Install Barcode Magic to your desired directory. To keep costs low, no installation program is currently included with Barcode Magic. You will need to have a zip utility to uncompress the program from it's archive. Windows 98 contains such a utility built in, or you can look for other utilities on the internet (such as WinZip, or pkZip). If you would like shortcuts in your start menu, you will need to create a shortcut by right clicking on the executable, selecting "create shortcut", and moving the shortcut to your windows/start menu/programs directory.
When the main form of the application appears, you will see a blank child window near the center of the form. This is where your barcode will appear. By typing in text in the text edit box, your barcode will appear in this child window. You work on multiple different barcodes by selecting new from the File menu. This will create a new child window, with a new barcode. You can switch between your barcodes by simply clicking on the desired child barcode window.
* Barcode Type - Select your desired barcode type from the pull down combo box's. Some barcode only allow numbers to be encoded (numeric only), others allow characters and numbers (alpha-numeric). All text entered in for the barcode is automatically filtered for invalid characters.
* Height - The height of your barcode is displayed in the height edit box. You may manually enter in your desired height in this box. You may also adjust the height of your barcode by clicking on the bottom of your barcode and dragging. (much like resizing a window). Units are initially set to Imperial Inches (USA), but you may change the units to metrics if you like. Select your desired units in the main menu under Options.
* Width - The width of your barcode is automatically determined based on the barcode type, and the text you wish to encode. Some barcodes are always the same width (UPC's, EAN13 + 8, POSTNET). Others will automatically grow larger as you type text in. You can also change the barcode width by changing the scaling factor from 1X up to 10X.
* Scale - Scaling a barcode will make the barcode multiply in size. If you plan on printing the barcode from Barcode Magic, leave this set to 1X, as better scaling tools exist in the printing section.
* Rotate - You may rotate barcodes 90, 180, and 270 degrees. Use the pull down combobox to select your desired rotation.
* Readible Line - This option displays a line of text underneath the barcode which contains the text encoded into the barcode. You may toggle this on and off by clicking on the "Show Readible" checkbox.
* Font - You can change the typeface of the implementation line by clicking on the font. Note, only the typeface can change, style & size changes are not duplicated.
* Adding Text - To encode your text as a bacode, simply type in the text edit box. Depending on the barcode style, you may only be able to enter numbers.
Select print from the main menu, under "File", or press the print button. A dialog will appear showing all availible print options. You can print a single barcode onto a page, or use the label settings to print multiple barcode per page.
* Labels - Select multiple labels from the "Barcodes per Page" section. You can set up your label height & width, top & left margins, and gutter sizes (gutters are the unprintable borders surrounding a label). Press the "Setup" button to alter these settings. You can also import/export settings for future use. Barcode Magic always saves your last changes automatically, and restores them when you restart the application. Pay particular attention to the non-printable area displayed in the settings. This non-printable area is based upon your printer's limitations. Make sure, when purchasing label stock, that you look for labels with margins equal to or greater than your non-printable region. This will ensure that you can use every label on a page, otherwise, some barcodes might not show up completely along the borders.
* Sequences - Instead of using the text you typed in for the barcode, you can use a generated number called a sequence. Simply select sequence in the Barcode Text section. Then each barcode printed will have a incrementally higher number. Set the minimum value, maximum value, and current value in the sequence "Settings" button. You can also specify a minimum size for your sequece. If your number's length is less than the minimum size, it will be left padded with zeros. (ie. a sequence value of 25 with a minimum size of 4 will appear as '0025')
Any update's to this help file will be located at www.ichiku.com
In order to get this product out in a timely fashion, we were unable to include any premade label format files with this release. We will try to most popular label formats available soon at our web site www.ichiku.com. You can help us update our list by emailing us any formats you've created and saved for any of the major brand label manufacturers. Please include the brand, identification number, and small explanation of what type of label. Email them directly to johnd@ichiku.com
Limited e-mail technical support is available at johnd@ichiku.com. Currently, all e-mails are responded to with 1 working day. We will add additional support as the need grows. Ichiku Software is committed to your companies success. And we will try to find a solution for any problems you might encounter.
Unlicensed copies of Barcode Magic will automatically disable several key features after 15 days. You may register your copy by visiting www.ichiku.com and following the registration link. Registration fee is $30 US. By registering, you will receive a key to unlock your copy of Label Maker Pro for unlimited use. You will also be eligible for all future upgrades for absolutely free.
Questions/Comments