Stregkoder

Stregkoder, or barcodes, are optical representations of data that encode information as a pattern of bars and spaces (1D) or as a matrix (2D). They are read by laser or imaging scanners and converted into digital data used to identify items, track movements, and automate data capture across retail, logistics, manufacturing and healthcare. The concept emerged in the mid-20th century, with early experiments in the 1940s and 1950s; barcode systems gained commercial traction in the 1970s, culminating in the first product scanned in 1974 at a grocery store in the United States. Since then, barcodes have become ubiquitous in supply chains worldwide.

Most common barcodes are 1D symbologies such as UPC-A, EAN-13, Code 39 and Code 128. They encode numeric and sometimes alphanumeric data into sequences of bars and spaces. Two-dimensional barcodes, such as QR codes, Data Matrix and PDF417, store data in a square or rectangular pattern and offer higher data capacity and error correction, enabling more complex data and web linking.

Standards are governed largely by GS1, a global non-profit that coordinates identifiers like the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and related data structures. In retail and logistics, these standards ensure interoperability across brands and systems. Barcodes require proper printing quality and proper illumination for reliable scanning; damage, fading or misalignment can cause errors. They enable rapid checkout, efficient inventory management, and automated data capture in many industries.