Barcode Quality Mode

BarcodeQualityMode in Aspose.BarCode for Java controls how much effort the recognition engine spends on analyzing barcode quality:

higher modes enable more advanced processing and are more tolerant to noise and distortions
lower modes favor speed and are best suited for clean, high-contrast images

BarcodeQualityMode is always used together with a QualitySettings preset (for example, getHighPerformance, getNormalQuality, getHighQuality).
You can start from a preset and then override the quality mode to fine-tune behavior.

All examples in this article are based on the sample class:

com.aspose.barcode.guide.recognition.performance.BarcodeQualityModeExample

You can find the full source code on GitHub:

QualityModeExample.java

In the snippets below, variables like imagePath represent paths to barcode images in your application.

1. Test Data: Clean and Noisy Code 128

To demonstrate BarcodeQualityMode, the example class uses two fixtures:

code128_clean.png – a clean synthetic CODE_128 image with good contrast
code128_noisy.png – the same symbol degraded with Gaussian noise to simulate low signal-to-noise ratio

In production, you do not need to generate fixtures manually. The important idea is that you should evaluate quality modes both on clean and difficult images to find the right balance between speed and robustness for your scenario.

2. Using BarcodeQualityMode on Clean Images

On clean barcodes, all three quality modes are expected to read the symbol reliably.
The main difference is the internal amount of processing and, as a result, performance.

2.1. High quality mode (more robust, more work)

String imagePath = "code128_clean.png";

BarCodeReader barCodeReader = new BarCodeReader(imagePath, DecodeType.CODE_128);

QualitySettings qualitySettings = QualitySettings.getHighPerformance();
qualitySettings.setBarcodeQuality(BarcodeQualityMode.HIGH);
barCodeReader.setQualitySettings(qualitySettings);

BarCodeResult[] barCodeResults = barCodeReader.readBarCodes();
if (barCodeResults.length > 0) {
    BarCodeResult barCodeResult = barCodeResults[0];
    System.out.println("HIGH: " + barCodeResult.getCodeText());
}

Here:

QualitySettings.getHighPerformance() is used as a fast preset.
setBarcodeQuality(BarcodeQualityMode.HIGH) tells the engine to apply a more robust quality profile on top of that preset.
For a clean image, this will still be fast and reliably recognize the barcode.

2.2. Normal quality mode (balanced default)

String imagePath = "code128_clean.png";

BarCodeReader barCodeReader = new BarCodeReader(imagePath, DecodeType.CODE_128);

QualitySettings qualitySettings = QualitySettings.getNormalQuality();
qualitySettings.setBarcodeQuality(BarcodeQualityMode.NORMAL);
barCodeReader.setQualitySettings(qualitySettings);

BarCodeResult[] barCodeResults = barCodeReader.readBarCodes();
if (barCodeResults.length > 0) {
    BarCodeResult barCodeResult = barCodeResults[0];
    System.out.println("NORMAL: " + barCodeResult.getCodeText());
}

Typical use cases:

back-office systems processing documents scanned with predictable quality
services where performance and robustness are equally important

2.3. Low quality mode (minimal processing, fastest)

String imagePath = "code128_clean.png";

BarCodeReader barCodeReader = new BarCodeReader(imagePath, DecodeType.CODE_128);

QualitySettings qualitySettings = QualitySettings.getHighQuality();
qualitySettings.setBarcodeQuality(BarcodeQualityMode.LOW);
barCodeReader.setQualitySettings(qualitySettings);

BarCodeResult[] barCodeResults = barCodeReader.readBarCodes();
if (barCodeResults.length > 0) {
    BarCodeResult barCodeResult = barCodeResults[0];
    System.out.println("LOW: " + barCodeResult.getCodeText());
}

Even with BarcodeQualityMode.LOW, a clean CODE_128 image is usually recognized without problems.
This mode is helpful when:

input quality is controlled and consistently good
you want to reduce processing overhead as much as possible

3. Quality Mode on Noisy Images

With noisy or degraded images, the choice of quality mode matters much more.
Higher modes typically enable stronger denoising and more advanced checks, which can rescue barcodes that would fail under lower modes.

