ISO/IEC 24458:2022

Information technology – Automatic identification and data capture techniques – Bar code printer and bar code reader performance testing specification

This document specifies the performance evaluation specifications of thermal transfer type printers (hereinafter referred to as bar code printers), consumables, and bar code readers (regardless of the reading method) used in bar code systems. The rank of performance is also defined by the evaluation items. This document can be applied to the following evaluation tests by combining ISO/IEC 15416 and ISO/IEC 15415, which define the print qualities of bar code symbols. NOTE This document is not prevented from being cited in the evaluation of thermal printers using thermal paper and printers using “plain or exclusive paper” (commercial printing, ink jet printers, electrophotographic printers, etc.). a) Print performance of bar code printers (including consumables) b) Brightness and smoothness of “reception paper or label”, and adhesion of the label c) Strength of reception paper or label on which the bar code is printed d) Reading performance of bar code readers e) Electrical, mechanical and environmental characteristics of bar code printers and bar code readers

Titre manque

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 04-May-2022
• ICS: 35.040.50 - Automatic identification and data capture techniques
• Technical Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31 - Automatic identification and data capture techniques
• Drafting Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31/WG 1 - Data carrier
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 05-May-2022
• Due Date: 16-Sep-2023
• Completion Date: 05-May-2022

Overview

ISO/IEC 24458:2022 - Information technology - Automatic identification and data capture techniques - Bar code printer and bar code reader performance testing specification - defines standardized test methods and performance ranking for thermal transfer (bar code) printers, consumables (labels, reception paper, ribbons), and bar code readers. The standard provides a common, objective framework to evaluate print quality, label durability and reader performance so users and suppliers can compare products reliably. It is intended to be used together with ISO/IEC 15416 and ISO/IEC 15415 (print-quality metrics for linear and 2D symbols).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and purpose
  • Performance evaluation of thermal transfer printers, consumables and bar code readers.
  • Defines performance ranks for each evaluation item to enable comparative assessment.
• Print performance
  • Test methods for bar code printing using thermal transfer heads and ribbons.
  • Incorporates ISO/IEC 15416 and ISO/IEC 15415 print-quality measurement techniques.
• Consumables (labels and reception paper)
  • Brightness, smoothness and surface characteristics of reception media.
  • Adhesion properties and mechanical strength of printed labels.
• Reader performance
  • Reading accuracy and speed (including lateral motion and fixed-mount scenarios).
  • Use of high-precision test charts for reading tests and prescribed ambient conditions.
• Electrical, mechanical and environmental characteristics
  • Environmental testing (temperature, humidity, vibration), EMC and mechanical durability relevant to printers and readers.
• Reporting and ranking
  • Standardized test reports and performance-rank definitions to document results and support procurement/specification decisions.

Practical applications and who uses this standard

ISO/IEC 24458:2022 is useful for:

• Manufacturers - validate product performance claims and support product specifications.
• Test laboratories - perform standardized acceptance and conformance testing.
• Procurement teams and system integrators - compare printers, labels and scanners objectively when specifying AIDC solutions.
• Quality assurance and maintenance teams - monitor in-service performance and determine causes of reading errors.
• Regulatory and compliance bodies - establish minimum performance benchmarks for industrial and supply-chain labeling.

Typical applications include supplier evaluation, acceptance testing of new equipment, label durability assessment, and optimizing printer/consumable combinations for retail, logistics, healthcare and manufacturing AIDC deployments.

Related standards

• ISO/IEC 15416 (linear symbol print quality)
• ISO/IEC 15415 (2D symbol print quality)
• ISO/IEC 15419, ISO/IEC 15423 (related AIDC test methods)
• ISO/IEC 19762 (AIDC vocabulary) and environmental/EMC standards cited for testing conditions (e.g., ISO/IEC 60068 series, ISO/IEC 61000 series)

