What is a Matrix 2 of 5 barcode?
Matrix 2 of 5 is a numeric member of the 2 of 5 family that has been used mainly for warehouse sorting, photofinishing envelopes and some ticketing systems. It is sometimes associated with Japanese industrial applications.
Unlike Standard and Industrial 2 of 5, each Matrix 2 of 5 character uses both bars and spaces: three bars and two spaces, with two of the five elements wide. This makes it more compact than Industrial 2 of 5, but less dense than Interleaved 2 of 5.
Matrix 2 of 5 is a legacy format with limited scanner support out of the box. Choose it to match an existing system; for new projects, Interleaved 2 of 5 or Code 128 is more widely supported.
What data can Matrix 2 of 5 hold?
Digits 0-9 only, any length. Spaces are removed. An optional modulo 10 check digit can be added.
Recommended size
Keep a quiet zone of at least 10 times the narrowest bar on each side. Use an X-dimension your scanner reads easily, and test a printed sample since support varies between readers.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Matrix 2 of 5 encodes each digit in bars and spaces together, so it is shorter. Industrial 2 of 5 uses only the bars and is wider for the same number.
They are closely related. Datalogic 2 of 5 is a Matrix 2 of 5 variant with different start and stop patterns, so a scanner set for one may not read the other.
Often yes. Many scanners ship with it switched off, so enable it in the scanner configuration before testing.