Shipping and Receiving Transaction Bar Code Label Specification

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Shipping and Receiving Transaction

Bar Code Label Specification

BCC-95-001

Issue 3, 10/95

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FOREWORD

This revision, Issue 3 of the Telecommunications Industry Forum (TCIF) Shipping and Receiving Transaction Bar Code Label Specification supersedes the former Issue 2, dated December 5, 1989. It is being reissued to accommodate the vertical label format as shown in Figure 1.

This document establishes minimum requirements for format, scannability and durability of labels that are intended for use in the shipping/receiving and product packaging environments and includes the requirements necessary for use in the telecommunications industry. The figures and exhibits provided in the document are for illustrative purposes only.

The document was developed under the direction of the TCIF Bar Code Committee and through cooperative efforts with the Electronic Industries Association (EIA ) Bar Code Committee, and thus closely parallels the EIA Outer Shipping Container Bar Code Label Standard ANSI/EIA-556-A. Appendix C lists the sections that differ in technical content from

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Table of Contents 1 Scope ...4 2 Definitions...4 3 Format ...4 3.1 Overall Size...4 3.2 Data Fields...5

3.2.1 Data Field Titles ...7

3.2.2 Data Identifiers ...11

3.2.3 Mandatory Data Fields ...11

3.2.4 Optional Data Fields...16

3.3 Minimum Shipping Label...18

3.4 Bar Code Data Field Sizes...19

4 Bar Code Requirements ...20

4.1 General ...20

4.2 Bar Code Symbology ...20

4.3 Bar Code Density...20

4.4 Bar Code Symbol Dimensions ...21

4.5 Check Character ...21

4.6 Quiet Zone ...21

4.7 Print Quality ...21

4.7.1 Reflectance Requirements ...21

4.7.2 Print Quality Level ...21

4.7.3 Verification ...21

5 Environmental Considerations...22

5.1 Storage Conditions ...22

5.2 Longevity ...22

5.3 Use and Protection ...22

5.3.1 Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Measurement Methodology and Requirements ...23

5.4 Recyclability ...23 6 Label Location ...24 6.1 General ...24 6.2 Obsolete Labels...24 6.3 Placement Guidelines ...24 EXHIBIT A...25 EXHIBIT B...27 EXHIBIT C ...29 EXHIBIT D ...31 EXHIBIT E...33 EXHIBIT F...35 EXHIBIT G ...37 EXHIBIT H ...39 EXHIBIT I ...40 APPENDIX A ...43 APPENDIX B ...47 APPENDIX C ...49

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1 Scope

This document is intended to provide a telecommunications industry specification for marking shipping and receiving "transaction labels" on packages being shipped to companies within the telecommunications industry. This document was developed and revised under the direction of the Telecommunications Industry Forum ( TCIF ) Bar Code Committee.

In this document, the word "shall" indicates a requirement and the word "should" indicates a recommendation.

2 Definitions

See Appendix A.

3 Format

The Vertical Label Format (Figure 1) and Horizontal Label Format (Figure 2) illustrate standard bar code label formats that enable users to encode information which may be required by automated shipping/receiving systems. These labels also provide sufficient information for manual systems to operate more effectively.

The manufacturer/supplier shall choose either the Vertical Label Format (Figure 1) or

Horizontal Label Format (Figure 2), whichever is more appropriate for their labeling operation and also satisfies the customer’s data field requirements within the scope of this specification. Exhibits A through F illustrate the use of the two label formats with different packaging

strategies.

3.1 Overall Size

The recommended size for the Vertical Label Format (Figure 1) and Horizontal Label Format (Figure 2) is 4.0 inch by 6.5 inch (102 mm by 165 mm). The maximum size for the Vertical Label Format is 5.0 inch by 6.5 inch (127 mm by 165 mm) as shown in Figure 4.

Manufacturers/suppliers with insufficient area on packages or shipping containers should consider packaging which will accommodate the label size or the use of a tag as shown in Exhibit H.

Data field length is dependent on the choice of characters per inch and bar code density (see Table 2). These parameters shall be mutually agreed upon between the supplier or

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3.2 Data Fields

Each data field shall be separated by thin border lines (see Figure 1 and Figure 2) and shall contain its title as shown in the attached exhibits. Titles are not required when a data field does not contain a bar code. If the Special field is combined with the Description field using the Vertical Label Format (Figure 1), a border line is not required to separate the two fields. Outer border lines are not required.

A sample of the two label formats with the data fields filled to maximum is shown in Figure 3 and Figure 5. Figure 4 is an example of a 5 inch wide vertical format label with data fields filled to maximum.

Figure 1 - Vertical Label Format

LEGEND: A = Ship From B = Ship To C = Package Count D = Package Weight E = Package ID F = Transaction ID G = Product ID H = Quantity I = Special J = Description

*when barcode symbol is required Drawing Not to Scale

Preferred Minimum Maximum

a 4.0 (102 mm) 4.0 (102 mm) 5.0 (127 mm) b 6.5 (165 mm) 4.0 (102 mm) 6.5 (165 mm) c 1.3 (33 mm) 1.3 (33 mm) 2.9 (74 mm) d 0.5 (13 mm) 0.5 (13 mm) 0.7 (18 mm) e 0.4 (10 mm) 0.4 (10 mm) mi f 2.0 (51 mm) 1.0 (25.4 mm) a mi=1-6 0.8 (20 mm) 0.8 (20 mm) 1.0 (25.4 mm) Dimensions are in inches (mm).

