1. Click the PDF417 tab in the main window:
2. Enter data to encode
Enter your data, then hit <Enter> or <TAB> to update the preview window.
PDF417 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".
If you are encoding binary values or umlauts ("Ü") make sure your scanner will read them properly. Most keyboard wedge scanners will not transmit that kind of data correctly. If in doubt stick with ASCII data or use a serial scanner set to 8 Bit data format.
3. Settings
It's highly recommended to leave the settings for ECC Level (Error correction) and row count at the defaults ("-1"). Doing so will result in optimum ECC level and minimum symbol size.
Values for module width can range from c. 0.2 mm to over 1 mm, depending on your requirements or application, respectively. Aspect ratio should be set to 3.
Since this code can encode over 1000 characters having a human readable interpretation doesn't make sense in most cases. If HR text is enabled the software will truncated anything in the HR text that goes beyond 255 characters.
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:
PDF417 with 100 bytes encoded, settings at defaults (ca. 50 * 10 mm):
300 dpi: 2MB
600 dpi: 4 MB
1200 dpi: 8 MB
2400 dpi: 16 MB
3200 dpi: 22 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.