The chart below explains a variety of common properties for linear barcode
types. Several of these barcode properties are also used for DataBar and
2D barcode types.
|
Properties |
|
Name |
Description |
|
Apply Tilde |
When set to true in Code 128
Auto and 2D barcode types, the tilde character may be used to encode
GS1 Application Identifiers or specific ASCII characters and
several additional options are enabled.
|
|
Back Color |
The background color of the barcode
canvas. This setting should be white or transparent to ensure the
scanner can easily decode the symbol. |
|
Bar Height |
The height of the bars in the
barcode, usually measured in
centimeters (CM). 2.54 CM equals one inch. Common values
are:
1 CM = .4 inches
1.27 CM = .5 inches (commonly used for
GS1-128)
1.905 CM = .75 inches
2.54 CM = 1 inch
3.175 CM = 1.25 inches |
|
Bearer Bars |
Horizontal and Vertical bearer
bars are commonly used in
Interleaved 2 of 5 and
Code
39 to ensure the scanner does not mis-read if the scanner aiming
beam falls off the barcode before it reaches the beginning or end
of the symbol. This is measured as a multiple of the X Dimension.
The default value of zero disables this option. Valid values are
0-10, with common values being 5 or 6. |
|
Captions |
When text appears in the caption
property, it is displayed in the margin of the symbol. Using captions
increases the symbol size and the space between the barcode image
and the caption. When it is desired to have complete control over
captions, IDAutomation suggests using a separate field. |
|
Character Grouping |
Determines the number of characters
between spaces in the human readable (text interpretation) of the
barcode to make text and numbers easier to read.
Supported values are 0 (which disables grouping), 3, 4 and 5. |
|
Check Character |
Automatically adds the check
digit to the barcode when true. The check digit is required for
all symbologies except
Code
39,
Interleaved 2 of 5 and
Codabar.
When using symbologies that do not require the check digit, the
check digit may be disabled. The check digit for
DataBar
and
Code 128 is required and therefore cannot be disabled. |
|
Check Character in Text |
If the "Check
Character in Text" or "Add Check Digit to Text" option is
true, the check digit that is encoded in the barcode will be appended
to the human readable text interpretation that is displayed. This
option is not valid for
DataBar
and
Code 128 because their check characters include non-printable
values. |
|
Codabar Start & Stop
Characters |
Within
Codabar,
the start and stop characters are A, B, C or D letters. These letters
may be used like application identifiers to identify the type of
data being encoded. |
|
Code 128 Set |
The set of characters to be used
in Code128.
Valid values are:
Auto,
A,
B
or
C. IDAutomation recommends using Auto. Characters in the sets
may be viewed in the
Code-128 Character Set Chart. |
|
Columns (PDF Columns) |
In the
PDF417 barcode type, controls the width or height by setting
the number of data columns. When this is left at 0, the product
will automatically adjust this setting. Normally, this value is
between 5 and 15. The maximum value of 30 is difficult to read by
most scanners. |
|
Composite Data |
In DataBar products, this is
the composite data to be encoded above the linear barcode. Not applicable
when using PDF417 or MicroPDF417. |
|
DataToEncode |
The data that is to be
encoded in the barcode. The
tilde
character may be used in this property for Code 128 and 2D barcode
types to encode
GS1 Application Identifiers or perform specific functions. Additional
data may be included in this property for
UPC
and EAN
barcode types to create 2 and 5 digit add-ons. When using
DataBar Expanded, AI's must be entered manually as parentheses
to ensure the proper encoding method. Within Maxicode, all data
must be
entered as one complete string. |
|
Encoding Mode |
The encoding mode determines
how information is encoded in a 2D symbol.
- ASCII is used to encode data that mainly contains
ASCII characters (0-127).
- Binary is used to encode binary data and bytes of
data.
- BASE256 is used to encode bytes of data or bits of
data in 8 bit increments.
- C40 is used to encode data that mainly contains numeric
and upper case characters similar to the
Code-39 character set.
- TEXT is used to encode data that mainly contains
numeric and lowercase characters.
-
MaxiCode modes 2-6 specify the carrier type and error
correction level.
|
|
Error Correction Level (EC) |
The Reed Solomon error correction
level placed in the symbol. More error correction creates a larger
symbol that can withstand more damage. Within PDF417, the error
correction level should be
increased with the amount of data encoded. |
|
Fit Control to Barcode
|
Automatically sizes the control
canvas to fit the barcode. |
|
Font |
Used to change the font name
and point size of the text interpretation or human readable text.
