What is a Telepen Numeric barcode?
Telepen Numeric is the digit-only mode of Telepen, the barcode developed in the UK and widely used by libraries and universities. It is chosen when book or member numbers contain only digits and space on the label is limited.
Instead of one digit per symbol character, Telepen Numeric encodes two digits in each character, making the barcode about half the length of the same number in Telepen Alpha. That is why the generator requires an even number of digits. As with all Telepen codes, a check character is included automatically.
If your numbers contain letters, use Telepen Alpha instead. Make sure your scanner is configured for numeric mode, as some readers decode Telepen as alpha by default.
What data can Telepen Numeric hold?
Digits 0-9 only, with an even total length. Spaces are removed. If the length is odd, we offer to add a leading zero.
Recommended size
Keep a quiet zone of at least 10 times the narrowest bar on each side. Telepen Numeric is compact, so you can often use a smaller label than for Telepen Alpha with the same number.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Digits are stored in pairs, two per symbol character. If your number has an odd length, add a leading zero; the generator offers to do it for you.
The scanner is probably decoding it in Telepen Alpha mode. Switch the reader to Telepen Numeric, or set it to auto-detect if available.
Use Numeric when your data is digits only and the scanner supports it, as it is shorter. Use Alpha for any data containing letters or symbols.