Seagull Scientific BarTender is an industry-leading label design and barcode software. Seagull Scientific also develops true Windows printer drivers for bar code and thermal printers.
The unrivalled Motorola portfolio of Point-to-Point (PTP), Point-to-Multipoint (PMP), and Mesh Wide Area Network (MWAN), WLAN and VoWLAN solutions make governments, enterprises, and service providers more agile by helping them deploy voice, video, and data applications right where they need them.
+TEC-IT announces a completely free software tool for creating QR code images. The free app is named QR-Code Studio and is available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X.
Countless Applications
Post-Processed QR Code
QR codes are bi-dimensional codes that can be scanned with most camera equipped smartphones. Besides industrial applications, QR codes are in widespread use in everyday situations: QR codes can be found on advertisements and in marketing campaigns for linking products to web-sites, in sweepstakes, on electronic business cards to encode contact details, on tickets and vouchers, on the new SEPA money transfer slips or on web-sites to provide faster access to smartphone apps.
It's a Breeze
Using TEC-IT’s freeware QR-Code Studio anyone is able to create QR codes fast and easily. High quality QR code symbols are generated without any special know-how. The user is supported by a data entry wizard: even QR codes for vCard and meCard business cards or QR codes for sending text messages are created in seconds.
Free Download
Download QR-Code Studio using this link. Versions for Microsoft Windows (Windows XP SP3 or later, Windows 8 is supported) and Mac OS X are available.
The software and the generated QR code images are free for private and non-commercial use.
Watch it - Share it!
Check out the video introductions for QR-Code Studio
German language video: http://youtu.be/xfN8MDNHLhk
If you like the software share the download link on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter! Many thanks!
About TEC-IT
QR Code as Image Mask
TEC-IT Datenverarbeitung GmbH provides high quality software in the areas of automated data acquisition and data collection, bar-coding, barcode extensions for ERP systems, label and form printing, report generators and output management. TEC-IT products are available for all major platforms, thus customers benefit from complete and versatile software solutions for all possible requirements. The company is located in Austria / Europe and can be reached via www.tec-it.com.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
+TEC-IT extends its barcode products with the support of two new 2D symbologies. Both symbologies were officially released by the AIM, the association of automatic identification and mobility.
Han Xin Code
Han Xin Code
The first two-dimensional symbology is named Han Xin Code and was developed by AIM China.
The Han Xin Code is optimized to encode Chinese characters while still being able to encode ASCII and numeric data. Han Xin code is also sometimes known under its old, unofficial name Chinese Sensible.
Basic Han Xin Facts
The symbology is intended as the main two-dimensional (2D) symbology for applications and paper based communication in China.
Variable size, matrix symbology with square modules.
Square overall symbol shape (rectangular shapes are not possible).
84 different symbol versions (sizes), ranging from 23x23 up to 189x189 modules.
Standard code page is Latin 1, the alternative code page for Chinese characters is GB18030.
Optimized to encode Chinese 2-byte and 4-byte characters.
The symbology encodes a maximum of 7827 numeric characters, 4350 ASCII characters, 3261 binary bytes, 2174 common Chinese characters from region 1 or region 2, 1739 2-byte Chinese characters or 1044 4-byte Chinese symbols.
4 user selectable error correction levels ranging from L1 (8% error correction capacity) up to L4 (30%) are available.
Offers advanced features like octet byte encoding and ECI (Extended Channel Interpretation) support.
AIM publication date: August 2011.
The Han Xin code is in the public domain and free to use.
Strong similarities with QR code symbols.
DotCode
DotCode
The second 2D symbology was invented by Dr. Andrew Longacre, Jr. and is named DotCode.
DotCode is targeting industrial applications and is not simply just another 2D symbology. It is a 2-D bar code designed and uniquely suited for high-speed, on-demand printing on labels or directly on products, by ink-jet and lasers as used in direct part marking (DPM) applications.
DotCode Images
DotCode 15 lines
The sample symbols to the right all encode the URL http://www.tec-it.com. The size of the symbol can be varied as required.
