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 | |  |  |  |  | | Code 3 of 9 / Code 39: The Basics | | | | |  | Code 3 of 9, also known as Code 39, is one of the easiest barcodes to generate. It may look similar to the image to the right. Traditionally, all that is needed is to surround what you want to encode with *’s. Due to the helpers that some word processors include which remove the *’s and replace the text with boldfaced letters, RaisedBar has also included the parentheses characters as start and stoppers. If you want to scan 123, you would either encode (123) or *123*. An easy way to tell if you are looking at a Code 3 of 9 barcode is to look at the first 5 and the last 5 bars. If they are the same, with 2 thin bars followed by two thick bars and another thin bar, there is a good chance you are looking in the right place. Although there are still variations, this is a great place to start. Top |  |
| Code 3 of 9 is limited to the following characters only:
- A – Z (uppercase only) 0 – 9 - . $ + % /
- Lowercase A - Z are included, but the scanner will read them as uppercase letters
- Because of limitations with several word processors, the space character cannot be encoded as the space key. It is included however, but it is encoded to the ~ character, i.e., (Try~This)
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| The $, +, %, and / are special characters in Basic Code 3 of 9. One of these characters followed by an alpha character (A-Z) will be read by some scanners as a member of the Extended Code 3 of 9 set. If it is read by your scanner as a member of this set, then it will have a different result that what you intended. For example, and as a good test, scan this series (+A). If that barcode creates a lowercase A, then your scanner is enabled for the Extended Code 3 of 9 set. If it is your intention to have scanned a + followed by an uppercase A, then consult with your manual that came with your scanner to disable this feature. Top |
| | | | | Human Readable Characters | | | | | | RaisedBar is proud to include with all of our fonts both human readable versions as well as non-human readable in the same font. Simply change the font to boldface in order to remove the text under the barcodes. If you want them to show, change it back to normal. The start and stop characters will always show bars from top to bottom. This helps to ensure that you have properly created your barcode and provides your end users with a more eye pleasing result. Top |  |
| | | | | Looking for that perfect fit? | | | | | | We realize that most of our customers are looking for the perfect fit for a specific need they have. It's impossible to offer a one-size fits all barcode, so here at RaisedBar we have provided multiple sizes so that you're sure to find that perfect fit for every application. The sizes are noted by the last letter in the font name. The image below has all four of our Code 3 of 9 fonts printed at 31 point size for comparison. The higher the last letter, the wider the bars become.
Depending on the quality of your scanner, printer, and even paper, you may need to use a higher font to produce a scannable barcode. For example, laser printers will allow you to use a smaller barcode over ink-jet or dot matrix printers. The smallest space between the bars must be bigger than your scanner's eye can read. This may take a bit of trial and error, or download our sample document to perform a quick scanner/paper/printer test. Top |
| | | | | Looking for different ratio's? | | | | | | Code 3 of 9 has a 2.5 to 1 ratio. Some personal scanners actually seem to work better at a 2:1 ratio while some larger industrial scanners work best at 3:1. The basic installation of RaisedBar Code 3 of 9 fonts installs the standard (2.5:1) ratio. If you aren't sure what you need, this is probably the right one for you. During installation, you can customize the selection of fonts and install the personal (2:1) ratio or the industrial (3:1) ratio versions. These fonts are denoted in the file name by 's' for standard, 'p' for personal, or 'i' for industrial. You can see in the image for sizes, that these were all printed using the standard ('s') font file. Top |
| Using the fonts by RaisedBar is quick and easy. While almost any application can be used to create barcodes, the two most popular are word processors and spreadsheet applications. We have included here a few examples of just how easy it is to use these fonts inside your own application.
Click on either of the following links:
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