Question

Barcode fonts not scanning

Asked by: RichNH

I have a problem scanning barcodes.  Some background: I have a product with which the barcodes work fine, it is Wasp Inventory Control.  But I had a problem with some of the fonts on a printed document.  The company sent me a new bar code font file which I installed and when I print documents off using this font file the bar codes are scanning fine with the scanner.  Because of this I know exactly which font file I'm using successfully in Wasp IC.  The file itself is Code 39 Extended.

HOWEVER, if I use that font in any other programs, Notepad, Excel, Word.  I cannot scan the barcode that is printed.  It doesn't even "look like" the bar code that is printed on my Wasp documents (well it *looks* like it but the bars don't match up quite the same if you know what I mean).

I'm at a loss as to why this is.  I thought a TTF file was a TTF file and is treated the same no matter which program uses it but all the bar codes I've tried don't work as far as being scanned in.  I'm trying to use Code 39 Extended which should be simple enough, but so far, no go.

The scanners I'm using are 1) Symbol LS4278 & 2) Motorola MC9090-G.  Neither of them work on the bar code fonts I select in any of the above named programs but they work fine with the bar codes I'm printing using the Wasp software.

Is there something I'm missing regarding this whole bar code thing?

Any ideas?

Rich

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Asked On
2009-10-28 at 08:53:18ID24851414
Tags

microsoft office

Topics

Operating Systems Miscellaneous

,

Microsoft Office Suite

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Answers

 

by: SysExpertPosted on 2009-10-28 at 13:06:21ID: 25687659

Depends on the printer that is chosen, the driver and the program itself, since resolution for input and output can determine how the font looks.

I hope this helps !

 

by: RichNHPosted on 2009-10-28 at 13:19:51ID: 25687806

I've determined that the reason the barcodes in most of these programs (Excel, Word, Notepad, etc) do not scan is that it is pure data.  Bar codes that are generated by bar code enabled packages are actually a complex combination of the actual data plus packaging.  Much as network data packets are wrapped in packaging that defines the contents of the package so is data that is barcoded wrapped in packaging that defines start/stop characters, checksum characters, etc.  This is why these pure software packages do not automatically decode when scanned if the format of the data is a form of bar coding.  

Various companies such as IDAutomation.com sell code & bar code formats that can be used in Excel, Word, Access which properly enclose the data you want to scan so that the resulting barcode can be scanned in.

Next step is to determine if Crystal Reports 2008 will properly package my data in bar code lingo so that a bar code on a report can be scanned without jumpting through hoops.

I think that covers it. Unless SysExpert has an objection I'd like to close this.

 

by: RichNHPosted on 2009-12-10 at 07:53:33ID: 26019492

An addendum,   Simply right clicking on a field in a Crystal Reports 2008 report and then clicking Change to Barcode does not give you a printed bar code that will scan.  It'll show up as a barcode on your report.  But the scanner I'm using will not interpret the generated bar codes to the original data.  Something else is required...

 

by: RichNHPosted on 2009-12-10 at 08:39:32ID: 26020054

I was able to make this work OK.  You need to create a formula and use that.  A doc on doing this with the include utility (CR 2008) is located at: http://www.azalea.com/Code-39/Crystal-Reports/

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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