IDAutomation Barcode Label Software Manual & Tutorial

IDAutomation Barcode Label Software is an easy to use WYSIWYG bar code label printing software application that prints barcodes, text and graphics on standard laser and inkjet printers, in addition to thermal transfer printers.

INDEX:

• Installing the Barcode Label Software
• Installation on a network drive for multiple users
• Creating bar code labels
• Linking to external data sources and databases
• Creating an embedded data set to enter data manually
• Adjusting the properties of the barcode or text objects
• Symbology specific issues
• Creating GS1 (UCC/EAN) barcodes and encoding functions such as returns or tabs
• Additional capabilities of the Pro and RFID versions
  • Connecting to additional data sources including ODBC, Oracle and SQL Server
  • Using the VB Script formula editor
  • RSS, Composite & MicroPDF417 specific properties
  • PDF417 specific properties
  • Data Matrix specific properties
  • MaxiCode specific properties
• RFID version properties
• Technical issues and support
• It is important to have the ability to test the printed barcodes with a barcode scanner.
  If a scanner is needed to verify barcodes, consider the IDAutomation USB Scanner available from:
  http://www.idautomation.com/scanners/

IDAutomation's Barcode Label Software is built to run on any operating system that supports the Microsoft® .NET Framework. It is compatible with Windows® 98 and above, including ME, 2000, XP and 2003. It is not compatible with Windows 3.1 or Windows 95.

1. Download and open or unzip the package to a folder on the hard drive. (It is recommended to download and install WinZip if the computer that is installing the product does not have a zip file extraction tool.)
2. Run IDAutomation_BarcodeLabelSetup.exe to start the install utility.
3. If there is a popup message that states that Microsoft® .NET Framework needs to be installed first, please do so and run IDAutomation_BarcodeLabelSetup.exe again. The Microsoft® .NET Framework may be installed by running Windows Update from a computer connected to the Internet or may be downloaded from here.

Installation on a Network Drive for Multiple Users
Because this product does not install any DLLs or other components in the system directories, it may be easily installed and used from a network or a mapped drive.

1. Start the install utility.
2. When prompted for the location, select the network drive and complete the install process.
3. Create shortcuts on other computers that need to run the application.
4. If errors occur on any of the computers, try performing the steps outlined in the document about setting security rights for .NET applications.
5. Make sure there is a license for each user that has access to the software.

By using the process outlined here, labels can be created that include barcodes, text and graphics. After the label is created, it can be saved and retrieved for later use.

1. After the label application is installed, open the software from the appropriate program group and icon, and choose "Create New Label".
2. At the "Label Options" screen, select the printer that the labels will be printed to, the label stock type, and the preferred units of measure. Predefined label stock contains several definitions for Avery, Herma, Zweckform and a few others. (When using thermal bar-code printers, it is recommended to choose the "Define custom label stock" option.) Click Next.
   
3. When choosing the "Define Custom Label Stock" option, the selections on the next screen will allow the label software to automatically calculate the size of each label. Choose or verify the following, and then click OK:
   1. The number of rows and columns of the label sheet. For thermal printers, leave the rows and columns at their defaults and choose the label from the "paper type" drop down box.
   2. The spacing between labels.
      In this example, Avery® 5263 laser labels are being used, therefore 5 rows and 2 columns were selected. Also added was spacing between labels of 0.2; smaller labels may use only .1 or .05 in these fields. Notice how the label size is automatically calculated. The label layout can be saved from this screen by clicking the save button; this allows the user to easily select it as a predefined label file stock in the future by choosing "Predefined Label Stock" and then selecting "Custom" from the label products list.
      
4. On the next screen, click on the appropriate icon to add text, barcodes, graphics and objects into the design area that is white. If there is a gray border in the design area, this indicates an area where the selected printer is not able to print. The Pro and RFID versions include additional icons for RSS, Composite, PDF417, Data Matrix and other 2D barcode types.
5. Properties of any object may be adjusted by performing a right-click on the object and choosing "Properties".
   
