Drum type bar code line printer

A drum type bar code printer, comprising:

• a drum which is rotatable about the axis thereof;
• imprintable bar code types arranged in circumferential rows around the drum;
• the rows being arrayed along the axial direction of the drum;
• the drum having a plurality of axial lines, and the bar code types in all of the rows being arrayed on respective ones of the lines;
• each bar code type having opposite ends along the axial direction of the drum;
• each bar code type being comprised of a plurality of modules in series along the axial direction of the drum;
• each bar code type being comprised of an imprintable black bar portion occupying a first respective plurality of the modules of that type and a non-printable portion occupying a second respective plurality of the modules of that type, with these black bar and non-printable portions of each bar code type being arranged next to each other along the axial direction of the drum;
• the bar code types in any of the lines thereof being arranged so that a non-imprintable area is defined, between two of the bar code types, the area essentially corresponding in width along the axial direction of the drum to a first predetermined number of modules of a bar code type, and the area being adjacent to that end of each of the bar code types in that line where any of the first plurality of modules is within a second predetermined number of modules from that end of that type.