification works →
By industry
The barcode work each industry actually asks for
Retail & Consumer Goods
The label that has to clear a retailer's receiving dock and then scan at the register. We print the item barcode and the carton compliance label to the same job spec.
- UPC-A and EAN-13 for point-of-sale scanning
- GS1-128 carton and pallet labels for retailer receiving
- FNSKU and UPC labels for Amazon FBA, on rolls for in-house application
- SSCC pallet labels for shipments into distribution centers
Nutraceutical, OTC & Personal Care
Serialized, verified, and documented. Supplement and OTC work is where 100% inline inspection stops being a nicety and starts being the standard.
- GS1 DataMatrix for supplement and unit-level serialization
- UPC and lot-coded labels for OTC and personal care products
- Lot, expiration, and serial encoded as variable data
- ANSI/ISO grade reports for your compliance files
Logistics & Distribution
Barcodes that get read once, fast, on a moving line or a loaded pallet. Format and material are matched to the scanner and the surface.
- SSCC-18 pallet and container labels
- GS1-128 shipping and carton labels
- Warehouse rack, bin, and location barcodes
- Receiving and inspection labels on durable stock
Manufacturing & Industrial
Codes that survive the plant floor: oils, abrasion, temperature, and rough handling. Durable face stocks with barcodes verified before they ship.
- Work-in-process and traveler tracking labels
- Asset tags and equipment nameplates with barcodes
- Part-number and rating labels on polyester or vinyl
- Direct-part DataMatrix for small components
Barcode label FAQ
What barcode symbologies do you print?
We print all major symbologies: UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, EAN-8, Code 39, Code 128, GS1-128, ITF-14, GS1 DataMatrix, QR Code, PDF417, and SSCC-18. We match the symbology and the material to where the label has to work, from a retail UPC to a serialized pharmaceutical code.
Do you verify barcode quality before shipping?
Yes. We verify barcode print quality to ANSI/ISO with 100% inline video web inspection on GS1-compliant materials, so every label on the roll is checked, not a sample from the front. ANSI/ISO grade reports are available on request for GS1 supply-chain programs and retail supplier requirements.
What barcode grade do retailers and GS1 programs require?
ANSI/ISO grades a barcode from A to F (4.0 to 0.0) by combining measures like symbol contrast, decodability, and defects into one score. Many retail and GS1 supply-chain programs require a minimum overall grade of C (1.5), and some pharmaceutical and retail programs require B or A. We verify to ANSI/ISO and can supply the grade report the program asks for.
Can you print variable barcodes with different data on each label?
Yes. We print variable data so each label carries its own barcode: sequential serial numbers, SSCC pallet codes, lot and date fields, or values from a data file you supply. Every variable barcode is verified inline as it prints, which is how serialized pharmaceutical (DSCSA) and logistics labels get produced at volume without a scan failure slipping through.
Can you print barcode labels for Amazon FBA?
Yes. We produce FNSKU, UPC, and EAN barcode labels that meet Amazon FBA requirements, supplied on rolls for in-house application. The GS1-registered company prefix behind a UPC is registered by you; we encode and print it correctly and verify that it scans.
What is the minimum order quantity for barcode labels?
Minimums vary by label size, material, and print method. Our focus is medium-to-long production runs, with a largest single run to date of 5 million labels, but we serve smaller businesses too. Send your specifications and we will provide pricing and the minimum for your job. Standard turnaround is about two weeks from artwork approval, with reorders often inside a week.
Need barcode labels from a NJ manufacturer?
Tell us your symbology, quantity, and application. We will confirm the grade requirement, quote it, and verify every label before it ships.
From the blog
- GS1-128 Label Requirements: What Retailers and Distributors Actually Require Application identifiers, carton label layout, SSCC structure, and what major distributors check when scanning your shipping labels. Read article →
- Barcode Label Quality Grades: What ANSI/ISO Verification Means What each grade parameter measures, when Grade A is required, and what causes failures in pharmaceutical and retail barcode printing. Read article →
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