Basic DotCode facts
DotCode 26 lines
The symbology is intended for industrial, high-speed marking with ink-jet or laser.
Variable size, dot matrix symbology. It encodes data in an array of nominally disconnected dots arranged within a regular grid of possible locations.
The overall symbol shape is adjustable, rectangular to nearly square shaped symbols are possible.
The symbol size is theoretically unlimited but practically limited to appr. 124 modules (lines/columns).
Standard code page is Latin 1.
Ready for GS1 applications and suitable for encoding application identifiers (AIs).
Advanced features like structured append and ECI (Extended Channel Interpretation) support are available.
+TEC-IT Datenverarbeitung GmbH provides high quality software in the areas of automated data acquisition and data collection, bar-coding, barcode extensions for ERP systems, label and form printing, report generators and output management. TEC-IT products are available for all major platforms, thus customers benefit from complete and versatile software solutions for all possible requirements. The company is located in Austria / Europe and can be reached via www.tec-it.com. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
A new version of the barcode creator software Barcode Studio is on the way!
What’s New?
Barcode Studio V11.5 introduces a new data input assistant. This special feature simplifies the creation of 2D codes for mobile tagging and electronic business cards (so-called vCard and meCard barcodes) dramatically. With Barcode Studio V11.5 you are able to create more than 100 different linear, postal, GS1 and 2D barcode symbologies. The barcodes can be printed on simple labels or exported as bitmap or vector image files. Batch barcode creation with external data is supported.
2D Codes for Mobile Tagging
vCard Data Input Assistant
vCard and meCard QR-codes are used to encode contact details of a business card (like name, address, email, phone-number ...) in a 2D barcode symbol. When scanning such a barcode with a smartphone (camera and suitable scanner software is required of course), the data is automatically entered into the address book of the phone. No manual typing or copy/paste is required.
Try it Yourself - Scan the Code!
vCard and meCard barcodes encode the contact details in a certain format. The new data input assistant of Barcode Studio takes care of the right formatting. In order to create readable barcodes you just enter the contact data (see screen shot) and Barcode Studio creates the correct code. You do not need to know the details.
In addition the above mentioned vCard and meCard codes, Barcode Studio allows you to create 2D codes for mobile tagging applications. Currently supported are barcodes for sending text messages (SMS), phone calls, Twitter tweets, Facebook likes and profiles, LinkedIn contacts and profiles, Wi-Fi access and events (vCalendar). In future versions of Barcode Studio this list will be extended as appropriate.
GS1 DataBar - Application Identifier Support
GS1 Application Identifier Assitant
Users of the GS1 DataBar or GS1-128 barcode symbologies benefit from the data input assistant as well. Barcode Studio provides a searchable list of the available application identifiers (AIs) and ensures that the rules for a correct GS1 barcode are met. Application identifiers are used to designate the encoded data. More than hundred AIs are in common use (e.g. AI 10 designates the LOT number, AI 11 the production date ...). Barcode Studio also takes care to separate multiple AIs in a single barcode with the Function Code 1 (FNC1).
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Simply write us an email (support@tec-it.com), give us a call (++43 7252 72720, time zone GMT+1) or visit www.tec-it.com!
How to Create vCard Business Cards with Barcode Studio
Some users of Barcode Studio are unsure regarding the correct data format for creating barcodes for so-called 2D code business cards. Such an "electronic” business card encodes the contact data in a QR-Code or a Data Matrix symbol. These codes can be scanned with your smartphone. The business card data is recognized automatically, you will never need to key in contact data manually! Most camera-equipped mobile phones are able to decode QR-Codes on such business cards (Data Matrix is not in common use until now).
The example outlined in this post contains vCard sample data (.xls and .csv files) and a setting file for Barcode Studio. This settings file (*.BCS) can be used immediately to create premium quality QR-Codes with Barcode Studio.
