▁symbols ▁needed ▁in ▁the ▁bank ▁environment . ▁It ▁is ▁widely ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁human ▁readable ▁digits ▁in ▁U PC / E AN ▁bar codes . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁used ▁for ▁machine - read able ▁pass ports . ▁ ▁It ▁shares ▁that ▁purpose ▁with ▁O CR - A , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁easier ▁for ▁the ▁human ▁eye ▁and ▁brain ▁to ▁read ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁a ▁less ▁technical ▁look ▁than ▁O CR - A . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁the ▁European ▁Computer ▁Man ufact ur ers ▁Association ▁( EC MA ) ▁started ▁standard ization ▁activities ▁related ▁to ▁Opt ical ▁Character ▁Rec ogn ition ▁( O CR ). ▁After ▁evalu ating ▁existing ▁O CR ▁designs , ▁it ▁was ▁decided ▁to ▁develop ▁two ▁new ▁fonts : ▁A ▁st yl ized ▁design ▁with ▁just ▁digits , ▁called ▁“ Class ▁A ” ; ▁and ▁a ▁more ▁conventional ▁type ▁design ▁with ▁bro ader ▁character ▁coverage , ▁called ▁“ Class   B ”. ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁EC MA ▁proposed ▁a ▁design ▁for ▁the ▁“ Class ▁B ” ▁font ▁to ▁ISO , ▁who ▁adopted ▁it ▁as ▁international ▁standard ▁ISO   1 0 7 3 - 2 ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁The ▁first ▁revision ▁contained ▁three ▁font ▁sizes : ▁I , ▁II ▁and ▁III . ▁The ▁specification ▁included ▁a ▁Let ter press ▁design , ▁intended ▁for ▁high - quality ▁printing ▁equipment ; ▁and ▁a ▁rounded - edge ▁Constant ▁St roke width ▁design ▁for ▁impact ▁printer s ▁with