While we might bristle at the thought of a long grocery store line, go back just a couple of decades and the process of checking out of the market was quite a bit more time consuming. Items had no bar codes and there were no scanners, so checkers typed in the cost of every item using a non-electric register. Today, stores have computerized registers, and scanning makes the process of purchasing food and other grocery items far easier, not to mention that scanning also helps to track inventory and even showcase shopping trends.
While the bar code scanners weren't commonplace until the 1980s, bar codes were actually developed as early as the 1950s. The first patent for a bar code was issued in 1952 to Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland who developed the code and reader using a light bulb and movie projector parts. The first bar code scanner for a grocery store was installed in 1974 at a supermarket in Ohio, and the very first item scanned was a package of Wrigley gum, which is now on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
All of the products in the store are printed with the Universal Product Code, which was created in 1966. Each number in the code has a special significance. If you see a product that begins with a 0, this means the product is a national brand. If you purchase an item that has been weighed at the deli, the first digit will be the number 2. Shampoo, make-up and other beauty items begin with a number 3 and so one. The second set of numbers in the UPC identifies the actual manufacturer. Each product can be easily identified using this code.
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.
While the bar code scanners weren't commonplace until the 1980s, bar codes were actually developed as early as the 1950s. The first patent for a bar code was issued in 1952 to Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland who developed the code and reader using a light bulb and movie projector parts. The first bar code scanner for a grocery store was installed in 1974 at a supermarket in Ohio, and the very first item scanned was a package of Wrigley gum, which is now on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
All of the products in the store are printed with the Universal Product Code, which was created in 1966. Each number in the code has a special significance. If you see a product that begins with a 0, this means the product is a national brand. If you purchase an item that has been weighed at the deli, the first digit will be the number 2. Shampoo, make-up and other beauty items begin with a number 3 and so one. The second set of numbers in the UPC identifies the actual manufacturer. Each product can be easily identified using this code.
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 details on parts for a Video Jet printer or to discover Videojet equipment, please visit the PrintJet.net website today.
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