6. From the Properties window when selecting the barcode icon, choose the Value tab. This determines the value to be encoded in the barcode. Here an incremented, formula or static value may be created, or a link to an external database may be created. Learn more about adjusting the properties of an object.
7. Choose the print icon when ready to print the labels. 
8. Verify or select the print range and choose Print. (It is recommended to print only a few labels at first to verify the alignment to the printer.) If the labels do not print accurately, try adjusting the margins and the spacing between labels in the Label Stock Properties screen by choosing File - Label Stock Properties.
   
9. If needing to print to a specific label on the sheet, click the Advanced button for placement options.
   

(It is recommended to verify that the scanner being used can read the barcodes well. If a barcode scanner is not currently owned, IDAutomation offers high-quality complete barcode scanner kits.)

This software can link to columns in Microsoft® Access, Excel or a CSV text file as a data source for a text or barcode object, which allows printing of labels from data in Excel and Access or from a file export from other software. IDAutomation's label software can also link to a custom embedded data source. The Pro and RFID versions provide linking to multiple data sources, powerful database macros and support for additional data sources including ODBC, DSN, Oracle and SQL Server. Perform the following to link to the data source:

1. Choose Tools - Data Sets - Link External Data.
2. Choose the data type and choose Search to find the file.
3. After the source path is found, choose the appropriate table if applicable.
4. Choose Link Data; a portion of the linked data should then appear on the screen.
   
5. After the data is linked, choose Close.
6. To link a column of data to a barcode or text object, click the down arrow next to "Value Type" and select "External DataSource", and click on the source column to link the value. The example window will show what is linked.
   
7. Increment the "label number" in the design screen to verify the data is linked.
8. When printing, choose "all rows data source" as the option, but only after printing a single page first to verify the alignment.
9. When linking to the CSV or Text files, the format should be as follows:
   CSV: "Column1","Column2","Column3"
   TEXT: Column1,Column2,Column3

IDAutomation's label software allows the user to create a database which is embedded in the label data file itself. This allows data entry of several different custom values to be created on labels.

1. Choose Tools - Data Sets - Create Embedded DataSet.
2. By default, three columns are created. Use the buttons at the bottom of the window to add, remove or export the data.
3. Choose the OK button at the bottom of the window when finished.
4. To link a barcode to the data entered, right click on the barcode, choose Properties, choose the Value tab and select External Data Source as the value type.

Properties of the barcode or text objects may be adjusted by performing a right-click on the object and choosing Properties. The following is a list of the properties and their functions in each tab:

