EAN-8 is the EAN equivalent of UPC-E in the sense that it provides a "short" barcode for small packages. The primary purpose of the EAN-8 code is to use as little space as possible. EAN-8 is encoded using the three EAN-13 character sets and also has a check digit that is calculated in the same way as EAN-13. The data digits in an EAN-8 symbol identify a particular product and manufacturer. Since a limited number of EAN-8 codes are available in each country, they are issued only for products with insufficient space for a normal EAN-13 symbol. For example, a 2-digit country code permits a total of only 100,000 item numbers. Sample of an EAN-8 Barcode The value to encode by EAN-8 has the following structure: 2 or 3 digits for Number System or Country Code 5 or 4 digits for Product Code 1 digit for checksum Each country has a numbering authority which assigns manufacturer codes to companies within its jurisdiction. Add-On or Supplement code The Add-On Symbols were designed to encode information supplementary to that in the main bar code symbol on periodicals and paperback books. The Add-On can be composed of 2 or 5 digits only. Sample of an EAN-8 Two-Digit Add-On Barcode Light Margin Indicators - a greater than (>) and/or less than (<) character - are intended to protected the essential light areas to the left and right of the code that the barcode scanner needs to recognize the beginning and end.
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