Abstract: An apparatus for putting on a thin strip a bar code consisting of a plurality of parallel thin and wide bars of respective thin and wide widths and a plurality of thin and wide spaces separating the bars has a plurality of stations spaced apart along a transport path extending in a transport direction and each having a respective group of tools of the relatively thin width, the tools of each station being immediately juxtaposed with one another in the direction. The strip is stepped in the direction along the path through the stations and only selected ones of the respective tools are selected and moved by actuators down into the strip. A controller is connected to the selector and actuator unit and to the transporter for forming each of the thin bars by pressing into the strip a one of the tools.