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IDAutomation Barcode Label Software Manual & Tutorial

A license is required for each computer this software is installed on;
this software may only be used according to the License Agreement.

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

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.

 Creating Bar Code Labels

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.
    Creating the bar code labels and choosing label stock
  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.
      Defining custom bar-code label templates
  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".
    Adjusting properties of the barcode objects
  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.)

 Linking to External Data

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

 Creating an Embedded DataSet

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.

 Adjusting the Properties of the Barcode or Text Objects

label software bar code properties
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:

 Symbology Specific Notes

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:

 Additional Capabilities of the Pro and RFID Versions

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:

Using VB Script formulas:

 Properties for 2D Symbology Barcode Types:

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

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

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

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

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

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

 RFID Version Properties  (available only in the RFID version)

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:

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

 Technical Support

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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