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Figure 2 - Horizontal Label Format LEGEND: A = Shipping Information B = Shipping Information C = Package Count D = Package Weight E = Package ID F = Transaction ID G = Product ID H = Quantity I = Special J = Description

*when bar code symbol is required

**label edge to leading edge of the human readable interpretation in Quantity field. Drawing Not to Scale

Required Dimensions a 4.0 (102 mm) b 6.5 (165 mm) c 1.5 (38 mm) d 2.5 (64 mm) e 0.5 (13 mm) f 0.4 (10 mm) g 0.7 (18 mm) h 0.6 (15 mm) i 3.1 (79 mm) m1-3 0.9 (23 mm) Dimensions are in inches (mm)

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3.2.1 Data Field Titles

Titles are mandatory for all data fieldsd that contain a bar code and shall be printed in 0.06 inch (1.5 mm) minimum high characters. The data field titles are as follows:

Data Field Name Bar Code Data Field Title Supplier Package

Identification

Yes PKG ID

Transaction Identification Yes TRANS ID

Product Identification Yes PROD ID*

Quantity Yes QUANTITY

Description Optional (As Required)

Special** Optional (As Required)**

Package Count No PACKAGE

COUNT

Package Weight No PACKAGE

WEIGHT

Shipping Information No (Not Required)

*The Product Identification data field may contain the Customer Product Identification or the Supplier Product Identification provided the appropriate Data Identifier is used (see Section 3.2.2).

**As described in Section 3.2.4.2, this data field may be used as a continuation data field for the Transaction Identification data field or the Product Identification data field.

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Figure 3 - Vertical Label Format, 4 inch X 6.5 inch label

NOTE: The bar code data fields are shown with the maximum number of data characters encoded in the bar codes per the highest Code 39 bar code density specified in Table 2, and assuming three characters for the Data Identifier and one character each for the "start" and "stop". The use of lower densities will result in fewer characters encoded in the bar code.

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Figure 4 - Vertical Label Format, 5 inch X 6.5 inch label

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Figure 5 - Horizontal Label Format, 4 inch X 6.5 inch label

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3.2.2 Data Identifiers

The appropriate Data Identifier(s), in accordance with the ANSI MH10.8.2-1995 Data Application Identifier Standard, shall be used for all Code 39 bar code symbols. The Data Identifier shall immediately follow the start code character of each Code 39 bar code symbol. While the aforementioned ANSI Standard contains a complete listing and description of all Data Identifiers, a partial list and brief description of commonly used Data Identifiers is shown below:

2S - Advanced Shipment Notification

3S - Supplier Package ID (Single Order/Single Product)

4S - Supplier Package ID (Single Order/Single Product Master Pack) 5S - Supplier Package ID (Single Order/Mixed Load)

6S - Supplier Package ID (Multi Order/Single Product) 7S - Supplier Package ID (Multi Order/Mixed Load) 9S - Generic Package ID (mutually defined)

K - Customer Order Number

14K - Combined Customer Order Number and Line Number P - Customer Product Identification

1P - Supplier Product Identification Q - Quantity

7Q - Quantity and Unit of Measure Z - Special

C - Continuation of the Customer Product Identification 4C - Continuation of the Transaction Identification

Note: These Data Identifiers are in accordance with the ANSI MH10.8.3M-1995 Standard. When UCC/EAN-128 symbology is used, the appropriate Application Identifiers shall be used in accordance with UCC specification requirements.

3.2.3 Mandatory Data Fields

The following data fields constitute a minimum requirement for bar coding applications: Shipping Information see Section 3.2.3.1

Supplier Package Identification see Section 3.2.3.2 * Transaction Identification see Section 3.2.3.3 Customer Product Identification see Section 3.2.3.4

Quantity see Section 3.2.3.6 **

Package Count text only, see Section 3.2.3.5 ***

* The Supplier Package Identification data field is the only mandatory data field required for a Minimum Shipping label.

** The Quantity data field shall not be used for Mixed Load or Multi Order shipments. *** Package Count is mandatory ONLY for Single Order (3S) labels and for Master Pack

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3.2.3.1 Shipping Information

The Shipping Information data field is an untitled data field without bar codes, located in the upper right hand corner of the Horizontal Label Format (Figure 2) . This data field is located at the top of the Vertical Label Format (Figure 1) . It shall contain, at minimum, the

manufacturer/supplier’s name and address. Other information may be printed in this data field; e.g., company logos and receiver's name, address and telephone number.

3.2.3.2 Supplier Package Identification

The Supplier Package Identification data field is a mandatory bar code data field assigned by the manufacturer/supplier, consisting of two segments. The first segment

(manufacturer/supplier identification code) consists of a four character designation in accordance with the ANSI T1.220-1991 Manufacturer/Supplier/Related Service Company Codes, followed by a separator "+" (plus) character. (e.g., ABCD+)

An acceptable alternative for the first segment consists of a unique seven digit

Manufacturer/Supplier Identification code. This seven digit number consists of a leading "0" (for the United States of America and Canada) followed by a unique six digit number assigned by the Uniform Code Council, Inc. This seven digit structure is compatible with International Article Numbering Association (EAN) convention. When this seven digit structure is used as the first segment, the separator "+" plus sign character shall not be used to separate the first segment from the second segment (i.e., the package identification code).