Keywords: ISO/IEC 24458:2022, bar code printer performance testing, bar code reader performance, thermal transfer printer, AIDC, print quality, consumables, ISO/IEC 15416, ISO/IEC 15415.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 24458
First edition
2022-05
Information technology – Automatic
identification and data capture
techniques – Bar code printer and
bar code reader performance testing
specification
Reference number
© ISO/IEC 2022
© ISO/IEC 2022
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions and symbols . 2
3.1 Terms and definitions . 2
3.2 Symbols . 4
4 Bar code printer and consumables .5
4.1 Bar code printer. 5
4.1.1 General requirements . 5
4.1.2 Performance evaluation items and test methods . 6
4.1.3 Performance ranking . 15
4.2 Consumables (reception papers, labels and ribbons) . 18
4.2.1 General requirement . . 18
4.2.2 Performance evaluation items and test methods . 19
4.2.3 Performance ranking . 21
4.3 Test report . 23
5 Bar code reader .23
5.1 General .23
5.1.1 Principle . 23
5.1.2 Ambient environment conditions. 24
5.2 Performance evaluation items and test methods . 25
5.2.1 Test chart for reading performance tests . 25
5.2.2 Reading performance .30
5.2.3 Electrical property . 35
5.2.4 Environmental characteristic.36
5.2.5 Mechanical properties . 36
5.3 Performance ranking .38
5.3.1 General .38
5.3.2 Reading performance .38
5.3.3 Electrical property . 41
5.3.4 Environmental characteristic. 42
5.3.5 Mechanical property . 43
5.4 Test report . 43
Annex A (informative) Standard image components corresponding to nominal dpi .45
Annex B (informative) Read record form .49
Annex C (informative) Outline of ISO/IEC 15416:2016, E.3 .52
Annex D (informative) Test report .53
Annex E (normative) Test chart for bar code reader reading performance test .57
Bibliography .59
iii
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are
members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical
committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical
activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the
work.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance
are described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria
needed for the different types of document should be noted. This document was drafted in
accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives or
www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent
rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the
Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents) or the IEC
list of patent declarations received (see patents.iec.ch).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html. In the IEC, see www.iec.ch/understanding-standards.
This document was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 31, Automatic identification and data capture techniques.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards
body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html and
www.iec.ch/national-committees.
iv
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Bar code printers and bar code readers are key equipment in auto-ID systems. However, manufacturers
of this equipment evaluate their products’ performance by their own test methods and measures,
specifying this performance in their catalogues. As a result, actual performance varies, although there
are some performance values that are the same across catalogues. Therefore, users are forced to test
the equipment in order to find the most suitable solutions for their applications, at their own cost.
This document was developed to provide standard test and ranking methods giving users a common
ruler to be able to evaluate performance values in selecting equipment to meet their needs.
Furthermore, this document is expected to be used in avoiding using poor quality products.
NOTE There are ISO/IEC 15419 and ISO/IEC 15423. ISO/IEC 15419 mainly specifies how to print a barcode
as a digital image, so that the contents focus on software development and look like a technical suggestion with
no details on how to evaluate performances of a bar code printer in total.
This document specifies more details how to test and evaluate complete printer performances including
durability of printed labels.
ISO/IEC 15423 is made based on that a scanner and a decoder are separated devices, which is a quite
old fashion system. Although, a combination case of a scanner and a decoder is mentioned.
This document specifies more details how to test and evaluate reader performances, which covers test
items specified in ISO/IEC 15423.
v
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 24458:2022(E)
Information technology – Automatic identification and
data capture techniques – Bar code printer and bar code
reader performance testing specification
1 Scope
This document specifies the performance evaluation specifications of thermal transfer type printers
(hereinafter referred to as bar code printers), consumables, and bar code readers (regardless of the
reading method) used in bar code systems. The rank of performance is also defined by the evaluation
items.
This document can be applied to the following evaluation tests by combining ISO/IEC 15416 and
ISO/IEC 15415, which define the print qualities of bar code symbols.
NOTE This document is not prevented from being cited in the evaluation of thermal printers using thermal
paper and printers using “plain or exclusive paper” (commercial printing, ink jet printers, electrophotographic
printers, etc.).
a) Print performance of bar code printers (including consumables)
b) Brightness and smoothness of “reception paper or label”, and adhesion of the label
c) Strength of reception paper or label on which the bar code is printed
d) Reading performance of bar code readers
e) Electrical, mechanical and environmental characteristics of bar code printers and bar code readers
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 105-A03, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part A03: Grey scale for assessing staining
ISO 105-C06, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part C06: Colour fastness to domestic and commercial
laundering
ISO 105-F09, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part F09: Specification for cotton rubbing cloth
ISO 105-X11, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part X11: Colour fastness to hot pressing
ISO 105-X12, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part X12: Colour fastness to rubbing
ISO 2470-1, Paper, board and pulps — Measurement of diffuse blue reflectance factor — Part 1: Indoor
daylight conditions (ISO brightness)
ISO 29862, Self adhesive tapes — Determination of peel adhesion properties
ISO 6353-2, Reagents for chemical analysis — Part 2: Specifications — First series
ISO 8791-5, Paper and board — Determination of roughness/smoothness (air leak methods) — Part 5: Oken
method
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