Creating a vCard Data Format
A vCard barcode must follow certain rules, the different elements of a business cards (e.g. the phone number) are tagged with prefixes. Some sample prefixes:
Begin of vCard data: begin: vcard
Name on card: n:
Telephone number: Tel:
Email address: Email:
End of vCard data: end: vcard
Please ensure the accurate order of the single data elements! Refer to Wikipedia to get a list of available property prefixes and more information about the vCard format.
Step by Step: Create your own QR-Code Business Cards
Follow the steps to create your QR-Codes. Use the included sample files to see how the data is encoded:
Download and unzip the example specified below.
Use Microsoft Excel to enter your vCard data in the sample Excel file. Separate the data elements with a new-line. Enter a new-line by pressing "Alt" + "Enter" simultaneously in a cell.
Export your data as CSV file.
Start Barcode Studio and open the settings file (*.BCS).
Importing your CSV file: Choose the "Datalist" tab and click the"Import" button. Ensure the correct import settings as shown in the screenshot. In most cases you should use the Field Separator comma (,) and the Text Qualifier ("). If this doesn't work, please check the generated CSV file.
Now export your QR-Codes.
Import Settings
Free Sample File Download In order to use the sample files make sure you are using the current version of Barcode Studio.
The time has come - QR-Codes will be really in the wild in a few days.
As of today Facebook offered a QR-Code generator feature for each page. Below the page logo a link enabled the user to create a QR-Code image encoding the URI of the facebook page. It was also possible to download the QR code as PDF, but I was not able to try it. The mentioned features were online for a few hours until they disappeared. But I assume QR-codes will be an integrated part of facebook in the very near future.
For Japanese people, insiders and interested people around the world QR-codes and their amazing capabilities (mobile tagging, mobile marketing, geotagging, ticketing, advertising, and so on) are well known. But for the broad public QR codes and their features are still miracles. This will change very very fast, facebook has a huge amount of users and the visibility of the QRCode generator feature is unbeatable.
Quite interesting how this story will develop. Feedback is welcome!
Today, TEC-IT has launched a new video which explains how to create QR Code business cards - online and for free. In just five steps you get your personal business card.
It's Simple and Easy Just select a pre-defined business card template, enter your contact data, generate a PDF, print it and scan the bar codes with your the barcode reader of your smartphone (Android, iPhone, Windows Mobile, ...). That's it!
You will never need enter contacts or URLs manually! Most camera-equipped mobile phones are able to decode the QR-Code (meCard, vCard, URL 2D barcodes) on these business cards. Common (and most likely free) bar code reader applications are i-nigma, beetagg, QuickMark, NeoReader, UpCode, Snappr, Camclic, 2d sense, codescan, zxing, optiscan, semacode etc.
Using this free service the creation of business cards with QR-Code or DataMatrix 2D codes has never been easier!
It's Simple!
Launch the online business card creator from TEC-IT and choose one of the pre-defined business card templates. Now enter your data like name, email-address, phone number, etc. That's all you need - and you will receive a full-colored PDF file which can be printed immediately. QR-Codes - ready for mobile bar-code readers - are included automatically.
It can be Personalized!
If you wish to design your own layout, create it with the label and reporting software TFORMer Designer. Use the free demo version for this purpose (download it here: label design software). If you have finished your layout, send it via email to webmaster@tec-it.com. TEC-IT approves the layout and publishes it for future use. One note: if you would like to embed your own logo in a business card: Upload your company logo to some picture hosting service (like Picasa) and specify the URL to the logo.
The new version of TBarCode/Direct V2.1 (SAP barcode software) comes now with QR-Code 2D barcode support.
TBarCode/Direct is a smart, platform independent software solution for printing linear and 2D bar-codes (DataMatrix, QRCode) in SAP® ERP, SAP® R/3® and mySAP® ERP. This bar code solution works completely without any middleware and can be used with all PostScript® enabled printers (e.g. Laser Printers or MFPs)!
The main advantage - TBarCode/Direct is installed within the SAP system only: No additional software, no system level installation and no additional hardware is required.
