UPC-E barcode symbology

UPC-E

Like UPC-A, UPC-E is linear barcode symbology of the EAN/UPC symbology family. UPC-E is the zero-suppression version of UPC-A barcode. Length of UPC-E (6 digits) barcode is approximately half of UPC-A (12 digits). It is widely implemented in small packing labels since it allows for compaction of unnecessary zeros and save the spaces. Message length will be 7 or 8 characters long depending on the checksum digit mode. The first digit of the UPC-A barcode should be zero or one depends on the length of message.

Structure of the UPC- E

UPC-E barcode has physical and logical Structure. The Physical structure of barcode UPC-E reading from left to right contains:

A left Quiet Zone
A normal left-hand Guard Bar Pattern, or start sentinel.
Six data characters from number sets A and B encoded from the parity table.
A special right hand Guard Bar Pattern
A right Quiet Zone

Logical Structure of a UPC-E, do not include the Quiet Zone

Guard bar pattern Six symbol characters Special guard bar pattern
3 modules 6*7 = 42 modules 6 modules

The total modules will be 3 modules +42 modules+6 modules=51 modules

Usually UPC- E barcodes encodes 6 numerical digits. And A two-digit Add-On Symbol or five-digit Add-On Symbol may be used in an UPC-E barcode. They are used to encode information supplementary of the barcode. Thus UPC-E supplement 2 (2-digit Add-on) or UPC-E supplement 5 (5-digit Add-on) is obtained. The add-on digit symbol should be appended following the right Quiet Zone of UPC-E barcode. When length of the UPC- E digits is 6, leading digit is "0" and check digit is not included. When length of the UPC- E digits is 7 or 8, leading digit could be "0" or "1" and check digit is not included.

Encoded Data of UPC-E

UPC-A encodes digits of numeric numbers from 0 to 9.

Checksum Digit of UPC-E

The checksum digit is necessary verifying the barcode. Like UPC-E, the checksum digit is calculated based on the Mod10 standards. The Mod10 method is utilized for verification of barcode as: UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13 and EAN-8.

Choose the right most digits as the odd position digit, and put it into the right most column.
Assigned the following digits from right to left in sequence from odd to even position.
Multiple all value in odd position with 3. And calculation all the summaries of the result.
Put an number to add with the result and let it be even divided by 10. The number added is the checksum digit.
Details please refer to the calculation steps of UPC-A.

CONVERTING A UPC-A CODE TO UPC-E

If the ending code of manufacturer code (the last three digits) ends of the numbers of 000, 100, or 200, the product code should be 1000 numbers from 00000 to 00999.

If the ending code of manufacturer code (the last three digits) ends of the numbers of 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, or 900, the product code should be 100 numbers from 00000 to 00099 .

If the ending code of manufacturer code (the last two digits) ends of the numbers of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90, the product code should be 10 numbers from 00000 to 00009.

If the ending code of manufacturer code (the last two digits) ends of the numbers of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90, the product code should be 10 numbers from 00000 to 00009.

If the ending code of manufacturer code (the last one digit) ends of the numbers 0, the product code should be 5 numbers from 00000 to 00009.