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PDF417 Barcode Scanner

A "PDF417 Barcode Scanner" is any type of scanner that can read the particular symbology known as PDF417. This is a two-dimensional barcode that is actually a bunch of one-dimensional barcodes stacked on top of one another, resembling a snowed-out television set. Clearly, this code can contain a lot of information in the same amount of space as a regular 1-D code, and is therefore often used as a kind of summary for important documents or labels (e.g. very common on tax forms and driver's licenses). The important distinction in the bar-coding industry stems from the fact that PDF417 is a 2-D code, but many manufacturers offer a 1-D type scanner that is capable of reading PDF417. Pretty much all two-dimensional scanners (or, imagers) can read PDF417 and one-dimensional barcodes.