You can make the following kinds of barcodes in your labeling program:
- Postal Barcodes (52-pin/non-automated only with 9-digit ZIP code)
- Code 39
- Codabar
- Interleaved 2 of 5 barcode
- Code 128
- UPC-A
- UPC-E
- EAN-8
- EAN-13
You will will need to research these different barcodes formats to determine the best kind for your needs, as these different barcodes have universally recognized formats, restrictions and uses that vary from format to format.
To make a barcode, you must be in the Design screen of your program (the screen with the yellow background). This can be done by clicking on the Design tab in your program in the upper-left.
To add a postal barcode:
- Add your mailing data fields to the design layout first ("first name", "last name", "address", "City", "ST","ZIP", etc.)
- Click on the Insert menu at the top of the screen and choose Postal Barcode
- A dialog will appear asking which field to use to print the barcode as ZIP code information. Click in the drop-down box to choose one of the fields in your design that will be containing the ZIP code numerical information from which the program will be generating the postal barcode (this is usually the "ZIP code" field). Click OK to continue.
- Left-click once on the label design area to place the postal barcode in that position. You will see a "barcode" on the template. Note: This is not the *actual* barcode that will print but a representation in the program that you have placed a barcode element on the label layout. If you do not have ZIP code information in data records for the program to generate into a barcode, then no barcode will generate or print in the program.
- Click on the Data Entry or Data Table tabs of the program. Enter your ZIP code information in data records in the field you chose as the field that will contain the postal barcode's numerical information to be generated by the program.
- When you are ready to print, check the program's Print Preview command in the File menu to see if your barcode information is being generated properly by the program. If not, verify that you have entered the correct kind of data in the data record listing on the Data Entry or Data Table and that you have entered that data in the correct data field.
To add a product or other kind of barcode:
- Click on the Insert menu at the top of the screen and choose Product Barcode
- A dialog will appear. Choose the format of the barcode you wish to add from the listing on the left and then also choose which field the program will use to generate the barcode from. (For example, if you want to make a UPC-A barcode from data you have typed in the "Custom1" field, you would choose the "UPC-A" option from the barcode listing, and then choose "Custom1" from the field drop-down). Click OK to continue.
- Left-click once on the label design area to place the product barcode in that position. You will see a "barcode" on the template. Note: This is not the *actual* barcode that will print but a representation in the program that you have placed a barcode element on the label layout. If you do not have numerical information in data records for the program to generate into a barcode, then no barcode will generate or print in the program.
- Click on the Data Entry or Data Table tabs of the program. Enter your information in the data field you chose as the field that will contain the barcode's numerical information to be generated by the program.
- When you are ready to print, check the program's Print Preview command in the File menu to see if your barcode information is being generated properly by the program. If not, verify that you have entered the correct kind of data in the data record listing on the Data Entry or Data Table and that you have entered that data in the correct data field.
- If you get an "Invalid Barcode" preview, then you have probably entered incomplete information, wrong "type" of information, or too many characters for that barcode format. Often the cause of this is the inclusion of an extra unnecessary digit known as the "check digit". Many barcode formats have a "check digit" that is automatically generated by the program to validate the barcode. If this is the case, leave off the last digit of the barcode's numerical information that you're typing into the program and let the program automatically generate the last digit for you. You will see this automatically generated digit on the print preview.
If you are having trouble making your barcodes in your program, please contact Technical Support.