This property may also enable bolding of text. |
|
Fore Color |
The color of the foreground text
and bars in the barcode. The default of black should be used to
ensure the scanner can easily decode the symbol. |
|
Include AI in Text |
In DataBar products, determines
if the implied
GS1 Application Identifier (AI) is displayed in the human readable
text. All DataBar barcodes contain an implied AI of (01) with the
exception of
DataBar Expanded. |
|
Include Linkage Flag in Text
|
In DataBar products, determines
if the Linkage Flag for the barcode should be displayed in the human
readable text. This linkage flag determines if there is a 2D composite
barcode to accompany the linear DataBar barcode. |
|
Is Composite |
In DataBar products, determines
if a composite symbol is linked to the linear DataBar barcode by
changing the value of the linkage flag. |
|
Left Margin |
This property adds space to the
left margin and when necessary, also adds the same space to the
right margin. This property is usually measured in
centimeters (CM). Common values are 0.06, 0.1 and 0.2 CM. |
|
Macro PDF |
Macro PDF properties allow large amounts of data to be stored
in multiple PDF-417 symbols. |
|
Narrow Bar Width |
The X
Dimension of the barcode symbol that determines the width of
the most narrow bar. |
|
Narrow to Wide Ratio |
Also known as the N Dimension,
it is the difference between narrow and wide bars of symbologies
that only contain narrow and wide bars such as Code 39, Interleaved
2 of 5 and MSI. Common values are 2, 2.5, 2.75 and 3. |
|
Preferred Format |
Within Data Matrix, sets the
preferred format represented by a number. Valid values are (-1
for automatic) and from 0 (10X10) to 23 (144X144) and from 24 (8X18)
to 29 (16X48). This will be automatically increased if the size
of the symbol chosen is too small. |
|
Resolution |
The source that is used to determine
the resolution the image is drawn to, which creates a more accurate
barcode. Default is set to printer. If the custom option is selected,
the number residing in the Resolution Custom DPI property will determine
the resolution. |
|
Rotation Angle |
Indicates the orientation of
the barcode. Valid values are 0, 90, 180 and 270. |
| Rows
(PDF417) |
The number of minimum rows in
a PDF417 symbol. If this setting is left at 0, the product will
automatically adjust this setting. This setting should be left
at 0 because the number of rows should be automatically generated. |
|
Segments |
The segments property applies
only to
DataBar Expanded and is changed to a low even number such as
4 or 6 to create a stacked symbol. |
|
Show Text |
When enabled, the human readable
text interpretation will be displayed with the barcode. |
|
Show Text Location |
Determines if the human readable
text is placed above or below the barcode. |
|
Supp Separation |
The distance between the end
of the barcode and the beginning of the supplement for UPC-A, UPC-E,
EAN-13 and EAN-8 symbologies. |
|
Symbology ID |
The symbology or barcode type
to be used. To obtain more information about barcode types,
visit
the bar-coding for beginners site. |
|
Text Margin |
Sets the distance between the
symbol and the human readable text interpretation, usually measured
in
centimeters. |
|
Top Margin |
This property adds space to the
top margin and when necessary, also adds the same space to the bottom
margin. This property is usually measured in
centimeters (CM). Common values are 0.03, 0.06 and 0.1 CM. |
|
Truncated |
In PDF417, creates a
truncated symbol according to the ISO specification. |
|
UPC-E System |
The encoding system to be used
in UPC-E;
valid values are 0, 1 and Auto. |
|
White Bar Increase |
A decimal percentage value that
increases the white space between bars to improve readability for
printers that print darker than normal. For example, a value of
0.20 increases the white space by 20%.
Common values are .10, .15, .20 and .25. A decimal value must be
entered to enable this feature. |
|
X Dimension |
The width of the most narrow
bars in the barcode, which all other bars are built on. In most
products, this is measured in
centimeters (CM). X Dimension
MILS is a similar property, which is specified in 1/1000
of an inch increments. The most common value is .03 CM or 12 MILS.
The X dimension should be increased if the
barcode scanner
being used does not dependably decode the symbol. When
X Dimension CM and
X Dimension MILS are both present,
setting one will override the value of the other property. When
using the
USPS
Intelligent Mail, Postnet or Planet barcode types, the X Dimension
of .05 cm or 20 MILS should be used to achieve a width of between
22 and 24 bars per inch.
Conversion Table:
|
Inches |
MILs |
CM |
| .004 |
4 |
.01 |
| .006 |
6 |
.015 |
| .008 |
8 |
.02 |
| .010 |
10 |
.025 |
| .012 |
12 |
.03 |
| .014 |
14 |
.035 |
| .016 |
16 |
.04 |
| .02 |
20 |
.05 |
| .04 |
40 |
.1 |
|
|
X to Y Ratio |
The height multiple of bars in
a stacked barcode, which is usually 2 to 5 times the X Dimension.
The default value of 3 is most common. |
|
Outdated Properties
|
|
Name |
Description |
|
Resolution Printer to Use |
The property was used to get
the resolution for the images based off a specific printer in the
printer list. This allows printing to a printer that is not the
default. This property is no longer necessary when using the
current method of printing. Invalid printer names passed into
this function will be ignored. A developer may retrieve the list
of valid printer name string values by checking the installed printers
collection. The following C# code snippet loops through all installed
printers on a machine and writes the names of the printers to the
console: foreach(string pkInstalledPrinters
in PrinterSettings.InstalledPrinters)
{Console.Write("Installed printer name is " + pkInstalledPrinters
+ (char)10);}
|
|
Verifying Barcodes
|
| Linear and DataBar
barcodes may be read with the
IDAutomation USB Barcode Scanner. 2D symbols may be read with
a 2D Imager such
as 4600g
2D Imager with print quality assessment. Additional verifiers
are provided at the
barcode verifier
site. |