The second segment constitutes the package identification code. The package identification code shall be assigned by the manufacturer/supplier and can be any combination of alpha (A-Z) and/or numeric (0-9) characters. While package identification codes need not be assigned in sequential order, any given code shall be unique for a minimum time period of 365 days. The Data Identifier (See Section 3.2.2) shall follow the start character and precede the

Supplier Package Identification within the bar code symbol but shall not appear in the human readable interpretation of the bar code data. The Data Identifier shall be enclosed in

parenthesis preceding the data field title. The human readable interpretation of the bar code data shall not contain the Data Identifier, or the start and stop characters.

The applicable Data Identifiers used in the Supplier Package Identification data field for various packaging scenarios are indicated in Table 1. Examples of each packaging scenario, referred to as Exhibits A-F, are also listed in Table 1.

3.2.3.2.1 Data Field Length

The maximum number of bar code characters that can be encoded into the Supplier Package Identification data field is shown in Table 2.

3.2.3.2.2 Size

The minimum height of the bar code symbol in the Supplier Package Identification data field shall be 0.5 inch (13 mm) when using the Vertical Label Format (Figure 1) or 0.4 inch (10 mm)

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when using the Horizontal Label Format (Figure 2). The minimum height of the human readable interpretation of the Supplier Package Identification shall be 0.2 inch (5 mm). To quickly locate the Supplier Package Identification data field on the label, the border lines used to separate this data field from other data fields should be bold when using the Vertical Label Format (Figure 1). The width of these border lines should be at least twice the width of the other border lines on the label.

Table 1: Data Identifiers and Packaging Scenarios Packaging Scenario Data Identifier Exhibit

Single Package

Single Order/Single Product ID

3S A

Multiple Packages Single Order/Single Product ID

3S B

Master Pack

Single Order/Single Product ID

4S C

Master Pack

Single Order/Multiple Product IDs

5S D

Master Pack

Multiple Orders/Single Product ID

6S E

Master Pack

Multiple Orders/Multiple Product IDs

7S F

3.2.3.3 Transaction Identification

The Transaction Identification data field is a mandatory bar code data field specified by the customer. This data field is used for encoding the purchase order or purchase order and line item numbers.

The Data Identifier (see Section 3.2.2) shall follow the start character and precede the Transaction Identification within the bar code symbol, but shall not appear in human

readable interpretation. The Data Identifier shall be enclosd in parenthesis preceding the data field title. If the Transaction Identification exceeds the available data field length, it may be continued in the Special data field, using the Data Identifier “4C” immediately following the start character of the bar code symbol in the Special data field.

Shipments with a single transaction identification shall have the Transaction Identification encoded in the bar code symbol with the associated human readable interpretation also shown. When multiple transaction identifications (i.e., orders) are grouped in one package or shipping container, the words “MULTI ORDER” shall be printed in t he Transaction

Identification data field in place of a bar code and its human readable interpretation. See Exhibit E.

The maximum number of bar code characters that can be encoded in the Transaction Identification data field is shown in Table 2. This data field may be continued in the Special data field. See Section 3.2.4.2 .

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3.2.3.3.2 Size

The minimum height of the bar code symbol in the Transaction Identification data field shall be 0.5 inch (13 mm). The minimum height of the human readable interpretation shall be 0.2 inch (5 mm). The minimum character height of the words "MULTI ORDER" shall be 0.5 inch (13 mm).

A double fold line between the Transaction Identification data field and the Product

Identification data field is acceptable for the Horizontal Label Format (Figure 2) to maintain compatibility with Issue 2 of the specification.

3.2.3.4 Product Identification

The Product Identification data field is a mandatory bar code data field for orders of a single product. The product identification should be designated by the customer and should be the product identification used to order the product from the manufacturer/supplier. In the absence of a customer product identification, the manufacturer/supplier product identification may be used.

The Data Identifier (see Section 3.2.2) shall follow the start character and precede the product identification data within the bar code data field but shall not appear in the human readable interpretation of the bar code. The Data Identifier shall be enclosed in parenthesis preceding the data field title. If the Product Identification exceeds the available data field length, it may be continued in the Special data field using the Data Identifier "C" immediately following the start character of the bar code in the Special data field.

For mixed load packages or containers, the words “MIXED LOAD” shall be printed in place of the bar code symbol and its associated human readable interpretation. See Exhibit D.

The maximum number of bar code characters that can be encoded in the Product

Identification data field is shown in Table 2. This data field may be continued in the Special data field. See Section 3.2.4.2.

3.2.3.4.2 Size

The minimum height of the bar code symbol in the Product Identification data field shall be 0.5 inch (13 mm). The minimum height of the human readable interpretation shall be 0.2 inch (5 mm). The minimum character height of the words "MIXED LOAD" shall be 0.5 inch (13 mm). 3.2.3.5 Package Count

The Package Count data field is a text only mandatory data field for single order/single product (3S and 4S) labels. The data field shall describe the numerical sequence of the packages for a specific order. The information in this data field is printed as human readable only. This field is expressed in the form "X OF Y", where X is the sequential package number

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beginning with 1, and Y is the total number of labels per Transaction ID per shipment. When only one package is required, this should be indicated as 1 of 1.

