"Your #1 Source for Up-to-date Barcode and AutoID Technology Information"

CODE. SCAN. SAVE.

SHOP

    INFO

    Barcode Fonts - FAQ
    As little as $29 gets you printing barcodes today!  Using these barcode fonts from Carolina Barcode, you can start creating id badges, asset tags, product labels, etc.  You can finally print barcodes without having to purchase special hardware, software, or font cartridges. marble_background.gif (2920 bytes)

     

     

    Special Note for Word users!!!!
    Word has added a new feature that will disable all 3 of 9 fonts including this one. You can disable this 'feature' of Word by following the instructions at this link. Barcodes and Microsoft Word

    Frequently Asked Questions

     

    Why can't I scan the barcode I just created using your font?

        Are you using Word?  Word has special "helpers" that cause code 3 of 9 barcodes  to be unreadable.  Follow this link to find out how to fix this problem. Barcodes and Microsoft Word  
           
        Did you include the * before and after the code? You must have this character before and after any code you want to scan.  
           
        Your code cannot include any gaps between characters. If you need to use a space character be sure to use the "~" instead of a normal space.  
           
        Make sure you are using valid codes. Make sure that you are not typing in any unsupported characters in the extended 3 of 9 set.  Follow this links for all of the valid characters in the Code 3 of 9 set.  

    Code 3 of 9 Characters  or Extended Code 3 of 9 Characters

    		  
           
        Each character is made up of five bars. There must be enough white space between these bars for the reader to notice a white and dark bar. On some printers, they cannot print in a high enough resolution to make a small font readable. On non-laser printers, the characters sometimes can blur. Try and adjust the size of the font so that there is more space between the character's bars. If using a non-laser printer, sometimes upgrading the paper quality can help.  
           
        Make sure that the size of each character is the same. Mixed sizes will not work.  
           
        Color. Color. Color. High contrast colors are essential. While red bars on a white page may look good on the page, it looks invisible to the scanner. The reader is red so it never sees the bars. Other colors have a similar effect. A nice trick to add human readability to you code is to type in the text, change the color to red, and then lay the black bars over it. Since the scanner reads red the same as white, it makes it even more readable to your users.

    My scanner reads the barcode but it is reading the wrong code. Why?

        The most common problem is that you are trying to scan an extended 3 of 9 code like the @, #, or all lower case letters. Extended 3 of 9 characters are built using codes from the basic 3 of 9 set. For example, a "{" is represented in extended 3 of 9 as "%P". If your scanner reads "*%P*" as "%P" and not "{", then it is not set up for the extended 3 of 9 set. Most scanners are able to read this set but need to have this option enabled on the scanner.
         

    Can I make it smaller/taller/wider/shorter?

        Any adjustments will need to be made by changing the size or style of the font. Stretching the font by hand could destroy the ratio of narrow bars to wide bars. This ratio must be between 2.0 and 3.0 on most scanners. Making the characters taller or shorter has no effect on readability so this you can do as you see fit. If you want it shorter, did you try setting the font to italic or bold-italic?  This will shrink the bars to 1/2 height.
         

    Do you have a version without the character under the bars or with shorter bars?

        Yes. It is all included with the same font. To get tall bars with no text, highlight the text and change the font to bold. To get short bars with no text, highlight the text and change the font to bold-italic. To get short bars with text, change the font to italic.

     

    You still haven't solved my problem. Now what?

        Send us an e-mail. Leave as much information as possible and I will try and have an answer to you soon.  Most of the time, pictures of what your results are will reduce the time it takes to get you an answer.  Most questions are answered within the hour during normal business hours and all questions are answered within 24 hours.