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.

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