Back in the 1970s and earlier, going to the grocery store was a very different experience that it is today. Checkers used manual cash registers and punched in the price of each product individually. Store employees also had to mark each product with a price sticker. Today of course, the food and other grocery items have a bar code, and you simply scan the product and the computerized cash register does all the adding up. The codes also help keep inventory in check, which makes life easier for store managers.
While the bar code scanners weren't commonplace until the 1980s, bar codes were actually developed as early as the 1950s. The first patent for a bar code was issued in 1952 to Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland who developed the code and reader using a light bulb and movie projector parts. The first bar code scanner for a grocery store was installed in 1974 at a supermarket in Ohio, and the very first item scanned was a package of Wrigley gum, which is now on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
In 1966, the Universal Product Code was created which established guidelines for bar codes on grocery products. This is a 12-digit code that can be used to identify any grocery-related product. The first digit represents the type of product, while the next set of digits identifies the manufacturer. For example, if the first digit is a zero this means that the product is a national brand. A 2 would be placed on item that you had received at the deli, such as cheese or sliced meats or potato salad. A 3 is placed on items that are beauty products, such as shampoo.
Of course, the UPC numbers are certainly not the only types of numbers that are placed on products. Many products, particularly those that are food-related, have other numbers printed on the packaging using a type of printers that are called id printers and often also called id coders. These are handy because they work quickly, the ink dries very fast, and they can print on many surfaces from glass to foil to plastic.
There are many major brands of these id coders, which typically are drop-on-demand or continuous inkjet printers. You might see a company that uses a Domino printer or perhaps a Videojet printer. Other brands include Altima printers, Maxima printers and Imaje coders. If you are in the market for a coder, consider buying a used model and have it refurbished by a product id business that offers repairs and refurbishments. These companies also generally have many replacement parts on hand for all the major brands.
You might also find that your product id company sells lower cost inks and the necessary make-up fluids you often need to purchase. Buying Domino ink or Videojet ink can be costly, so going through a product id service can serve as an excellent way to cut your costs.
While the bar code scanners weren't commonplace until the 1980s, bar codes were actually developed as early as the 1950s. The first patent for a bar code was issued in 1952 to Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland who developed the code and reader using a light bulb and movie projector parts. The first bar code scanner for a grocery store was installed in 1974 at a supermarket in Ohio, and the very first item scanned was a package of Wrigley gum, which is now on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
In 1966, the Universal Product Code was created which established guidelines for bar codes on grocery products. This is a 12-digit code that can be used to identify any grocery-related product. The first digit represents the type of product, while the next set of digits identifies the manufacturer. For example, if the first digit is a zero this means that the product is a national brand. A 2 would be placed on item that you had received at the deli, such as cheese or sliced meats or potato salad. A 3 is placed on items that are beauty products, such as shampoo.
Of course, the UPC numbers are certainly not the only types of numbers that are placed on products. Many products, particularly those that are food-related, have other numbers printed on the packaging using a type of printers that are called id printers and often also called id coders. These are handy because they work quickly, the ink dries very fast, and they can print on many surfaces from glass to foil to plastic.
There are many major brands of these id coders, which typically are drop-on-demand or continuous inkjet printers. You might see a company that uses a Domino printer or perhaps a Videojet printer. Other brands include Altima printers, Maxima printers and Imaje coders. If you are in the market for a coder, consider buying a used model and have it refurbished by a product id business that offers repairs and refurbishments. These companies also generally have many replacement parts on hand for all the major brands.
You might also find that your product id company sells lower cost inks and the necessary make-up fluids you often need to purchase. Buying Domino ink or Videojet ink can be costly, so going through a product id service can serve as an excellent way to cut your costs.
About the Author:
Keren Kipfer enjoys researching products for industrial manufacturers such as ink jet printers. To get more details on parts for a Video Jet printer or to find Videojet equipment, please check out the PrintJet website today.
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