Our barcodes are supplied at GS1 specification SC2 (37.29mm x 25.93mm). This is known as 100% magnification. Generally GS1 advises a minimum of 80% of the standard size (we usually reduce to a minimum SC0 82% @ 30.51 X 21.25mm). For printing your barcodes we suggest sticking to the recommended 80% – 200% magnification range.
There are however many products in the supply chain that break with the aforementioned guideline. Some of our customers have decided to go smaller and had success. However if you reduce your codes more than the recommended amount you may run into scanning issues depending on the scanner. The more truncated or smaller the code the less likely the code is to scan fully first time. An example of this would be a small truncated barcode that runs along the side of a pen. It may not scan until the pen is straightened out for the scanner to read horizontally.
Please note if you reduce below 80% magnification your barcode will not pass a barcode verification report (even if it scans on a normal scanner or phone app). Verification reports are sometimes required of some larger retailers.
If you’re strained for surface area and need to go smaller let us know how much room you have to work with. We’ll see if we can resize for you or make further suggestions. Simply email us at contact@barcodesavers.hk