• Position - allows user to manually place the barcode in the design area and change the orientation.
• Value - this is the data that is encoded in the barcode. Please note that some barcodes such as UPC and EAN accept only numbers and a specific number of digits. Entering data that is incorrect for the barcode type may cause unpredictable results.
  • The global append values will append the prefix or suffix to the value. For example, an incremented value of 101 and a prefix of TX will create a barcode encoding TX101 on label 1 and TX102 on label 2.
  • The formula value creates the barcode from the VB syntax formula entered. For example, the formula of "TX" & 100 + L# will create a barcode encoding TX101 on label 1 and TX102 on label 2.
    • The following is a list of what is supported:
      • Operators:
        / divide
        * multiply
        & concatenate words
        - subtract
        + add
      • Variables:
        L# label number
        T# total number of labels. Example: "This is label " & L# & " of " & T#  produces This is label 2 of 5.
      • External data functions:
        Field(col) returns the value in the linked data source for the column [col] of the current row. Example: Field(1)
        FieldName(name) returns the value in the linked data source for the column according to the current row. Example: FieldName(FirstName). If a header row is linked in and two names are the same, the second name appends a “1”, for example "CompanyName" and "CompanyName1". If one of the columns are blank, it will be referenced as F# where # is the column number. The linked Value Table displays the TableName of each item.
      • Additional variables, macros and external database functions are available in the Pro and RFID versions of the software.
• Size - this is where the barcode height, width and margins are defined.
  • Increasing the Bar Width (X dimension) will increase the width of the entire barcode. Because most bar codes require specific settings in this area, the barcode cannot be sized by dragging its edges in the design window. The default X dimension is 0.03 CM or about .012" or 12 mils. This value may need to be increased if the scanner cannot read barcodes with small X dimensions. When working with a high-quality scanner, this value can be decreased to obtain a higher density barcode.
  • The measurement of mils is an industry standard that is 1/1000 of an inch.
  • White Bar Increase is the percentage of increase of the white bars compared to black bars. This property may be used when a printer prints darker than normal to increase the amount of white space between bars and improve readability. Recommended values are 15% - 25% for ink jet printers. Default = 0 (no increase).
• Encoding:
  • Barcode Encoding - this is the type of barcode or the symbology. The default is Code 128 which can encode numbers, text and other information. Other barcode types that may be selected are as follows: Code 39, Extended Code 39, Telepen, Interleaved 2 of 5, Codabar, UPC-A, UPC-E, MSI, EAN-8, EAN-13, Code 11, Code 93, Industrial 2 of 5, Matrix 2 of 5, Planet and Postnet.
  • Code 128 Set - this option is only available when the symbology is Code 128. It is recommended to leave this in "auto" mode. Valid values are: AUTO, A, B or C. The default is AUTO. For more information on Code 128 sets, review the Code 128 FAQ.
  • Apply Tilde - this option is only available when the symbology is Code 128, the character set is AUTO and Apply Tilde is enabled. Default is off. More about this...
  • Use Check Digit - automatically adds the check digit to the barcode. The check digit is required for all symbologies except Code 39, Interleaved 2 of 5, Industrial 2 of 5 and Codabar. When using symbologies that do not require the check digit, the check digit option may disabled. In cases where the check digit is already provided in the data source, the check digit option may be disabled.
  • BearerBar Horizontal - determines the horizontal bearer bar width. The value is a multiple of the X Dimension. Default = 0.
  • BearerBar Vertical - determines the vertical bearer bar width. The value is a multiple of the X Dimension. Default = 0.
• Text - allows the ability to change or disable the text that is displayed next to the barcode.
  •  The Character Grouping field determines the number of characters between spaces in the text interpretation of the data encoded in the barcode. Default =0 (off); supported values are 3, 4 and 5.
• Color - allows changing the colors of the barcode, text and background.

UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8 and EAN-13
Enter the data to be encoded without any spaces or dashes. The +2 and +5 add-on codes can be entered, simply by adding them to the end of the string. If the check digit is added, it will be ignored and regenerated to ensure that the code can be scanned. If the barcode needs to be rotated by 270, the top-margin may need to be increased. For UPC-E, the full 11 or 12 digit UPC-A code must be entered; the barcode will then be compressed if possible.

POSTNET and PLANET
When using the POSTNET barcode, the XDimension (Narrow Bar Width) of .05 CM or 19 MILS should be used. For these barcodes to be acceptable to the US Post Offices, they must be between 22 and 24 bars per inch. Setting the X Dimension to .05 CM or 19 MILS should produce about 23 bars per inch. The user should adjust this setting for the printer if the results are different.

Code 128 - UCC/EAN barcodes and encoding functions such as returns or tabs
The "AUTO" setting for Code 128 will automatically switch character sets in the barcode as necessary. Our implementation of Code 128 AUTO has many options, as described below:

