Barcode (Ultimate × 2027)

: While circular "bullseye" codes were initially tested, the linear design by George Laurer was selected in 1973 for its superior printability.

: On June 26, 1974, a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum became the first item ever scanned with a Universal Product Code (UPC) at a Marsh supermarket in Troy, Ohio. Types of Barcodes

These use squares, dots, and hexagons to store data both horizontally and vertically. They can hold significantly more information—up to 7,000 numeric characters—and can often function without a database. GS1 UShttps://www.gs1us.org Types of Barcodes - GS1 US barcode

The concept was born in 1949 when Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver sought a way to automate supermarket checkouts.

The Ultimate Guide to Barcodes: From Supermarket Origins to Modern Innovation : While circular "bullseye" codes were initially tested,

At its simplest, a barcode is a . It typically consists of a series of parallel black bars and white spaces of varying widths that represent numbers, letters, or symbols. When an optical scanner sweeps over these lines, it translates the reflected light into digital signals (binary 1s and 0s) that a computer can understand. A Brief History: From Morse Code to the First Scan

: Woodland famously drew the first barcode in the sand, inspired by Morse code but extended vertically into narrow and wide lines. They can hold significantly more information—up to 7,000

: The global standard outside North America, usually containing 13 digits.