Code 39

Code 39 is one of the oldest, most common, and most supported bar codes. Each character is made up of 9 elements, 3 of which are wide. Out of the 9 elements, 5 are bars and 4 are spaces. Characters are separated by an intercharacter gap. The code is has low data density, making it difficult to label small goods. Code 39 is also referred to as Alpha39, Code 3 of 9, Code 3/9, Type 39, USS Code 39, or USD-3.

Type	Linear (1D)
Character Set	43 characters (uppercase letters, numeric digits and some special characters)
Example of Application Standards
Non-standardized applications
Key Features	Does not contain a check digit. The width ratio between narrow and wide can be chosen between 1:2 and 1:3.

Any of Webscan’s linear verifiers can verify Code 39. Find out more about Webscan’s Code 39 Verifiers.