Kodak A-61092 manual Common Causes of Low Bar Code Ratings Field, Problem Type

Table 2 identifies the most common causes of low bar code ratings/grades.

Table 2 — Common Causes of Low Bar Code Ratings

Field

W/N

NEW

RMIN CONTRAST

MOD

DEFECT

Problem Type

Dimensional

Reflectance

Reflectance

Reflectance

Cause

Bar codes not printed according to specifications (refer to Kodak publication Bar Code Made Easy, A-61099).

Inaccurate measurements due to:

∙Ink smearing (improper curing)

∙Ink spreading (use of super-absorbent paper)

∙Use of dot matrix printers (ragged edges) Bar elements are too light often caused by:

∙Use of old ink ribbon

∙Hammer pressure too light

∙Defective/dirty print head

Space elements are too dark often caused by:

∙Dark colored paper background

∙Stain on paper

Bar code element edges are ragged rather than straight often caused by use of a dot matrix printer.

Bar elements contain voids (white spots) often caused by:

∙Use of old ink ribbon

∙Hammer pressure too light

∙Defective/dirty print head

Space elements contain dark spots often caused by:

∙Paper with flecks

∙Ink smearing (improper curing)

∙Ink spreading (use of super-absorbent paper)

∙Defective/dirty print head

∙Toner contamination (if using a laser printer)

Upon completion of the test:

∙Remove the bar code from under the scan head if a Static Bar Code Evaluation has been performed.

∙Press C to return to normal operation, or press Stop to remain in the test environment.

A-61092 September 1999 8-17