Welcome
to BarcodeGenerator for Mac OS X
2. Creating linear barcodes
Note: This document is also available via the applications "Help"
menu.
BarcodeGenerator (BG) will create the following linear codes:
Linear barcodes
1. Select required barcode symbology from the list:
2. Enter data to encode (note the little "Facts" at the bottom
of the application's window for quick info on the current barcode). Hit <Enter>
or <TAB> to update the preview window.
3. Change Settings as needed (see below for recommended values / defaults)
4. Output / Print
You have several options to output the created barcode:
a. To print directly to a printer or typesetter, select menu File->Print.
Set output options with File->Print settings. Rather than directly
printing to a printer you can also have your output written to a PDF for later
use.
b. To export to a TIFF enter the required resolution (default is set to 300
dpi) and click "Save...". In the dialog that comes up select the target
file's name and folder.
c. You may also copy the generated barcode to the clipboard in TIFF format.
Again, specify the required resolution and click "Copy". In your application
execute Edit->Paste to paste the barcode into your document.
Note: The TIFFs generated by BG are not compressed. This is intentional
to maintain maximum cross platform / OS compatibility. As a guideline expect
the following file sizes:
Code EAN 13 / UPC-A in standard size SC2 (ca. 35 * 30 mm):
300 dpi: 3.5MB
600 dpi: 7 MB
1200 dpi: 14 MB
2400 dpi: 30 MB
3200 dpi: 50 MB
If your application permits you can of course open and resave compressed the
generated files with PhotoShop or any other image processing software. However,
it's NOT recommended to use lossy compression formats like JPEG. Stick with
TIFF or PNG.
Barcode settings
This section will give an overview of the available barcodes and the recommended
or default settings respectively.
Codetype | Encodes | Checksum | Module Width | Module Height | Ratio | HR Text | Remarks |
EAN 8 | 7 digits + checksum | Always | 0.33 mm equals 100 % (SC2) | 10-30 mm | n/a | Usually | |
EAN 13 | 12 digits + checksum | Always | 0.33 mm equals 100 % (SC2) | 10-30 mm | n/a | Usually | also applicable for AddOn 2/5 |
UPC-A | 11 digits + checksum | Always | 0.33 mm equals 100 % | 10-30 mm | n/a | Usually | |
UPC-E | 7 digits + checksum | Always | 0.33 mm equals 100 % | 10-30 mm | n/a | Usually | |
Code39 | 0-9A-Za-z, up to 40 chars | Sometimes | from 0.30 mm | from 5 mm | 2.0-3.0 | Usually | |
Code 128 | Full ASCII | Usually | from 0.30 mm | from 5 mm | n/a | Usually | |
Code 128 UCC / EAN | Full ASCII | Always | from 0.30 mm | from 5 mm | n/a | Usually | |
Code 2/5 | Numbers only | Sometimes | from 0.30 mm | from 5 mm | 2.0-3.0 | Usually | |
Codabar | Numbers only | Never | from 0.30 mm | from 5 mm | 2.0-3.0 | Usually | |
Postnet | Numbers only (5, 9 or 12) | Always | 0.50-1 mm | ca. 3-5 mm | n/a | Usually |
Note: Code
39 and Code 128 can encode non printable characters (like TAB). To encode a
non printable character enter the tilde "~" followed by the 3-digit
ASCII code, e.g. to encode a TAB enter "~009" into "Data to encode".
Note 2: To encode field separators for variable length fields in 128
UCC/EAN (a so called FNC1) enter "~999" into "Data to encode".
Note 3: With the standardized codes (EAN / UPC) the software will always
use a sans serif font for the human readable text (usually Helvetica) to comply
with the standard. The size of the HR text line depends on the module width
and is set automatically to the correct value. If you want another typeface
/ size for your HR text (NOT recommended) switch the HR text off and add the
text in your software.
Help
Index
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