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.
Using parts from an old movie projector and a 500-watt bulb, Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland developed the first type of bar code and a scanner, for which they received a patent in 1952. By 1974, the first scanner was installed in an Ohio supermarket. The first scan was a momentous occasion, and the product scanned, which was a 10-pack of Wrigley gum, is now located in a display in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Eventually these scanners became common place in all supermarkets, grocery stores and all other types of retail shops.
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.
In addition to the UPC bar on a food product, the manufacturer also prints other special codes onto the product. These include things such as batch identification numbers and expiration dates. Food producers use special printers known as id printers or id coders to affix these numbers onto a variety of product surfaces, such as glass, plastic, cardboard and more.
Typically, a coder is either a drop-on-demand type of printer or a continuous inkjet printer, and there are tons of excellent brands. If you are looking for a printer, you can opt for an Altima coder, a Videojet coder, a Domino printer or perhaps a Maxima printer. A good option also might be to purchase the machine refurbished from a product id specialist. These companies sell refurbished codes, as well as providing a repair service for all brands of coders.
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.
Using parts from an old movie projector and a 500-watt bulb, Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland developed the first type of bar code and a scanner, for which they received a patent in 1952. By 1974, the first scanner was installed in an Ohio supermarket. The first scan was a momentous occasion, and the product scanned, which was a 10-pack of Wrigley gum, is now located in a display in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Eventually these scanners became common place in all supermarkets, grocery stores and all other types of retail shops.
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.
In addition to the UPC bar on a food product, the manufacturer also prints other special codes onto the product. These include things such as batch identification numbers and expiration dates. Food producers use special printers known as id printers or id coders to affix these numbers onto a variety of product surfaces, such as glass, plastic, cardboard and more.
Typically, a coder is either a drop-on-demand type of printer or a continuous inkjet printer, and there are tons of excellent brands. If you are looking for a printer, you can opt for an Altima coder, a Videojet coder, a Domino printer or perhaps a Maxima printer. A good option also might be to purchase the machine refurbished from a product id specialist. These companies sell refurbished codes, as well as providing a repair service for all brands of coders.
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. For more information on parts for a Video Jet printer or to find Videojet equipment, please visit the PrintJet site today.
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