ISO/IEC 15426-1, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Bar
code verifier conformance specification — Part 1: Linear symbols
ISO/IEC 15426-2, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Bar
code verifier conformance specification — Part 2: Two-dimensional symbols
ISO/IEC 19762, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) techniques —
Harmonized vocabulary
ISO/IEC 60068-2-1, Environmental testing — Part 2-1: Tests — Test A: Cold
ISO/IEC 60068-2-6, Environmental testing — Part 2-6: Tests — Test Fc: Vibration (sinusoidal)
ISO/IEC 60068-2-78, Environmental testing — Part 2-78: Tests — Test Cab: Damp heat, steady state
ISO/IEC 60529, Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code)
ISO/IEC 61000-4-2, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) — Part 4-2: Testing and measurement techniques
— Electrostatic discharge immunity test
ISO/IEC 61000-4-3, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) — Part 4-3: Testing and measurement techniques
— Radiated, radio-frequency, electromagnetic field immunity test
ISO/IEC 61000-4-4, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) — Part 4-4: Testing and measurement techniques
— Electrical fast transient/burst immunity test
IEC CISPR 32, Electromagnetic compatibility of multimedia equipment — Emission requirements
3 Terms, definitions and symbols
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 19762, and the following
apply
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1 Terms and definitions
3.1.1
adhesion characteristics
clinging performance of a label attached to a base material to be adhered.
3.1.2
brightness
degree of whiteness of the print surface of the reception paper or label.
3.1.3
ceramic label
label in which a bar code symbol is printed on the surface of a raw ceramic material before-burning,
and then is burned to form a ceramic.
3.1.4
consumables
reception papers, labels and ribbons that shall be refilled by the user as needed.
3.1.5
fixed mount reader
bar code reader (also called a stationary reader) that is fixed to specific locations.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

3.1.6
label
reception paper having an adhesive applied to the back surface thereof.
3.1.7
ladder type print
print state in which the height direction of the bar is perpendicular to the movement direction of the
medium to be printed.
3.1.8
lateral motion reading speed
maximum speed at which a one-dimensional symbol can be read while the symbol or the bar code
reader is moving in a direction perpendicular to the elements of symbols.
3.1.9
nominal dpi
number of dots per inch, rounded to be conventionally an integral number, multiplied by 25,4 times the
number of dots per mm.
3.1.10
performance rank
ranking for performance of each evaluation item.
3.1.11
picket fence print
print state in which the height direction of the bar is in the horizontal direction with respect to the
movement direction of the medium to be printed.
3.1.12
print
transfer ink from a ribbon to a reception paper or a label using a thermal transfer printer and represent
a bar code, etc.
3.1.13
printing
press a bar code using a plate and ink.
3.1.14
reception paper
paper or film having an ink receptible layer.
3.1.15
release liner
paper or film (also referred to as backing paper) having a surface processed to be anti-adhesive.
3.1.16
ribbon
roll of hot-melt ink applied to one side of a film.
3.1.17
smoothness
degree of the flatness of a reception paper or label surface.
3.1.18
test chart
high-precision bar code symbol printed on a photo paper for use in the reading performance test of bar
code readers.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

3.1.19
thermal print head
electronic component having a structure in which a multiple of minute heating resistors are linearly
arranged, and which works to apply heat to a ribbon.
3.1.20
thermal transfer printer and bar code printer
equipment that incorporates a function of converting data into a bar code image and transfers ink from
a ribbon using heat (by any method of thermal transfer) to the image.
3.2 Symbols
In this document, unless otherwise specified, the following symbols are used:
AV Variation of read time between print quality grades in axial non-uniformity test
B Number of bends in the interface cable strength test
BRPT Test charts for bar code reader performance tests
DCV Variation of reading time between print quality grades in decoding facility test
DOF Reading depth when bar code reader reads symbol (depth of field)
DV Variation of read time between print quality grades in defect test
F Smoothness of the reception paper
FV Variation of read time between print quality grades in fixed pattern damage test
GV Variation of read time between print quality grades in grid non-uniformity test
H Fall distance in non-pack drop test
L Maximum illuminance in the ambient illuminance test
Ms Moving speed of the moving object reading speed test
MV Variation of read time between print quality grades in modulation test
N Number of depressions in the trigger switch endurance test
PSmax Maximum print speed
Re Minimum print resolution
RT Value obtained by dividing the reading time in the reading speed test by the number of read-
ings (100)
RTV Time obtained by subtracting the minimum reading time from the maximum reading time in
the symbol contrast test
T Time to print 50 consecutive sets of standard images
Tmps The value obtained by dividing T by 50 when consecutive sets of standard images were print-
ed with print quality overall grade 1,5 or a value more than but close to 1,5
UV Variation of read Time between print quality grades in unused error correction capacity test
Va Electrostatic strength in the air discharge test
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

