Direct Park Mark vs. Label Verification • Direct Part Mark grading is “more lenient” than printed label verification to ISO 15415/15416, due to the challenging substrates and marking methods compared to label printing.
Therefore the same mark will usually score higher when graded to ISO/IEC TR 29158 compared with ISO 15415/15416 • ISO/IEC TR 29158 allows for, but does not require, different types of lighting such as 30 degree angle and non-660nm red lighting which may provide a higher grade than traditional 45 degree 660nm red lighting used for printed label verification • Those in the supply chain needing to read direct part marks must invest in a reader that is able to consistently read direct part marks – may require investment in new readers with advanced decoding algorithms for “difficult to read codes” • The same best practices used for printed barcode design and production should be followed when working with direct part marks • Use label design/management software that properly encodes GS1 data structure and GS1 General Specification requirements for barcode size, data contents, and symbology type • Pay attention to factors impacting readability such as cell contrast, quiet zones, substrate reflectance, etc.
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