Methodology
How AnyScan checks its output.
“Verified scannable” is an actual local test, not a label added after drawing. AnyScan renders a fresh code, decodes that render on your device and compares the result with the intended value. Separate checks cover format rules and physical print size.
Four different checks
| Check | What it establishes | Where it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Format validation | Length, character set and check digit are valid for the selected symbology. | Every Create and included Batch record. |
| Rendered decode comparison | A decoder can read the generated pixels and returns the intended normalized value. | Every Create output; optional scoped Batch verification. |
| Physical size guard | The configured QR module or barcode bar is not below AnyScan’s conservative print threshold. | PDF sheets and thermal-label preflight. |
| Real-world test | The chosen printer, material, lighting and scanner work together. | You test the final physical output. |
The first three checks run locally. They do not upload the payload or prove that every future print, screen, camera or scanner environment will behave the same way.
Format validation
QR payloads are checked for encoding viability and capacity at the selected error correction level. Code 39 is limited to its supported uppercase character set. Code 128 accepts a broader identifier range. EAN-13, EAN-8 and UPC-A require fixed digit counts and a final check digit; AnyScan can calculate a missing check digit or report the exact expected digit when a supplied one is wrong.
The check-digit calculation follows the alternating-weight method used for GTINs. The official GS1 check digit calculator is an independent reference. A correct checksum establishes structural validity, not that a number has been licensed to a particular product or company.
Batch verification is explicit about scope
Every included logical row receives format validation. Standard decode verification checks every logical record for jobs of 100 or fewer. Larger jobs use a deterministic sample of at least 50 records, approximately 10%, and at most 500. Full decode mode checks every record up to 5,000 and asks larger jobs to use a sample or split the work.
The interface and CSV report say whether verification covered all records, a sample, validation only or none. Copy quantities do not multiply decode work: one logical code is tested once while the requested number of physical copies remains in the report.
Print checks use physical units
PDF label layouts are calculated in millimetres. AnyScan refuses a sheet when a QR module would be below 0.35 mm or a narrow barcode bar would be below 0.25 mm. These are AnyScan safety guardrails, not a guarantee or a claim that one threshold fits every symbology, substrate and scanner. Print PDFs at 100% scale and test one sheet before a large run.
ZPL output converts millimetres to printer dots at 203, 300, 600 or a custom 72–2400 DPI. It uses native commands for QR Code, Code 128, Code 39, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A and ITF. The Zebra ZPL programming guide documents those printer commands. Font support, firmware, darkness, speed and media still depend on the target printer.
Label template sources
The included Avery-compatible geometry is limited to templates whose size, count and sheet positioning could be checked from manufacturer information. Avery 5160 uses 30 labels of 2.625 × 1 in on US Letter; Avery 5163 uses 10 labels of 4 × 2 in. The stored layouts are checked to consume the page dimensions within 0.02 mm.
Avery is a trademark of its owner. AnyScan is not affiliated with or endorsed by Avery. Presets with incomplete positioning evidence are omitted rather than guessed.
Independent decoding in tests
Generation tests do not treat a successful drawing call as proof. QR artifacts are read with jsQR; one-dimensional barcodes are read with ZXing after rasterizing their SVG at a natural integer scale. Browser tests cover Chromium, mobile Chrome, Firefox and WebKit workflows, while physical printer and scanner combinations remain a manual release check.
What verification does not claim
- It does not certify a GTIN owner or look up a retail product.
- It does not guarantee decoding after resizing, compression, damage or poor printing.
- It does not certify every Zebra printer, firmware version, font, media or scanner.
- It does not make large files fit inside a QR code; AnyScan encodes data and does not host files.
Read the Privacy page for the exact local-processing and network boundary, or return to Create, Batch, Scan or Labels.
Last reviewed: 31 August 2026