• Encoding functions such as tabs and returns in Code 128:
  If ApplyTilde is set to "true", the user can use the format ~ddd to specify the ASCII code of the character to be encoded. For example, Code~009Bar~013 will create a barcode that encodes Code<Tab Function>Bar<Return Function>. To find the values for other functions, refer to the ASCII chart.
• Encoding GS1-128 (UCC128 & EAN128):
  To encode alpha-numeric GS1-128, the character must be set to "AUTO" for automatic. Then, ASCII 202 or character Ê is entered as the FNC1 before each AI and the required start C is included automatically. For example, the UCC number of (8100)712345(21)12WH5678 should be entered as: Ê8100712345Ê2112WH5678. In most cases, the AIs will be properly represented in the human readable text. If the parenthesis are not around the correct number for the AI, enter the following extended ASCII character as the FNC1 for the correct number of digits in the AI:
  ASCII 212 = 2 digits
  ASCII 213 = 3 digits
  ASCII 214 = 4 digits
  ASCII 215 = 5 digits
  ASCII 216 = 6 digits
  ASCII 217 = 7 digits
  For more information about this, please refer to the GS1-128 section of the Code 128 FAQ
• Create a Mod 10 Check digit:
  If ApplyTilde is set to "true", a Mod 10 check digit for xx number of characters add the following to the DataToEncode: ~mnn (where nn is a 2 digit number representing the number of characters preceding the tilde in which to base the Mod 10 calculation). The additional MOD 10 check digit is commonly used in UCC or EAN barcode types. For example, setting the DataToEncode property to Ê4021234567890123456~m16, will cause a mod 10 check digit to be created based on all 16 characters before the tilde. The human readable text and scanned data will display as (402)12345678901234566. The final 6 is the mod 10 check digit and replaces ~m16. For more information about this, please refer to the UCC/EAN 128 section of the Code 128 FAQ
• FNC2:
  When necessary, the FNC2 character may be inserted into the DataToEncode string by using ASCII 197. For example: Å8012349091. The IDAutomation SC5USB Scanner can be programmed to hold the barcode starting with the FNC2 in memory and only transmit it to the computer after scanning a barcode containing the FNC1.

The Pro and RFID versions of the Barcode Label Software contains additional advanced features including VB scripting capabilities, additional database connectivity and support for RSS, Composite, PDF417, DataMatrix and other 2D barcode types.

Connecting to additional data sources including ODBC, DSN, Oracle and SQL Server:

• From the label software menu, choose Tools - Datasets - Link External Data.
• Select the link type and enter all necessary fields.
• After the link is setup, the user may link to the data field from a barcode object or use a VB Script formula to generate the data to be encoded in the barcode.

Using VB Script formulas:

• In the Value dialog box for the barcode properties, select Formula.
• Enter the VB script formula to generate the data to be encoded in the barcode.
• The following is a list of what is supported:
  • Operators:
    / divide
    * multiply
    & concatenate words
    - subtract
    + add
  • Variables:
    L# label number.
    T# total number of labels. Example: "This is label " & L# & " of " & T# produces This is label 2 of 5.
  • Macros:
    • Chr(charcode) returns the character associated with the specified charcode from the ASCII chart.
    • Currency(expression, decimal) returns a number in the correct regional currency. Default decimal number is 2. Example for US settings: Currency(“12”, 2) produces the result of $12.00.
    • Len(source) returns the length of [source] text.
    • Left(source,x) returns the first [x] characters in [source] starting from the left.
    • Mid(source,x,y) returns a substring of [source] starting at position [x] of length [y].
    • Number(source, optional decimal places =2, optional parenthesis for negative numbers = False, optional group digits = True) Example: Number(12.10, 2) produces the result of 12.10; Number(12.7, 4) produces the result of 12.7000 and Number(12.777, 2) produces the result of 12.78.
    • Right(source,x) returns the first [x] characters in [source] starting from the right.
  • External data functions:
    • Field(col) returns the value in the linked data source for the column [col] of the current row. Example: Field(1)
    • FieldName(name) - returns the value in the linked data source for the column according to the current row. Example: FieldName(FirstName). If a header row is linked in and two names are the same, the second name appends a “1”, for example "CompanyName" and "CompanyName1". If one of the columns are blank it will be referenced as F# where # is the column number. The linked Value Table displays the TableName of each item.
    • Table(id).Field(row,col) returns the value in the linked data source [id] corresponding to the respective [row] and [col]. Example: Table(1).Field(L#,3)
    • Table(id).Rows returns the number of rows of linked data source [id].
    • Table(id).Columns returns the number of columns of linked data source [id].
      NOTE: the linked data source (id) starts at 1. Columns are numbered from left to right and start at 1. Choose Value Type - External Database to preview the column numbers and associated data.

  Additional example formulas:
  "Ê" & L# * 2 & "12345678" & Field(1)
  Chr(202) & L# * 2 & "12345678" & Table(1).Field(L#,1)

PDF417: Read the PDF417 FAQ for information about this symbology.