The Package Count data field allows a maximum of 10 characters.

3.2.3.5.2 Size

The minimum height of the human readable characters in the Package Count data field shall be 0.2 inch (5 mm).

3.2.3.6 Quantity

The Quantity data field is a mandatory bar code data field for single order/single product (3S and 4S) labels. The quantity indicated on the label shall be the quantity in the package or container to which the label is affixed. For multiple packages or containers (e.g., 1 of 2 in the Package Count data field), the quantity shown on each label shall be the quantity contained in each package and not the total quantity in all packages in the shipment.

The Quantity data field shall not be used for Mixed Load or Multi Order shipments (5S, 6S and 7S labels).

The appropriate Data Identifier shall follow the start character and precede the quantity number within the bar code symbol, but shall not appear in the human readable interpretation of the bar code data. The Data Identifier shall be enclosed in parenthesis preceding the data field title.

The maximum number of bar code characters that can be encoded in the Quantity data field is shown in Table 2.

3.2.3.6.2 Size

The minimum height of the bar code symbol in the Quantity data field shall be 0.5 inch (13 mm) when using the Vertical Label Format (Figure 1) or 0.4 inch (10 mm) when using the Horizontal Label Format (Figure 2). The minimum height of the human readable interpretation shall be 0.2 inch (5 mm). When using the Horizontal Label Format (Figure 2), the human readable interpretation shall be located to the right of the bar code symbol and shall be a minimum of 0.25 inch (6.4 mm) from the last bar of the bar code symbol.

3.2.3.6.3 Unit of Measure

Additional data may be included in the Quantity data field to indicate what unit of measure is being used in the quantity count. This additional data consists of the two-character unit of measure abbreviation in accordance with the American National Standard (ANSI) X12.3 Data Element Number 355 Unit of Measure Code.

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The default, or understood, unit of measure for quantity is “each”. The two-character

abbreviation for “each” is EA. The printing of the “EA” default abbreviation in human readable text is optional. When other two-character abbreviations included in the ANSI X12.3 Data Element Number 355 Unit of Measure Code are used, they shall be shown in human readable text located to the right of the human readable quantity value in the Quantity data field. The minimum height of the human readable characters in the Unit of Measure data field shall be 0.2 inch (5 mm).

If the two-character abbreviation of the unit of measure is included in the Quantity bar code symbol, then the Data Identifier shall be “7Q”. The two-character abbreviation shall be located to the immediate right of the quantity value within the bar code symbol in the Quantity data field.

3.2.4 Optional Data Fields

The following optional data fields have been provided to increase the usefulness of the label and to provide a single standardized format which can satisfy a broad spectrum of users and applications which often require such information to be simultaneously conveyed on a single label. Agreements should be made between the customer and the manufacturer/supplier as to each data field’s specific use. See Exhibits A through F.

Description Special Package Weight 3.2.4.1 Description

The Description data field is an optional data field that may contain a bar code symbol, human readable text or graphical information when using the Vertical Label Format (Figure 1). When using the Horizontal Label Format (Figure 2), the data field shall contain only human readable text or graphical information. In addition, when using the Vertical Label Format (Figure 1), bar code symbologies other than Code 39 are permitted in the Description data field.

The Description data field can be combined with the Special data field in the Vertical Label Format (Figure 1) to form a double high data field that can contain a bar code symbol, human readable text or graphical information. See Exhibit D.

The maximum number of bar code characters that can be encoded in the Description data field is shown in Table 2.

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The minimum height of a Code 39 bar code symbol in the Description data field shall be 0.5 inch (13 mm). The minimum height of the human readable interpretation in the Description data field shall be 0.2 inch (5 mm).

3.2.4.2 Special

The Special data field is an optional data field that may contain a bar code symbol, human readable text or graphical information. The Special data field shall be used as a continuation of the Transaction Identification data field or the Product Identification data field, if the defined data field is not of sufficient length to fully encode the required bar code data. This must be agreed upon between the customer and the manufacturer/supplier. Only one data field may be continued on any one label.

For both the Vertical Label Format (Figure 1) and Horizontal Label Format (Figure 2), bar code symbologies other than Code 39 are permitted in the Special data field.

The Special data field may be used for any additional information not detailed in this specification, but needed by industry users, if mutually agreed to by the customer and the manufacturer/supplier.

When a Code 39 bar code symbol is used in the Special data field, an appropriate Data Identifier and data field title shall be used to denote the specifically identified data. In the absence of a specific Data Identifier, the “Z” Data Identifier should be used to denote the data agreed upon by the customer and the manufacturer/supplier.

The maximum number of bar code characters that can be encoded in the Special data field is shown in Table 2.

3.2.4.2.2 Size

The minimum height of the bar code symbol in the Special data field shall be 0.5 inch (13 mm). The minimum height of the human readable interpretation in the Special data field shall be 0.2 inch (5 mm).

3.2.4.3 Package Weight

The Package Weight data field is a non-bar coded optional data field. Subordinate data fields are provided within the Package Weight data field for English (Imperial) and metric weight designations. When weight is shown in this data field it shall be accompanied by the additional unit of measure identifier code. See Exhibit A.

If known at the time of label printing, the weight of the package should be printed on the label. Otherwise, the weight should be legibly handwritten or stamped in the data field prior to shipment.