Vc Electrostatic strength in contact discharge test
4 Bar code printer and consumables
4.1 Bar code printer
4.1.1 General requirements
Basic print-mechanism of a general thermal transfer printer is shown in Figure 1.
Key
1 thermal print head
2 ribbon (unwinding)
3 reception paper of label roles (supplying)
4 platen roller
5 ribbon (winding)
Figure 1 — Basic print mechanism of thermal transfer printer
As shown in Figure 1, a "reception paper or label" and a ribbon are passed between the platen roller and
the thermal print head, and the thermal print head is normally pressed down and secured to provide
the appropriate print pressure. As the platen roller rotates in the direction of the arrow, the "reception
paper or label" and ribbon move in the transport direction. In synchronism with this movement, the ink
on the ribbon is melted by heating the heating elements of the thermal print head and transferred to the
“reception paper or label”. At this time, the heating element that heats is only an element corresponding
to the image to be printed.
Print condition setting and environmental conditions are as follows.
a)  Print condition setting on thermal transfer printer to be evaluated
It is desirable that a thermal transfer printer to be evaluated in this document is set to a condition
estimated to be optimal for the "reception paper or label" and the ribbon used in the test. This print
setting serves to maximize the print performance of the bar code printer to be evaluated.
NOTE In the thermal transfer type, it is known that the print quality varies depending on the combination of
the "reception paper or label" and the ribbon.
b)  Ambient environment conditions
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

For bar code printers in which ink is melted by heat and transferred to a “reception paper or label”,
ambient temperature affects print quality, but also thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, etc. of
the “reception paper or label”, the ribbon, the platen, etc. affect print quality. Also, condensation on the
thermal print head may cause failure. In order to print bar codes while maintaining high print quality,
precaution shall be paid to the surrounding environment.
Performance tests of bar code printers shall be performed under the following environmental conditions.
However, when the environmental conditions are individually stipulated in each performance
evaluation test item, or when there is a quote standard in each evaluation test item, the stipulations or
standard shall be given priority. In addition, during tests, the temperature and/or humidity shall not be
abruptly changed to conditions where condensation occurs.
— temperature : 18 °C to 28 °C
— humidity : 30 % Rh to 70 % Rh
— Before starting the performance evaluation tests, the main body of the bar code printer (non-en-
ergization), the "reception paper or label" and the ribbon used for the tests shall be left in the
above-mentioned temperature and humidity environment for at least 6 h.
Ambient environmental conditions at the time of the tests shall be recorded in the test result report of
4.3 together with the test results.
4.1.2 Performance evaluation items and test methods
4.1.2.1 Standard image for evaluation of printer performance tests
Standard images for evaluation of printer performance (hereinafter referred to as standard images)
shall be used and evaluated under the specified conditions.
The standard image is based on BCP-nnn-1 (nnn is nominal dpi; the same applies hereinafter) and BCP-
nnn-2 (see Figure 2), and the combination shown in Figure 4 is set in accordance with the width of the
reception paper or label. The standard image has the following features (see Annex A).
— One-dimensional and two-dimensional symbols for evaluating bar code print quality
— Corner marks (see Figure 5) that help to visually determine print quality
— Image pattern to use all of the heating elements that enables failure detection of the thermal
printhead heating elements
— 90 degrees rotated bar code for knowing the quality of print in ladder type and in picket fence type
— Strings to determine the legibility of small characters
— Counter for counting the number of prints (one set)
— Logo mark may be printed in image mode (see A.2)
The corner mark shall use the bitmap image defined in A.1.1. The other images shall be created
by a dedicated commands of the bar code printer to be evaluated. The positions at which the one-
dimensional symbols and the two-dimensional symbols are printed are based on the arrangement
shown in Figure 2, but the base points of each symbol are not defined. However, it shall not be arranged
so as to infringe the quiet zone of the symbol.
The size of BCP-nnn-1 and BCP-nnn-2 is 50,8 mm × 76,2 mm (2 inches × 3 inches), which can be used
in conjunction for nominal 200, 300, 400 and 600 dpi bar code printers commonly used for “reception
papers or labels” of 50,4 mm (2 inches) to 203,2 mm (8 inches) wide and 254,0 mm (10 inches) wide (see
Figure 4).
NOTE 1 dpi is the resolution and the number of dots per inch (1 inch is 25,4 mm).
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