3.1. Noisy image with HIGH quality mode

String imagePath = "code128_noisy.png";

BarCodeReader barCodeReader = new BarCodeReader(imagePath, DecodeType.CODE_128);

QualitySettings qualitySettings = QualitySettings.getHighPerformance();
qualitySettings.setBarcodeQuality(BarcodeQualityMode.HIGH);
barCodeReader.setQualitySettings(qualitySettings);

BarCodeResult[] barCodeResults = barCodeReader.readBarCodes();
if (barCodeResults.length > 0) {
    BarCodeResult barCodeResult = barCodeResults[0];
    System.out.println("Noisy, HIGH quality: " + barCodeResult.getCodeText());
}

Use this pattern when:

your application receives images from mobile cameras or low-quality scanners
you expect motion blur, noise, or compression artifacts
you want to maximize the chance of successful recognition on difficult inputs

3.2. Noisy image with LOW quality mode

String imagePath = "code128_noisy.png";

BarCodeReader barCodeReader = new BarCodeReader(imagePath, DecodeType.CODE_128);

QualitySettings qualitySettings = QualitySettings.getHighQuality();
qualitySettings.setBarcodeQuality(BarcodeQualityMode.LOW);
barCodeReader.setQualitySettings(qualitySettings);

BarCodeResult[] barCodeResults = barCodeReader.readBarCodes();
System.out.println("Noisy, LOW quality: results=" + barCodeResults.length);

This configuration illustrates that lowering the quality mode on degraded images may reduce robustness.
It is useful as a contrast case when tuning your pipeline:

if HIGH reads the noisy barcode but LOW does not, you know that the image is close to the quality limit
this helps you decide whether you can afford to stay at a lower quality mode or should raise it in production

4. Combining Presets with Targeted Overrides

The real power of QualitySettings comes from combining a preset with targeted overrides.
For example, you can bias the detector towards small bar widths while still using a performance-oriented preset and a lower quality mode.

Example: clean CODE_128 with small modules and low quality mode.

String imagePath = "code128_clean.png";

BarCodeReader barCodeReader = new BarCodeReader(imagePath, DecodeType.CODE_128);

QualitySettings qualitySettings = QualitySettings.getHighPerformance();
qualitySettings.setXDimension(XDimensionMode.SMALL);
qualitySettings.setMinimalXDimension(1.0f);
qualitySettings.setBarcodeQuality(BarcodeQualityMode.LOW);
barCodeReader.setQualitySettings(qualitySettings);

BarCodeResult[] barCodeResults = barCodeReader.readBarCodes();
if (barCodeResults.length > 0) {
    BarCodeResult barCodeResult = barCodeResults[0];
    System.out.println("Preset + overrides: " + barCodeResult.getCodeText());
}

Here:

getHighPerformance() provides a fast base configuration
setXDimension(XDimensionMode.SMALL) and setMinimalXDimension(1.0f) tell the engine to expect small bar widths
setBarcodeQuality(BarcodeQualityMode.LOW) keeps the quality mode low to reduce cost, but the geometric hints ensure the detector still performs well on this particular class of images

This pattern is useful when you:

know something about the typical module size or print resolution in advance
need to support specific devices (for example, a fixed-resolution camera or scanner)
want to stay close to performance presets while still being precise about barcode geometry

5. Practical Recommendations

When configuring BarcodeQualityMode for your application:

Start with QualitySettings.getNormalQuality() and BarcodeQualityMode.NORMAL as a baseline.
Measure recognition speed and success rate on your real images (clean and noisy).
If recognition fails on noisy inputs, try:
- raising the quality mode (NORMAL → HIGH)
- or switching from getHighPerformance() to getHighQuality() as a base preset
If recognition is stable and fast enough on clean inputs, experiment with:
- lowering the quality mode (HIGH → NORMAL → LOW)
- or switching to a performance preset to reduce CPU usage
Use targeted overrides like setXDimension(...) and setMinimalXDimension(...) when you know the expected bar width or symbol size.

All patterns demonstrated here come from:

QualityModeExample.java

Use this class as a reference when tuning recognition quality and performance in your own Java applications.

Deconvolution Mode