For example, I have seen that the quality of the printer / print output plays a part in how well scanners will read the barcode.
The fact that you mention "doesnt allow it to be readable on screen" makes me wonder if you are trying to scan the barcode off a computer screen/monitor?
Screen will be different again to print. The screen technology will depend on how small/sharp the screen is able to display the dots of the barcode.
The scanner is also part of the equation. Using different apps on the same device may have a slight difference, but in the end remember they are using the same camera, so it is not the same as testing different devices.
So, size is only one consideration.