Template or reticule for quality control of a hexagonal code having an acquisition target and an alignment target

摘要

A print quality, see-through template determines if a hexagonal coded symbol area imprinted on a package falls within allowable limits. The template includes boundaries corresponding to a minimum allowable coded symbol areas and boundaries corresponding to a maximum allowable coded symbol areas. When placed on top of the coded symbol area of the package, it can be determined if the encoded symbol area falls within the bounds shown on the template. The template also includes alignment hexagons for lining up to orientation hexagons that exist on hexagonal code labels. Once these hexagons are lined up, a bull's eye center on the coded symbol area is compared to a dual-size, inverse-color bull's eye on the template, to ensure that the bull's eye meets the specified requirements of the hexagonal code.PPThe template can also be used with a magnifier to make it easier for an operator to align the alignment hexagons on the template with the orientation hexagons on the encoded symbol area, and to allow for the bull's eye pattern to be viewed at a greater size.