Quick question: Our gift card printer has asked us to specify the format for the barcode that will be printed on our card stock. I know that RMS supports a bajillion barcode formats, but is there a default format that either RMS expects or which we should opt for in any case?
It depends what kind of information you need the code to have. Personally, I use in my store three types of bar codes that RMS supports:
UPC-A: 12 digits, the last digit is generate by a formula. You can choose the first 11 digits like you prefer or best fit your needs. For instance if you are trying to order gift cards you can just create a sequence of numbers or the printing company will do it for you. To calculate the last digit you can go to online and you will find sites that will generate the last digit for you for free. This is the most common bar code use
EAN: 8 digits, the last digit is also generate by a formula. Similar to the UPC-A, but with only 8 digits. This is the format I used to generate the bar code for my VIP members in my store.
CODE 128B: I love this bar code, because you can use all numbers or use a combination of letters and numbers and the RMS will generate the bar code. You do not need to go online to find the last digit. This is a great bar code to use if you are printing out stickers for in house use or retail, but not for distribution.
There are more bar codes out there, however these are the ones I use on a daily basis. I am not a bar code expert, however, but you learn a lot from the internet, if you are in a hurry this link might be helpful:
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