At first glance, they just look like a pattern of black and white lines. But in reality, they contain a surprising amount of data. Have you wondered what’s hidden inside those lines? Then it’s time to decode the barcode.
There are a lot of methods to undo this, such as manual, using CCD/Laser scanners, and many more; each comes with its limitations.
In manual decoding, the understanding of the structure of a barcode is essential, which demands special in-depth knowledge that takes time. Other methods often require technical knowledge or special equipment, which makes them unsuitable for everyday users.
But don’t panic; in this article, we’ll discuss a quick and simple method to uncover the secrets of barcodes by using your smartphones. And that’s possible using online barcode scanners. Continue your reading, we’ll discuss the process in three simple steps.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
A Brief Overview of Online Barcode Scanner Tools
Online barcode scanners are capable of extracting information that is hidden inside any barcode. These scanners effortlessly decode different types of barcodes, such as PC, EAN, Code 39, Code 128, and many more.
They work using OCR (optical character recognition) technology and are trained with advanced algorithms to convert code into readable text.
Step-by-Step Process to Know Secret Behind Product’s Barcode Quickly
We divided the whole process into smaller steps. The steps are oriented toward selecting and using the barcode scanner tool.
1. Select a Suitable Online Barcode Scanner
The first step of this process is choosing a suitable online barcode scanner from a large number of tools. Mostly, tools also work if the barcode is provided in image formats by using the OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
But the need is here to choose the right tool according to your use. It streamlines your work in an advanced way with 100% accuracy. To pick the most appropriate tool, we suggest you conduct deep research and read relevant blogs on the use of tools.
To help you successfully select a suitable tool, we have listed some mandatory features that you should look for at the time of selection.
- Accurate & Instant Conversion: Choose those tools that provide results with 100% accuracy. It also provides instant results that make your stay efficient and productive.
- Easy-to-use interface: It has a user-friendly interface that should be easy to use for both beginners & experienced users.
- Support Images: Also, ensure it supports various image formats (i.e., JPG, PNG, & JPEG) to upload from device storage, either phone or desktop.
Considering all the above features makes the job of choosing the right tool easier but still you’ll have to test tens of tools. So, we are here to help you out along the way and delve into research. We found an online barcode scanner that fulfills all the necessary features mentioned above.
2. Convert Your Barcode into Readable Text
Once you select a suitable barcode scanner to convert black and white lines into text. Let’s discuss the whole procedure for converting a barcode into readable text by utilizing the above-selected tool.
All you need to do is open the web camera to directly scan the barcode from any product that contains it. Furthermore, upload the image from device storage into the tool.
Once the image is uploaded, the tool will automatically begin scanning and display the hidden product information instantly. See the picture below for the home page of the selected tool.
3. View and Copy the Result
After uploading/scanning the barcode, the tool shows decoded text or product information associated with the barcode. You can copy and save this information by using the copy feature of this tool.
Final Words
Barcodes aren’t just a combination of lines; they acquire essential product data like names, pricing, or origin. So next time you see one of those black-and-white stripes, don’t ignore it; decode and read it.
The manual decoding methods are time-consuming and require technical expertise. So, this option is not productive and efficient for you. But with modern barcode scanner tools, anyone can access hidden barcode data within seconds.
As we’ve shown in this article, using an online barcode scanner is a fast, simple, and smart way to decode barcodes. You’ll just upload an image or scan with your camera and see product labels/details insightfully.