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A subordinate data field within the Package Weight data field has been provided to identify the unit of measure. This two character data field is located to the right of the numerical weight designation in the Package Weight data field. The two character codes shall be in accordance with the ANSI X12.3 Data Element Number 355 Unit of Measure Code (e.g., ounces = OZ, pounds = LB, grams = GR, and kilograms = KG). The minimum height of the characters in the Unit of Measure subordinate data field shall be 0.2 inch (5 mm).

3.3 Minimum Shipping Label

For applications where the customer and manufacturer/supplier have agreed to use a minimum shipping label, the format shown in Figure 6 shall be used. The data fields included on this label should follow the specification in Section 3.2

Figure 6 - Sample Minimum Shipping Label Format

LEGEND: A = Ship From B = Ship To C = Package ID (Mandatory)

Drawing Not to Scale

Preferred Minimum Maximum

a 4.0 (102 mm) 4.0 (102 mm) 5.0 (127 mm) b 3.0 (76 mm) 2.1 (53 mm) 3.9 (99 mm) c 2.0 (51 mm) 1.3 (33 mm) 2.9 (74 mm) d 0.5 (13 mm) 0.5 (13 mm) 0.7 (18 mm) m1 1.0 (25 mm) 0.8 (20 mm) 1.0 (25 mm) Dimensions in iches (mm)

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Figure 7 - Typical Minimum Shipping Label - 4 inch Wide Label

NOTE: The bar code data field is shown with the maximum number of data characters encoded in the bar code per the highest Code 39 bar code density specified in Table 2, and assuming three characters for the Data Identifier and one character each for the "start" and "stop". The use of lower densities will result in fewer characters encoded in the bar code.

3.4 Bar Code Data Field Sizes

Table 2 - Bar Code Data Field Sizes

Data field Maximum Bar Code Symbol Character Total

Data Field Length in X=0.0100 X=0/0135 X=0.0170

inches (mm) N=2.5:1 N=3.0:1 N=2.5:1 N=3.0:1 N=2.5:1 N=3.0:1 Supplier 4.0 (102) 24 22 18 16 14 13 Package Identification 5.0 (127) 31 28 23 31 18 16 3.25 (83) 14 14 14 13 11 10 Quantity 4.0 (102) 24 22 18 16 14 13 5.0 (127) 31 28 23 21 18 16 Transaction 4.0 (102) 24 22 18 16 14 13 Identification 5.0 (127) 31 26 23 21 18 15 Customer 4.0 (102) 24 22 18 16 14 13 Product Identification 5.0 (127) 31 28 23 21 18 16 Description 4.0 (102) 24 22 18 16 14 13 5.0 (127) 31 28 23 21 18 16 Special 4.0 (102) 24 22 18 16 14 13 5.0 (127) 31 28 23 21 18 16

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Table 2 Notes:

1. Quiet zones are assumed to be 0.25 inch (6.4 mm) each. See Section 4.6. 2. Intercharacter gap is equal to X Dimension. See Section 4.3

3. Each character total includes the start and stop characters and the Data Identifier.

4. The length of the Quantity data field, available for the bar code symbol on the Horizontal Label Format (Figure 2), is limited to 3.25 inch (83 mm) because of the space required for the human readable interpretation.

CAUTION: These tables illustrate a range of bar code densitites that can be produced by a variety of bar code printers. The maximum number of characters per data field that can be printed depends on the capabilities of the specific printer. As shown, the maximum number of characters per data field is reduced with the use of larger X dimensions.

4 Bar Code Requirements

4.1 General

All bar code data fields shall use the Code 39 bar code except where noted. The data character set shall contain 43 characters: 0 to 9, A to Z, -, ., /, +, %, $, and space. The following requirements shall also be met after environmental testing as specified in Section 5 Environmental Considerations.

4.2 Bar Code Symbology

The Code 39 symbology shall be in accordance with AIM USA USS-39 Symbol Specification. The optional use of other symbologies in the Description and Special data fields shall be in accordance with the respective symbology requirements.

4.3 Bar Code Density

The density of the bar code symbol, as defined by the nominal width of the narrow elements (X dimension), shall be in the range of 0.10 inch (0.25mm) to 0.017 inch (0.43mm) as shown in Table 2.

Symbols of 0.010 inch (25 mm) X dimension are recommended . The other X dimensions of 0.013 inch (0.34 mm) and 0.017 inch (0.43 mm) are included to accomodate existing systems. For any one label, the X dimension shall be uniform.

The element width ratio (N) shall be uniform within each bar code symbol and shall be either 2.5 : 1 or 3.0 : 1 for bar code symbols on any one label.

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4.4 Bar Code Symbol Dimensions

See Table 2.

4.5 Check Character

Check characters shall not be used.

4.6 Quiet Zone

The minimum clear area immediately preceding and following the bar code shall be 0.17 inch (4.3 mm). For optimum wand scanning the quiet zone should be at least 0.25 inch (6.4 mm).

4.7 Print Quality

General requirements and methodologies for bar code print quality measurements shall be in accordance with the ANSI X3.182-1990 Bar Code Print Quality-Guideline. Reflectance and print quality measurements shall also be met when the label is in its final configuration on the outer shipping container.

4.7.1 Reflectance Requirements

Reflectance requirements shall be met in the 660 nanometers (nms) +/- 10 nms (visible light) spectral band. It is recommended that reflectance requirements be measured using the ANSI X3.182-1990 methodology.

