Pharmacode One-Track
Thin and thick bars for 3 to 131,070; 123456 takes 29 mm in standard size.
Create Pharmacode One-Track ›Used by 700,000+ people
Free Pharmacode barcode generator.
Pharmacode is the Laetus bar code that packaging lines check to catch mixed-up cartons, leaflets and labels. Enter a number and download one-track or two-track bars.
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How to create a Pharmacode
-
01
Take the number from your code list
Enter the number your code list gives this material, such as
123456. For one-track, Laetus rules out single-bar codes, so use 3 or more. -
02
Set the bars to Laetus sizes
Set Resolution (dpi) to 300 and Module width to 6 Pixel for 0.51 mm thin bars, 1.52 mm thick bars and 1.02 mm gaps. For two-track, 12 pixels give 1.02 mm bars.
-
03
Switch off the text line
Pharmacode is usually printed without digits: with Show human-readable text off, the bars grow from 5.7 to 8.5 mm, above Laetus' 7 mm for cartons. Keep 6 mm clear on both sides.
What is a Pharmacode?
Pharmacode is a bar code that Laetus developed for pharmaceutical packaging. A sensor on the packaging machine compares the code on each carton, leaflet or label with the job's reference code and flags mixed-up or misprinted material. You assign the numbers yourself.
Where Pharmacode is read: cartons, leaflets and labels
Laetus calls the prevention of intermixture the most critical requirement of pharmaceutical end-packaging. The code can mark all relevant secondary and printed primary packaging, one number per version of a folding carton, leaflet or label.
On folding cartons, Laetus recommends the code on both flaps, at least 7 mm high and 6 mm from the edge, or 7 mm with laser scanners. Leaflets should get at least 8 mm of height and 10 mm free of other print beside the code; labels at least 5 mm.
Wide tolerances and colour bars instead of a check digit
Laetus gives every bar and gap a tolerance band instead of one size, so the dimensions can follow the packaging. A supplementary bar in a second ink extends the code: if that printing plate fails, the reader sees another code and flags it.
The bars are the number, with no check digit and no start or stop pattern. When you allocate codes, Laetus asks you to check the tolerances and, if necessary, inspect the first print-outs of the newly coded material.
Pharmacode online, in label software and in SAP
The online generator draws both versions in one colour as GIF, PNG or JPG for free; SVG and higher print resolution come with a plan. Without an account it makes one code at a time; a data sheet holds a whole code list after a free sign-in.
TBarCode SDK builds Pharmacode into .NET, OCX and DLL applications and can colour single bars for a supplementary code. TEC-IT's Barcode Reference also covers TFORMer Designer and TBarCode/SAPwin for SAPscript and Smart Forms.
Pharmacode at a glance
- Specification
- Laetus Pharmacode Guide, 4th edition, 1997
- Values
- One-track 3–131,070; two-track up to 64,570,080
- Check digit
- None
- Bar sizes
- One-track 0.5 and 1.5 mm; two-track 1 mm, 8 or 12 mm high
- Quiet zone
- 6 mm left and right (TEC-IT)
- Number issuer
- Your company, in its own code list
How the bars add up to the number
One-track place values run 1, 2, 4, 8 … from the right, counted once by a thin and twice by a thick bar. Two-track values run 1, 3, 9, 27 …, counted once by a lower half bar, twice by an upper one, three times by a full bar.
| Code | Bars, left to right | Value |
|---|---|---|
| One-track | thick, thin, thick, thin | 16 + 4 + 4 + 1 = 25 |
| Two-track | full, upper, lower, full | 81 + 18 + 3 + 3 = 105 |
Nothing marks the start: read from the other side, the same one-track bars give 20, not 25. The generator, like Laetus, puts the highest value on the left. Never print it side-inverted.
Sizes and print rules from the Laetus guide
| Dimension | Standard | Miniature |
|---|---|---|
| Thin bar | 0.5 mm (0.4–0.7) | 0.35 mm (0.3–0.45) |
| Thick bar | 1.5 mm (1.3–2.5) | 1.0 mm (0.9–1.7) |
| Gap | 1.0 mm (0.9–2.5) | 0.65 mm (0.55–1.65) |
| Height | 8 mm | 6 mm |
- Miniature: for small labels and narrow flaps; 4 pixels at 300 dpi fit its tolerances.
- Colours: laser scanners need strong contrast, such as dark bars on white, and cannot read red. Gaps before coloured bars widen to 1.5 mm.
- Thin leaflets: keep the back of the code area blank and avoid symmetrical codes, which can be read through the paper.
Related codes compared
Code 32 ›
Also called Italian Pharmacode, but a 9-digit code with a check digit, drawn as Code 39.
PZN ›
A German pharmaceutical number: 7 digits and a check digit, drawn as Code 39.
Flattermarken ›
Bars without a check digit too, used by print shops to check page order.
One-track or two-track
Pharmacode Two-Track
Bars in two tracks for up to 64,570,080, read by a two-track sensor head; 123456 takes 21 mm.
Create Pharmacode Two-Track ›Frequently asked questions
Learn more about Pharmacode.
What number range does Pharmacode cover?
One-track Pharmacode encodes 3 to 131,070 in 2 to 16 bars; Laetus rules out single-bar codes. Two-track reaches 64,570,080 with 16 bars, since each position has three bar shapes. The generator adds a 17th bar to larger numbers without warning.
Does Pharmacode have a check digit?
No. TEC-IT's Barcode Reference lists none for either version, so a misprinted bar yields another valid number. The safeguard is the code list: combinations that a faulty printing plate could produce stay off other materials of the same size.
In which direction is a Pharmacode read?
From the highest value to the lowest. Laetus' drawings put it on the left, for a machine running to the left. Most machines run to the right, so plan the artwork for that: read the wrong way, the code gives another number.
Who assigns Pharmacode numbers?
You do. Laetus designed the code so that each user allocates numbers independently of external organisations, in a code allocation list per material. The same combination can therefore appear on another company's materials, for example at a shared printer.
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