NOTE 2 The standard image is mainly used to evaluate the maximum print speed, the minimum print
resolution, the suitability of the reception paper or label with the ribbon, and the like.
Figure 2 — Example of individual image arrangement of standard image for evaluation of
performance of bar code printer
— The International Standard number ("ISO/IEC 24458"), standard image number ("BCP-300-1" and
"BCP-300-2"), number count ("count: 001") and "Standard image for bar code printer performance
evaluation." displayed on the standard image shall be selected from the fonts and sizes built into the
barcode printer.
NOTE 3 Font and size are taken into account so as not to break the overall balance.
— As the frame line width surrounding the bar code symbol, the numbers of dots constituting the
minimum element (many dots) of the one-dimensional symbol are used (see Table 1).
— The value of the number-of-sheets count is printed on anyone (or all) of the standard images in
the set of standard images defined in Figure 4. Table 1 shows the number of dots constituting the
minimum elements of the one-dimensional symbol and the two-dimensional symbol according to
dpi of the bar code printer.
Table 1 — Number of dots making up the minimum element at nominal dpi
Nominal One-dimensional symbol Two-dimensional symbol
dpi
Few dots Many dots Few dots Many dots
180 1(0,143 mm) 2(0,286 mm) 2(0,286 mm) 3(0,429 mm)
200 1(0,125 mm) 2(0,250 mm) 2(0,250 mm) 3(0,375 mm)
NOTE Numbers in parentheses are reference values obtained by converting the number of
dots into mm.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

Table 1 (continued)
Nominal One-dimensional symbol Two-dimensional symbol
dpi
Few dots Many dots Few dots Many dots
300 2(0,167 mm) 3(0,250 mm) 3(0,250 mm) 4(0,333 mm)
360 2(0,143 mm) 3(0,214 mm) 3(0,214 mm) 5(0,357 mm)
400 2(0,125 mm) 4(0,250 mm) 3(0,188 mm) 6(0,375 mm)
600 2(0,083 mm) 6(0,250 mm) 3(0,125 mm) 8(0,333 mm)
NOTE Numbers in parentheses are reference values obtained by converting the number of
dots into mm.
The specifications of the one-dimensional symbol and the two-dimensional symbol to be printed with
the standard image are shown in Table 2.
Table 2 — Specifications of bar codes printed in standard Image
Item Code 39 Code 128 Data matrix QR code
(See ISO/ (See ISO/IEC 15417) (See ISO/IEC 16022) (See ISO/
IEC 16388) IEC 18004)
Data *%7C%* STC 65 68 91 91 10 40 "0"s 41 "0"s
Narrow/wide ratio 1:3 — — —
(N)
Intercharacter gap 1X — — —
Check character None 66(STX) — —
Bar height — —
(Regardless with
few dots or many
dots bar width)
a
(180 dpi) [35 dots (approx.5 mm) or more]
200 dpi 40 dots (approx.5 mm) or more
300 dpi 60 dots (approx.5 mm) or more
a
(360 dpi) [70 dots (approx.5 mm) or more]
400 dpi 80 dots (approx.5 mm) or more
600 dpi 120 dots (approx.5 mm) or more
Symbol size and - - 20 x 20 21 x 21
error correction
automatic L
level
Readable characters OCR B OCR B None None
and points not specified not specified
NOTE The first "STC" in the data of the code 128 represents the start C.
a
The bar height can vary because a “reception paper or label” less than 50,8 mm (2 inches) wide can be improperly
printed.
The print combination of the standard image according to the “reception paper or label” width is
according to Figure 4. The downward arrow is the direction of transportation of the "reception paper
or label" and the ribbon. In Figure 4, the 127,0 mm (5 inches) wide and the 177,8 mm (7 inches) wide
are printed by providing blanks of 25,4 mm (1 in) (if there are changes in the 127,0 mm (5 inches) width
and the 177,8 mm (7 inches) width, provide appropriate blanks) between BCP-nnn-1 and BCP-nnn-2. At
this time, the two protruding lines of the opposed corner marks shall be extended and connected. The
“reception paper or label” and the ribbon shall be of a size sufficient to print a standard image.
Bar code printers that use a “reception paper or label” other than the width shown in Figure 4, for
example, in the form of a tape less than 50,8 mm (2 inches) wide, may relocate the elementary images
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