4.7.2 Print Quality Level

In applications where the bar code symbols to be scanned all have the preferred X dimension of 0.010 inch (0.25mm), the minimum print quality grade shall be 1.5/05/660. The use of the 0.005 inch (0.13 mm) measurement aperture for 0.010 inch (0.25 mm) X dimension bar code symbols is recommended in the ANSI X3.182-1990 Bar Code Print Quality - Guideline. In applications where the bar code symbols to be scanned have either the preferred X dimension of 0.010 inch (0.25 mm), or X dimensions of 0.0135 inch (0.34 mm) or 0.017 inch (0.43 mm), the minimum print quality grade level of 1.5/10/660 is recommended.

4.7.3 Verification

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Verification of the data encoded in the bar code may be done using a bar code reader capable of displaying as many as 29 characters of scanned data. Care should be exercised when choosing bar code readers for inspection purposes to minimize the probability of a substitution error being made during verification. Other human readable data included on the label, but not encoded in a bar code, should be inspected visually for legibility.

4.7.3.2 Bar Code

Verification procedures to ensure that the bar code elements meet the dimensional

requirements of this guideline are included in the ANSI X3.182-1990 bar code print quality grading methodology.

5 Environmental Considerations

These labels are intended primarily for indoor use. Exposure to direct sunlight, rain and high humidity may seriously affect the scannability of the label. If labels are to be used in an external environment, appropriate measures should be negotiated between the customer and the manufacturer/supplier.

5.1 Storage Conditions

Labels affixed to packages which are to be stored for prolonged periods and which are intended to be subsequently scanned, should not be stored in areas where temperatures consistently exceed 120 degrees F (49 degrees C).

5.2 Longevity

Labels should continue to be scannable on the package and meet the print quality

requirements of this standard for a minimum period of six months in a protected environment.

5.3 Use and Protection

The label base material shall be capable of resisting tearing during the adhesion testing specified in Section 5.3.1. The bar code symbols on the label shall withstand damage from 50 passes with a contact type scanner over a path no wider than 0.03 inch (0.76 mm) across the bar code symbol. When contact scanning, contact should be maintained between scanner and label at all times; however firm pressure, which could damage the label, should be

avoided.

Label protection against moisture, weathering, abrasion, etc., may be required in harsh environments and is encouraged wherever practical. Laminates, sprays, window envelopes, and clear plastic pouches are examples of possible protection methods.

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In choosing any protection method, care must be taken to assure that labels meet reflectivity, dimensional, contrast, adhesive, and verification requirements in Section 4 and Section 5.

5.3.1 Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Measurement Methodology and Requirements

5.3.1.1 Initial Adhesion Test

The initial adhesion strength shall be measured as follows: A minimum of three labels shall be partially removed from their release liners and applied to a stainless steel test panel in

accordance with ASTM (American Society for Test and Materials) D1000 Testing Procedure, taking care to release approximately 0.125 inch (3.17 mm) of release liner on one edge of each label for clamping. The labels shall be applied to the panel in a uniform layer and free from bubbles and foreign matter.

After two hours +/- 10 minutes, a 90-degree peel type crosshead tensile tester, with

approximately 30 inches (76 cm) of wire or cord, is clamped to the edge of one of the labels. At a 2.0 inches/minute (51 mm/minute) peel rate, the average adhesion strength of the label is measured. The same procedure is conducted on the remaining labels. An overall average adhesion strength is calculated using the average adhesion strength value of each label. The overall adhesion strength shall be a minimum of 25 ounces per inch of width (0.27

newton/mm).

5.3.1.2 Accelerated Aging Adhesion Test

The accelerated aging adhesion strength shall be measured as follows. A second set of a minimum of three labels shall be affixed to a stainless steel test panel as described in Section 5.3.1.1. The panel shall be placed in a controlled environmental chamber set to maintain a temperature of 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) and a relative humidity of 95 percent.

The panel should be allowed to cool to room temperature (nominally 72 degrees F or 22 degrees C). After 1 to 3 hours, the average adhesion strength of each label shall be

measured as described in Section 5.3.1.1. An overall adhesion strength is calculated using the average adhesion strength value of each label. The overall adhesion strength shall be a minimum of 40 ounces per inch of width (0.44 newton/mm).

After a period of 96 hours, the labels shall be removed from the chamber and examined for delamination, smearing, lifting or discoloring that would affect either the readability or scannability of the labels. Conformance to bar code print quality requirements specified in Section 5.0 shall also be verified.

5.4 Recyclability

When possible, the label material should be compatible with the substrate material to which it is attached for recyclability.

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6 Label Location

6.1 General

Wherever possible, the label should be affixed to the smaller end of the package or shipping container, which might be facing the aisle if the package is stored on shelving or racks, to permit easy identification during temporary storage (as shown in Exhibit G).

6.2 Obsolete Labels

Obsolete labels should be removed or covered. When covering obsolete labels, the print quality of the new label applied over the obsolete label shall meet the requirements of this specification.

6.3 Placement Guidelines

Placement of labels on various shipping packages and containers are shown in Exhibit G. Labels shall not be placed in a position which would inhibit scanning. If a label can not be affixed because of the package or container type, shape or other constraints, the label shall then be affixed to an attached tag as shown in Exhibit H.

