Barcode Font Encoding Explained

by Nate Schubert

There are a wide variety of excellent methods available for generating barcodes with common integrations involving stand-alone applications that incorporate database information, components such as ActiveX Controls or .NET Forms Controls that can generate a barcode image for display or printing, and even specialized barcode fonts that can be used to create barcodes in many popular programs including Excel, Word, Crystal Reports and others. Barcode components generally require a bit more knowledge of software integration in order to generate barcodes in an ideal way, which is one reason why fonts are so widely used by average business owners around the world.

The data you would like to insert into your barcode must be encoded so that it will create an accurate barcode representation. In the case of Code 39 or Codabar, a simple asterisk * at the beginning and end the data-to-encode is enough to format the data to create a readable barcode when the font is applied to it. Most other barcode types require more complex encoding that is at best very difficult to do manually. For this reason, IDAutomation provides a variety of free barcode font encoder tools that can be used to propertly encode your data and format it so that your barcodes may be scanned.

IDAutomation barcode font packages contain a variety of barcode fonts in various sizes and formats for use in virtually any operating system or environment, as well as examples for use. Because of our expansive selection of barcode font encoders and source code, we make these helpful tools available for free on our website. There is a solution for virtually every environment, application or desired use, although it may take a bit of work to determine which one will best suit your needs. The IDAutomation staff is available to assist wherever possible. Once you have chosen the appropriate font tool and have tested it using our demo fonts, you are ready to purchase the package. Download and install the fonts, and then you can generate your barcodes in the desired environment.

Although barcode fonts may seem cumbersome to use at times, the ability to use different font encoder tools to suit a multitude of environments offers the kind of flexibility you just can't find in components or other barcode generation applications. Understanding how barcode fonts work is critical to making your process as efficient and beneficial as possible, and understanding which font encoders to use is crucial to achieving the success you need.