starting from a green bar and ending with a yellow bar or reverse starting with yellow and ending with green and the resulting code simply reversed if it is determined from the first bar read that the pattern of bars 3 was read in the reverse direction this aspect of the invention thus provides a method for encoding information onto articles and includes steps of expressing the information as a multi digit number and encoding the number as a plurality of regions e g the bars 3 that are disposed in a predetermined linear sequence wherein each region emits one of a plurality of predetermined wavelengths comprising a set of wavelengths it should be noted that the label 1 can be coated after printing and thermal application to a garment or textile of interest for example an ultra violet uv radiation curable clear coating may be applied to the label 1 at least so as to cover the plurality of regions or the bars 3 after printing and possibly heat sealing the label the clear coating beneficially improves the wash characteristics an example of such a coating resin is craigcoat 1081 r which is available from craig adhesives a preferred embodiment of a multi spectral imager also referred to as a reader system 10 is shown in fig2 the reader system 10 includes three major components which are an illumination.