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EXHIBIT A

Single Package

Single Order/Single Product ID

(3S Label) Vertical Label Format

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EXHIBIT A Single Package

Single Order/Single Product ID (3S Label)

(Horizontal Label Format)

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EXHIBIT B

Multiple Packages Single Order/Single Product ID

(3S Label) (Vertical Label Format)

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EXHIBIT B Multiple Packages Single Order/Single Product ID

(3S Label)

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EXHIBIT C

Master Pack

Single Order/Single Product ID (4S Label)

(Vertical Label Format)

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EXHIBIT C Master Pack

Single Order/Single Product ID (4S Label)

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EXHIBIT D

Master Pack

Single Order/Multiple Product IDs

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EXHIBIT D Master Pack

Single Order/Multiple Product Ids (5S Label)

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EXHIBIT E

Master Pack

Multiple Orders/Single Product ID

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EXHIBIT E Master Pack

Multiple Orders/Single Product ID (6S Label)

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EXHIBIT F

Master Pack

Multiple Orders/Multiple Product IDs

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EXHIBIT F Master Pack

Multiple Orders/Multiple Product IDs (7S Label)

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EXHIBIT G

Tag Format

(Figure 1 Label Format)

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EXHIBIT G Tag Format (Figure 2 Label Format)

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EXHIBIT H

Minimum Shipping Label Sample

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EXHIBIT I

Label Locations on Various Shipping Packs

BOX OR CARTON

Label should be located on the lower right hand corner of the smallest face.

CARTONS ON PALLET

One Master Pack transaction label may be used as shown.

DRUMS, BARRELS, or CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS

Label should be located near the center as shown.

BALES

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GASKET, WIRE MESH CONTAINER

METAL BIN OR TUB

Tag with the label attached to one piece in top of bin.

PALLET BOX

Label should be located on the lower right hand corner of the smallets face.

RACK

Tag with label on one visible piece near top.

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BUNDLE

Tag with label should be located at one end.

BAG

Place one label at the center of the face.

ROLL

Hand tag with label near end of material and if wrapped, on outer wrapper.

CABLE REEL

Place a label on a tag attached to the start end of the cable as shown.

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APPENDIX A

DEFINITIONS

AIM USA - Formerly known as Automatic Identification Manufacturers, USA

ANSI - The American National Standards Institute; a non-governmental organization

responsible for the coordination of voluntary national standards. 11 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036, Phone (212) 642-4900.

Application Identifier - The numeric codes assigned by UCC/EAN to identify contents of UCC/EAN-128 bar code symbols. Application Identifiers are two digits in length for commonly used data with one or two additional digits for data content variables.

ASTM - American Society for Test and Materials Bar - The darker element of a bar code symbol.

Bar Code - An array of parallel rectangular bars and spaces that together represent data elements or characters in a particular bar code symbology.

Bar Code Character - A single group of bars and spaces which represent an individual letter, number, punctuation mark or other symbol.

Bar Code Density - The number of data characters which can be represented in a linear unit of measure. Bar code density is a function of the “X” dimension, element width ratio, and intercharacter gap.

Bar Code Symbol - An array of rectangular bars and spaces which are arranged in a

predetermined pattern following specific rules to represent elements of data that are referred to as characters. A bar code symbol contains a leading quiet zone, start pattern data

character(s) including a check character (if any), stop pattern, and a trailing quiet zone. Bar Height - The bar dimension perpendicular to the bar width. Also called bar length. Bar Length - See “Bar Height”.

Bar Width - The perpendicular distance across a bar measured from a point on one edge to a point on the opposite edge. Each point will be defined as having a reflectance that is 50 percent of the difference between the background and bar reflectance.

Character - A letter, digit, or other special form that is used as a part of the organization, control, or representation of data. A character is often in the form of a spatial arrangement of adjacent or connected strokes.

Character Set - Those characters which are available for encoding within the bar code symbol.

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Check Character - A character included within a word whose value is used for the purpose of performing a mathematical check to ensure the accuracy of that word. For the purpose of this standard a check character is not used.

Code 39 - The 3 of 9 bar code is a variable length, discrete, self-checking, bidirectional,

alphanumeric bar code. Its character set contains 43 meaningful characters: 0-9, A-Z, -, ., $, /, %, *, and space. Each character is composed of nine elements: five bars and four spaces. Three of the nine elements are wide (binary value 1), and six elements are narrow (binary value 0). The character (*) is used for both start and stop character.

Customer Product ID - A combination of alphanumeric characters used by a customer or buyer to identify a product.

Data Field - The specific portion or area of a label designated to contain human readable, bar code or graphic information.

Data Identifier - A specified character string used with Code 39 that defines the specific intended use of the data that immediately follows. The identifier shall be an alphabetic character preceded by up to three numeric characters. The Data Identifiers shall be those published by ANSI. The appropriate Data Identifier shall precede the title of each bar code data field.

Density - See “Bar Code Density”.

Destination Label - A label to identify the receiver of a package or shipping container. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) - The exchange of routine business transactions in a computer-processable format, covering such traditional applications as inquiries, planning, purchasing, acknowledgments, pricing, order status, scheduling, test results, shipping and receiving, invoices, payments, and financial reporting.

Electronic Industries Association (EIA) - 2001 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., Washington D.C., 20006, Phone (202) 457-4900.