• ApplyTilde - if set to "true", the user may apply the format ~ddd to specify the ASCII code of the character to be encoded. Default is "true". Commonly used ASCII codes are ~009 for a tab and ~013 which is a return function.
• PDFColumns - controls the width and height by increasing the number of data columns in the PDF-417 barcode. The default is 0 and the maximum is 30. When this is left at 0, the control will automatically adjust this setting.
• PDFErrorCorrectionLevel - the Reed Solomon error correction level placed in the symbol. More error correction creates a larger symbol that can withstand more damage. Default = 0 for automatic selection.
• PDFMode - the default, (binary mode) encodes bytes of data, and text mode encodes all characters on the U.S. keyboard, plus returns and tabs. If the user is encoding only text, text mode can usually reduce the symbol size.
• PDFRows - the number of minimum rows. If this setting is left at 0 the control will automatically adjust this setting. It is recommended to leave this alone because the number of rows should be automatically generated.
• XtoYRatio - the X multiple height of individual cells; default=3.

Data Matrix: Read the DataMatrix FAQ for information about this symbology.

• EncodingMode - the encoding mode that compresses information in the symbol; valid values are E_ASCII, E_C40, E_TEXT or E_BASE256 (default).
  • ASCII: is used to encode data that mainly contains ASCII characters (0-127). It encodes one alphanumeric or two numeric characters per byte.
  • C40: is used to encode data that mainly contains numeric and upper case characters. C40 encodes three alphanumeric data characters into two bytes.
  • TEXT: is used to encode data that mainly contains numeric and lowercase characters. TEXT encodes three alphanumeric data characters into two bytes.
  • BASE256: is used to encode bytes of data and 8 bit values.
  • More information about Data Matrix modes.
• PreferredFormat (DM_FORMAT): sets the preferred format represented by a number; valid values are from 0 (10X10) to 23 (144X144) and from 24 (8X18) to 29 (16X48); This will be automatically determined if the size of the symbol chosen is too small. More about this is also documented here.
• ProcessTilde - if true ("Y") the tilde (~) will be processed. For example, the user may use ~d032 for a space character, ~d009 for a tab and ~d013 to encode a return.
  • ~dNNN: Represents the ASCII character encoded by the 3 digits NNN. For example, ~d065 represents the character 'A'.
  • ~1: Represents the character FNC1. When FNC1 appears in the first position (or in the fifth position of the first symbol of a Structured Append), it will indicate that the data conforms to the UCC/EAN Application Identifier standard format.
  • More about tilde formatting.

MaxiCode: Read the MaxiCode FAQ for information about this symbology.

When Maxicode is used for UPS applications, it is recommended that the input be a single complete string, formatted with the specifications that UPS requires and using the ApplyTilde function to encode the RS, GS and EOT codes as recommended in the Maxicode FAQ. For example:
[)>~03001~02996336260000~029840~029002~0291Z14647438~029UPSN~029410E1W~029195~029~0291/1~029~029Y~029135Lightner ~029TAMPA~029FL~030~004

• ApplyTilde - if set to "true", the user may apply the format ~ddd to specify the ASCII code of the character to be encoded. Default is "true". Commonly used ASCII codes are ~029 for GS, ~030 for RS, ~004 for EOT, ~009 for a tab and ~013 which is a return function.
• EncodingMode - modes 2 and 3 are designed for use in the transport industry. They encode the destination address and the class of service as defined by the carrier. Mode 4 can encode up to 93 characters or 138 digits. Mode 5 can only encode up to 77 characters, but it provides more error correction capabilities than mode 4. Mode 6 indicates that the symbol encodes a message used to program the reader system (scanner). Mode 2 is the default.

The following properties are only used in modes 2 and 3 and are ignored if the data begins with [)>RS01GS as explained here.

• CountryCode - a 3 digit number representing the country code.
• ServiceClass - a 3 digit number representing the service code.
• ZipCode - the postal code; mode 2 uses a 9 digit numeric postal code and mode 3 uses a 6 character alphanumeric postal code.

RSS, Composite & MicroPDF417 Symbology: Read the RSS and Composite Symbology FAQ or the MicroPDF417 FAQ for more information about these bar-code types.