that make up the standard image and print them side-by-side in series. In this case, print may be
performed in the following manner.
— Four corner marks (without two outwardly protruding bars)
— Code 39 changed to the number of printable dots and the number of printable characters
— Printable two-dimensional symbols in Table 2 (sufficient quiet zones shall be provided)
— ISO/IEC number
— Standard image number
— Count the number of sheets
Further, the symbols to be verified for the bar code print quality may be evaluated only by the symbols
that have been printed.
An example of using a tape-like reception paper or label less than 2 inches wide is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3 — Example of standard image arrangement for “reception paper or label” less than
50,8 mm (2 inches) wide
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

Figure 4 — Standard image print configuration by difference in “reception paper or label”
width
Regarding corner marks, enlarged images are shown in Figure 5 and print details are shown in Table 3.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

Figure 5 — Enlarged image of corner marks (for nominal 200, 400 and 600 dpi)
Table 3 — Print corner marks
Item Configuration
Corner marks Bitmap images (see A.1.2) corresponding to the dpi (nominally 200 dpi, 300 dpi, 400 dpi and
600 dpi) of the bar code printer are printed at specified positions and specified orientations
without enlargement or reduction. The print position is as shown in Figure 2.
Protruding line The corner marks have two lines protruding outward from the whole square. These lines
serve to detect a failure of the thermal printhead heating element. For “reception papers or
labels” with widths of 127,0 mm (5 inches) and 177,8 mm (7 inches), a length of bar suffi-
cient to fill the gap between BCP-nnn-1 and BCP-nnn-2 is required. The widths of the lines
are 4 dots in the nominal 200 dpi and 6 dots in the nominal 300 dpi. The nominal 400 dpi
uses twice the nominal 200 dpi of dots, and the nominal 600 dpi uses three times the nomi-
nal 200 dpi of dots.
NOTE Do not apply to “reception papers or labels” less than 50,8 mm (2 inches) wide.
4.1.2.2 Print quality
Here, the evaluation test method of the overall print quality grade of symbols, the maximum print speed
and the minimum print resolution are defined. The evaluation specimen is a set of the first, 25th, and
50th samples in which the standard images are arranged according to the width of reception paper or
the label as shown in Figure 4 and are printed consecutively. The bar code symbols and corner marks to
be evaluated are shown in Table 4.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

