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.
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 different brands of coders, and they are either continuous inkjet coders or drop-on-demand coders. If you are in the food product business, you can purchase a refurbished coder such as a Domino coder, Imaje printer or Maxima coder for much less than a new model. There are several product id companies that sell refurbished coders, as well as offering repairs and parts for every major brand.
Another good option is purchasing ink from these id companies, as well. They sell carefully formulated inks and make up for any coder. You can purchase Videojet ink, Domino ink or ink for any other brand at much lower prices.
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.
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 different brands of coders, and they are either continuous inkjet coders or drop-on-demand coders. If you are in the food product business, you can purchase a refurbished coder such as a Domino coder, Imaje printer or Maxima coder for much less than a new model. There are several product id companies that sell refurbished coders, as well as offering repairs and parts for every major brand.
Another good option is purchasing ink from these id companies, as well. They sell carefully formulated inks and make up for any coder. You can purchase Videojet ink, Domino ink or ink for any other brand at much lower prices.
About the Author:
Keren Kipfer loves researching products for industrial manufacturers such as ink jet printers. For more details on parts for a Video Jet printer or to find Videojet equipment, please visit the PrintJet website now.
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