Barcodes for collections

@BARCODES@

Francisco Pando de la HozReal Jardín Botánico, Madrid

Pando@ma-rjb.csic.es

Barcodes for what

• Tool for management by making some tasks easier

Pando@ma-rjb.csic.es Barcodes

Different kinds of barcodes (symbologies)

The one choosen by herbaria and other collections is called “barcode 39”:

•No overlaping characters (bars)•Allows letters (capitals only) and numbers•Available as a “TrueType” font:

•Escalable•Portable

Barcodes come in different types

Code 39

• Barcode 39 allows:– Produce and use our barcodes ourselves– produce and labels with normal text and barcodes in one

step

Pando@ma-rjb.csic.es Barcodes

Pando@ma-rjb.csic.es Barcodes

Barcodes for labels

Pando@ma-rjb.csic.es

Barcodes for labels (2)

How we use barcodes• What you see:

@MA 435267@• What there is indeed:

@MA 435267@

• What we put into the barcode: a unique identifier (in the world)

Pando@ma-rjb.csic.es Barcodes

Barcode reader and its setup

Pando@ma-rjb.csic.es Barcodes

PC

Barcode reader

Duplicator

Keyboard

• Reader sends keystroke codes; the PC does not know if the codes come from the keyboard or the reader

• No software• No configuration

Final remarks

• It is not needed to have a barcode reader to start barcoding

• Always add the text in the barcode in human-readable form

• Test your barcodes before producing them in mass(final size and spacing between characters depens on

paper and printer quality, and type of barcode reader)

Pando@ma-rjb.csic.es Barcodes