Table 4 — Bar code symbols and corner marks to be evaluated
Nominal width of the reception Bar code symbol to be evaluated for print quality
paper or label
50,8 mm (2 inches) wide, One-dimensional symbols and two-dimensional symbols (many dots) and
101,6 mm (4 inches) wide, four corner marks in BCP-nnn-1
127 mm (5 inches) wide,
In case of 8-inches wide and 10-inches wide, one-dimensional symbols and
203,2 mm (8 inches) wide and
two-dimensional symbols (many dots) and four corner marks in the left-
10 inches wide
most BCP-nnn-1.
76,2 mm (3 inches) wide, One-dimensional symbols and two-dimensional symbols (many dots) and
152,4 mm (6 inches) wide four corner marks in BCP-nnn-2
and 177,8 mm (7 inches) wide
Less than 50,8 mm (2 inches) Code 39, two-dimensional symbols and four corner marks
wide
The bar code printer shall be tested while the speed of transfer of the “reception paper or label” is
constant.
The evaluation items of the print performance of the bar code printer and the test methods thereof are
as follows.
a)  Overall print quality grade
Overall print quality grade of symbols of three sets of “reception papers or labels” printed standard
images shall be measured using a verifier conforming to ISO/IEC 15426-1 for one-dimensional
symbols and to ISO/IEC 15426-2 for two-dimensional symbols, then verified their grade according
to ISO/IEC 15416:2016 for one-dimensional symbols and ISO/IEC 15415:2016 for two-dimensional
symbols. The lowest grade among print quality grades (grades expressed numerically) of the above
mentioned three samples is figured as the evaluation grade.
b)  Maximum print speed
The evaluation of the maximum print speed of the bar code printer shall be performed by printing the
standard images under the condition that the overall print quality grade (grade expressed numerically)
of the symbols specified in Table 4 shall be 1,5 or a value more than but close to 1,5.
The maximum print speed is determined by the time required to print a set of standard images. The
method is as follows.
1) Select the appropriate “reception paper or label” and ribbon, then place them in the bar code
printer.
2) The transporting speed of the bar code printer is set at near the target speed, and the time T when
50 sets of standard images are printed in the continuous print mode is measured and temporarily
recorded.
3) Check whether the overall print quality grade of the bar code symbols to be evaluated for print
quality in Table 4 is 1,5 or more.
The overall print quality grade is a grade expressed numerically, and the measurement aperture of the
bar code verifier shall be 0,8 X.
4) In the case of more than 1,5, the transporting speed of the bar code printer is further set to "fast",
and 2) and 3) are repeated. If it is less than 1,5, the transporting speed of the bar code printer is
further set to "slow", and 2) and 3) are repeated. In the case of a bar code printer in which the
transporting speed cannot be finely set, the value is set to 1,5 or a value more than but close to 1,5.
5) The value obtained by dividing T by 50 when 1,5 (or a value more than but close to 1,5) is obtained
is the time for print a set of standard images (the time for print one “reception paper or label”), and
this is taken as Tmps.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

6) The value obtained by dividing the length (mm) in the transporting direction shown in Figure 4
by the Tmps value (decimal points are rounded off) is defined as the maximum print speed PSmax
(mm/s).
In this evaluation study, the maximum transporting speed may not become the maximum print speed
as it is.
c)  Minimum print resolution
1) The minimum print resolution of the bar code printer is not determined by the dpi number of the
thermal print head, but is determined by how thin an image element can be printed, when print is
performed while ensuring an overall bar code print quality grade of 1,5 or a value more than but
close to 1,5.
2) In this document, a standard image adapted to the dpi of the bar code printer is used, and the
number of small blank spaces identified in the four corner marks determines the print resolution.
NOTE 1 In general, the 1×1 blank area becomes to be un-identified first. The minimum print resolution
often varies depending on the portion to be printed in the form of a fence or in the form of a ladder.
3) The “reception paper or label” and the ribbon used in the evaluation test of the minimum print
resolution are preferably selected to be suitable for high density print. In addition, it is desirable
that adjustable parameters of the bar code printer are set to be optimum for the minimum print
resolution evaluation test.
4) The minimum print resolution is evaluated by the number of visually identified blank areas of
squares of different sizes (24 total) and rectangles of different side lengths (120 total) in the four
corner marks. It is desirable to observe the image in an enlarged manner so that the image can be
clearly identified.
The composition ratio of the closed blank space existing in each corner mark of Figure 5 is shown in
Table 5.
Table 5 — Composition ratio of blank areas (squares and rectangles) present in corner marks
C1 corner mark C2 corner mark
1×1 1×2 1×3 1×4 1×5 1×6 6×1 6×2 6×3 6×4 6×5 6×6
2×1 2×2 2×3 2×4 2×5 2×6 5×1 5×2 5×3 5×4 5×5 5×6
3×1 3×2 3×3 3×4 3×5 3×6 4×1 4×2 4×3 4×4 4×5 4×6
4×1 4×2 4×3 4×4 4×5 4×6 3×1 3×2 3×3 3×4 3×5 3×6
5×1 5×2 5×3 5×4 5×5 5×6 2×1 2×2 2×3 2×4 2×5 2×6
6×1 6×2 6×3 6×4 6×5 6×6 1×1 1×2 1×3 1×4 1×5 1×6

