What is label Compliance? Literally, it means meeting or complying with the labeling guidelines set down by a customer. The customer, whether it is a retail firm, shipper, or manufacturer, has created its own labeling specifications to fulfill its transportation and logistical needs. It is up to the supplier to meet those guidelines. Failure to do so could result in return of product, fees, or contract termination.

Organizations like the UCC (Uniform Code Council), the AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group) and HIBCC (Health Industry Business Communications Council) have developed specific industry labeling standards. Their guidelines minimize problems between trading partners by creating a basic structure all suppliers and customers can agree upon. The guidelines are implemented on a volunteer basis.

Where do I get the information on labeling guidelines for my customer?
As a vendor, you should be sent these guidelines as part of your initial vendor information. If not, the company's vendor relations or receiving department should be able to ship or fax you this information.

How do I confirm that the labels I'm printing meet specs before I use them in production?
The receiving company (customer) should have an approval process for label compliance in place. You will need to contact the customer's vendor relations or the receiving department for details.

What is a check digit and how do I use it?
A check digit is added to the end of a data field for added security. The value of the check digit is calculated from the preceding values. A bar code scanner calculates this value as well and compares it to the bar-coded check digit. If they do not match, the scanner returns an error. The UCC guidebook details the mathematical formula for calculating the check digit.

My customer says I need an FNC1 on my bar code. What is that?
The Function 1 (FNC1) symbol is an unprintable ASCII character. When used in a UCC/EAN 128 bar code, it indicates that data identifiers are being used in the bar code. Data identifiers are prefixes used to discern postal codes, store numbers, serial container codes, etc. A Function 1 must be used on an SSCC-18 label.

The store number we have to bar code is a five digit number, but the UCC/EAN 128 bar code requires an even number of digits.
Many retailers have three or five digit store numbers. In this case, it is acceptable to insert an extra zero in front of the store number to create an even number of digits.