Element - In a bar code symbol, a single bar or space.

Element Width Ratio - The ratio of the average width of the wide elements to the average width of the narrow elements within a bar code symbol.

Human Readable Interpretation (HRI) - The interpretation of the encoded bar code data presented in a human readable font.

Intercharacter Gap - The space between the last element of one character and the first element of the adjacent character of a discrete bar code symbol.

Mandatory Data Field - A data field which must always contain data. Master Pack - See “Unit Load”

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Mixed Load Label - A label or tag used to designate a pack or shipping container containing nonidentical items.

Multi Order Label - A label or tag used to designate a container consisting of identical products which fulfills multiple customer orders.

Multi Order/Mixed Load Label - A label or tag used to designate a container consisting of non-identical products which fulfills multiple customer orders.

Optional Data Field - A data field which may or may not contain data based on the needs of the customer and the supplier or manufacturer.

Package or Shipping Container - The package or shipping container is the final container that is sufficiently strong to be used in commerce for packing or storing and transporting products.

Print Quality - The measure of compliance of a bar code symbol to the requirements of dimensional tolerance, edge roughness, spots, voids, reflectance, quiet zone and encodation. Product Label - The identification label affixed to an individual product.

Product Package - The product package is the first tied, wrapped, or bagged container applied to a single product or multiple thereof or group of identical products.

Product Package Label - The label on each individual product package identifying the product and which may identify the manufacturer or the supplier or manufacturer.

Quiet Zone - A clear space, which precedes the start character of a bar code symbol and follows the stop character. Sometimes called the “Clear Area”.

Reflectance - The ratio of the amount of light of a specified wavelength, or series of wavelengths, reflected from a test surface to the amount of light reflected from a barium sulfate or magnesium oxide standard.

Single Order Label - A transaction label or tag used to designate a package or container of identical products resulting from a single order.

Space - The lighter element of a bar code usually formed by the background between bars. Start and Stop Characters - Distinct characters or patterns used at the beginning and end of each bar code symbol which provide initial timing references and

direction-of-read information to the decoding logic.

Supplier or Manufacturer Product Identification Number - A combination of alphanumeric characters used by a supplier or manufacturer to identify a product. Supplier or Manufacturer ID Code - A code that uniquely identifies a supplier or manufacturer.

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TCIF - Telecommunications Industry Forum c/o Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions, 1200 G Street, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C., 20005, Phone (202) 434-8844.

Trading Partners - A buyer and seller of goods or services who establish a mutual agreement to conduct a transaction.

Transaction Label - The label on each shipping container used to convey information about the contents and order.

Transaction Identification Number - A combination of alphanumeric characters

assigned by the customer to the transaction, typically the customer’s purchase order number. Transport Package - A package intended for the transportation of one or more

articles, or smaller packages, or of bulk material.

Uniform Code Council (UCC) - An organization that assigns product and supplier or manufacturer identification numbers.

Unit Load -A number of filled transport packages or other items that are held together by one or more means such as a pallet, slip sheet, strapping, interlocking, glue, shrink wrap, stretch wrap, or net wrap to make them suitable for trans-portation, stacking and storage as a unit. (The term is also used to describe a single large item suitably packaged for transportation, stacking, and storage.) Sometimes referred to as Master Pack.

USS 39 - Universal Symbology Specification Code 39.

Verification - The process of ensuring that bar code print quality conforms to user specifications or to published industry standards; i.e., ANSI X3.82-1990 and EIA-556-A. X Dimension - The intended width of the narrow element. The narrow bar and the narrow space are equal in Code 39.

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APPENDIX B

REFERENCES

1. American National Standard X12.3 Data Element Number 355 Unit of Measure Code American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

11 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036 (212) 642-4900

2. American National Standard X3.182-1990 Bar Code Print Quality Guidelines American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

3. American National Standard ANSI MH 10.8.2-1995 Data Application Identifier Standard American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

4. AIM, USA

634 Alpha Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15238-2802 (412) 963-8588

5. American National Standard ANSI/EIA 556A Electronics Industries Association - Outer Container Bar Code Label Standard

Global Engineering Documents (800) 854-7179

6. ASTM D-1000 Testing Procedures ASTM

1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 299-5585

7. Bellcore (Four (4) Character Manufacturer Codes) Director Marketing and Customer Support 444 Hoes Lane, Rm. 4D836

Piscataway, N.J. 08854 (908) 699-5440

8. Telecommunications Industry Forum (TCIF) Implementation Guide to Package Labeling TCIF/ATIS

1200 G Street, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, D.C. 20005 (202) 434-8844

9. Telecommunications Industry Forum (TCIF) Product Package Label Specification TCIF/ATIS

1200 G Street, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, D.C. 20005 (202) 434-8844

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10. Universal Product Code: Industrial and Commercial Guidelines Uniform Code Council (UCC)

8163 Old Yankee Road, Suite J Dayton, OH 45458

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APPENDIX C

Sections that differ from ANSI/EIA-556-A

Section 3.2.3 Mandatory Data Fields

Section 3.2.3.2 Supplier Package Identification Section 3.2.3.4 Product Identification

Section 3.2.4 Optional Data Fields Section 3.3 Minimum Shipping Label Section 4.3 Bar Code Density

Section 4.7 Print Quality

Section 4.7.1 Reflectance Requirements Section 4.7.3 Verification