C3 corner mark C4 corner mark
1×6 1×5 1×4 1×3 1×2 1×1 6×6 6×5 6×4 6×3 6×2 6×1
2×6 2×5 2×4 2×3 2×2 2×1 5×6 5×5 5×4 5×3 5×2 5×1
3×6 3×5 3×4 3×3 3×2 3×1 4×6 4×5 4×4 4×3 4×2 4×1
4×6 4×5 4×4 4×3 4×2 4×1 3×6 3×5 3×4 3×3 3×2 3×1
5×6 5×5 5×4 5×3 5×2 5×1 2×6 2×5 2×4 2×3 2×2 2×1
6×6 6×5 6×4 6×3 6×2 6×1 1×6 1×5 1×4 1×3 1×2 1×1
NOTE 2 Numbers in the table show relative dimensions of a blank space in “height” x “width”.
5) The number of not clearly discernable blank spaces shall not be added to the number of identified
blank spaces: “the blank space crushed by the thickening of the lines and the blank space divided
into multiple spaces [Figure 6 b)]” and “the blank space which is not partially closed among the four
sides constituting the blank space to be closed [Figure 6 c)]”.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

a) Correct blank space
b) Crushed blank space (1×1~1×5) and Mul- c) Blank space that is not closed (1×3~1×6)
ti-segmented blank space (1×6)
Figure 6 — Examples of countable spaces a) and uncountable spaces b) and c)
4.1.2.3 Electrical property
Performance evaluation items and test methods for electrical properties shall be as follows.
a) Operating power supply voltage range (V)
Measure the upper and lower limits of the power supply voltage at the input end of the power supply
cable when the bar code printer operates normally using the voltmeter specified in ISO/IEC 60051-2
or a voltmeter equivalent to or higher than the voltmeter.
b) Maximum operating power (W or VA)
The maximum power consumed when 100 or more sheets of standard images with overall bar
code print quality of 1,5 or higher are continuously printed shall be measured at the input end
of the power supply cable using the power meter specified in ISO/IEC 60051-3 or a power meter
equivalent to or higher than the power meter.
c) Maximum standby power (W or VA)
The maximum power consumed by the bar code printer in the sleep mode (in the range of rated
power supply voltages, no communication, minimum brightness of various displays, and a state
in which print can be started immediately if there is a print directive) shall be measured at the
input end of the power supply cable using the power meter specified in ISO/IEC 60051-3 or a power
meter equivalent to or higher than the power meter.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

d) Electro-static strength (kV)
After both "air discharge" and "contact discharge" specified in ISO/IEC 61000-4-2 are applied to the
bar code printer, the maximum test voltage at which normal operation can be maintained shall be
measured in both discharge mode.
e) Resistance to power supply line noise (kV)
The resistance to power supply line noise is the resistance of the bar code printer against electro-
magnetic noise (frequency is 100 kHz) flowing into the power supply line of the bar code printer.
The test shall be performed according to ISO/IEC 61000-4-4, and the highest test voltage at which
the bar code printer operates normally is measured.
f) Unwanted radiation noise
The unwanted radiation noise from the bar code printer and the noise propagating through the
connected power line, signal lines, etc., which can adversely affect the surrounding electronic
equipment shall be measured according to IEC CISPR 32.
g) Immunity (EMC)
The immunity is the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of the bar code printer against electro-
magnetic noise coming from the surroundings. Perform the test according to ISO/IEC 61000-4-3,
then measure the electric field strength at the highest test level at which the bar code printer can
operate normally during the test.
4.1.2.4 Environmental characteristic
Performance evaluation items and test methods for environmental characteristics are as follows.
a) Low temperature operation (°C)
Apply the "Test Ad" of ISO/IEC 60068-2-1 to the bar code printer and measure the lowest
temperature at which the printer can operate normally.
b) High temperature and high humidity operation (°C and %)
Apply the tests of ISO/IEC 60068-2-78 to the bar code printer and measure the most severe
temperature and humidity at which the bar code printer can operate normally.
4.1.2.5 Mechanical characteristics (vibration resistance characteristics with packaging)
Apply the test of ISO/IEC 60068-2-6 to the bar code printer, then confirm that the printer operates
normally even after the test is carried out under the following conditions.
— Frequencies 10 Hz to 55 Hz
— Accelerometric 20 m/sec /X, Y, Z axes
— Cycles: 100 cycles in each direction
4.1.3 Performance ranking
4.1.3.1 General
Performance is ranked according to performance evaluation results for each evaluation test item
specified so. The ranks are rank “S”, rank “I”, rank “II”, and rank “III” from the top.
NOTE The rank “S” is a performance rank that existing bar code printers have not achieved at the time of the
preparation of this document and is set as a target for promoting future technological development.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

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