User manual

UPC SUPPLEMENT

UPC (version A) is a numeric only code that contains a left hand border character, 6 left hand characters, a

center character, 6 right hand characters and a right border character. The letter U is used to select UPC bar

code. The border and center characters are defined as follows:

Left Border J

Center K

Right Border L

All UPC bar codes include a check digit. The UPC check digit is the 12th digit, located in the lower-right corner

of the barcode itself. Calculating the UPC barcode check digit is explained below. Note: If you send the wrong

value the printer will automatically calculate the correct value.

Calculating UPC Check Digit

While there are 12 digits in a UPC barcode, only the first 11 digits contain user data. The last digit is a check

digit based on the previous 11 numbers. Our example barcode data is "401234567893". Calculate the UPC

check digit as follows:

Beginning on the left, add up digits in the odd positions. Multiple the result by 3. Add up all the digits in the even

positions. Add the first subtotal to the second. Now what single digit number makes the total a multiple of 10?

That's the check digit. In this example it is 3.

4+1+3+5+7+9=29 29x3=87 0+2+4+6+8=20 87+20=107 (add 3 to make 110)

A typical data stream for printing UPC ladder bar code is as follows:

"<RC0,70><X2><UL5>J401234K567893L"

The following data will generate a 5 unit wide (40 dots) expanded bar code. The bar code will represent the

numbers 401234 and 567893 separated by the guard markers. It will start in row 0 and column 70 and build

down and towards the left. There will be no interpretation printed.

A typical data stream for printing UPC picket fence bar code with interpretation is as follows

"<RC0,70><X2><BI><UP5>J401234K567893L"

EAN8

This code is really an 8 digit UPC code. The check digit is calculated using the same method described above.

A typical EAN8 ladder code follows:

"<RC0,70><X2><UL5>J1234K5670L"

The same bar code printed in the opposite direction would be as follows:

"<RL><RC200,70><X2><uL5>J1234K5670L"