• CompositeData - the composite data to be encoded above the linear barcode. Not applicable when using PDF417 or MicroPDF417.
• SymbologyID - this is the type of RSS or Composite barcode to be used. Please refer to the RSS FAQ and Tutorial for an explanation of which symbology to use, or contact EAN International or the UCC for assistance. There is an implied AI encoded for RSS-14 of 01 that should not be part of the DataToEncode except when using RSS-14 Expanded. When using RSS Expanded, the AI's must be entered manually to ensure the proper encoding method, for example: (01)90012345678908(3103)012233(15)991231
• IncludeAIinHRText - true or false value that determines if the implied AI is displayed in the human readable text. An RSS 14 barcode contains an implied AI of (01).
• IncludeLinkageFlaginHRText - true or false (default is false) value that determines if the barcode Linkage Flag should be displayed in the human readable text. This linkage flag determines if there is a 2D composite barcode to go along with the linear RSS barcode.
• IsComposite - true or false (default is false) value that determines the linkage flag. The linkage flag tells the scanner whether or not there is a 2D composite barcode associated with the barcode.

 
Properties in the RSS control specific to Composite, MicroPDF417 or PDF417:

• ApplyTilde - if set to "true", the user may apply the format ~ddd to specify the ASCII code of the character to be encoded. Default is "true". Commonly used ASCII codes are ~009 for a tab and ~013 which is a return function.
• PDFColumns - controls the width and height by increasing the number of data columns in the PDF417 barcode. The default is 0 and the maximum is 30. When this is left at 0, the control will automatically adjust this setting.
• PDFErrorCorrectionLevel - the Reed Solomon error correction level placed in the symbol. More error correction creates a larger symbol that can withstand more damage. Default = 0 for automatic selection.
• PDFMode - the default, (binary mode) encodes bytes of data and text mode encodes all characters on the U.S. keyboard, plus returns and tabs. If the user is encoding only text, text mode can sometimes reduce symbol size.
• XtoYRatio - the X multiple height of individual cells; default=3.

The formatting options below may be used in the value property to allow variable data, such as a serial number or text, to be encoded in a RFID tag. Special processing is performed when a tilde character is used to properly format the data to the tag and ensure it is correct. The processing operations that may be performed are as follows:

• ~b??? informs the encoder that the data which follows is binary data where ??? is the length of the binary data in bits.
  For example, ~b00811001100 encodes 8 bits of the binary data 11001100 in the tag (which represents the number 204).
• ~n??? informs the encoder that the data which follows is variable numeric data where ??? is the length of bits reserved for encoding this number.
  For example, ~n016170 encodes 170 which is converted to binary as 0000000010101010. Because 16 bits are reserved for this number, several zero bits are added to the beginning. This may be necessary when encoding variable length serial numbers. Because this number may be variable, a space or tilde must follow it if data is to be encoded after after the number.
• ~x??? informs the encoder that the data which follows is hexadecimal data, where ??? is the length of bits reserved for encoding. Four bits are reserved for each character. Therefore, multiply ??? by 4 to determine the total number of bits reserved in the tag for this command.
  For example, ~x016A1C3 encodes A1C3 as hexadecimal which is 1010000111000011 in binary format; 16 bits in length.
• ~t??? informs the encoder that the data which follows is variable text or ASCII data to be encoded where ??? is the length of bits reserved for encoding. This process may be used to encode standard text or ASCII data in RFID tags. Up to 12 characters may be stored in a 96 bit tag; 8 bits are required for each character. A tilde must follow this text if data is to be encoded after it. For example: ~t032TEXT~n016170

Additional information and examples are provided at the links below. Please refer to the latest information in these links for anything related to RFID.

• Formatting data for RFID tags with IDAutomation products
  • Tag data construct examples
  • Proprietary encoding examples
• Setup, Support and Troubleshooting
  • Encoder Setup and Configuration
  • Step by Step Troubleshooting Process

Free product support may be obtained by reviewing articles that are documented at IDAutomation's Barcode Label Software support site and by searching the resolved public help desk issues. Priority phone, email and help desk support is provided up to 30 days after purchase. Additional priority phone, email and help desk support may be obtained if the Priority Support and Upgrade Subscription is active.

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