Do bar codes have to have a white background?

“I love the label design, but my labels are clear...so why is there white behind the bar code on a clear label?”

We’ve been asked this question as well as other similar questions on many, many occasions by our custom label customers. They come to use with beautiful label designs and don’t understand why it is necessary to alter the design so there is a white background behind the bar code.

The truth is that while most bar code scanners have advanced technology, it isn’t advised to use a background color other than white since it increases the likelihood that a scanner will have trouble picking up the different color variations. This is especially true with lower end CCD and laser scanners. It’s best to stick with the standard black and white barcode for your labels.