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Installation and Basic Usage

1. Introduction

Welcome to the BlitzTools Barcode Generator V3 manual. Please spend a few minutes to read these pages so to make to most of this software.

Note: While the screenshots in this document show the Mac version of the software, all explanations also apply to the Windows version.

This Barcode Generator creates all common linear and 2D area barcodes. It is very easy to use and requires no more than a few clicks to create and export a standard compliant barcode. Export formats include the most common raster image formats (PNG, TIFF etc.) as well as EPS (Encapulated PostScript) for maximum quality and resolution independence.

2. Installation
  • Mac

    Double-click the downloaded DMG file to mount it. To install the software, simply drag the application's icon (a stylized barcode) into your applications folder. Then double-click the icon to launch the software.
     
  • Windows

    Unzip the ZIP archive with the trial version by double-clicking. Then launch setup.exe to install.
If you launch Barcode Generator for the first time, it will start in trial mode. In this mode all barcodes are available but the output is restricted to low-resolution raster images. While the generated barcodes will scan, please do not use them in a production environement.

If you already have a license key, simply enter it in the panel that is shown when you launch Barcode Generator. The software will then be fully functional.

3. First steps

Let's create a simple barcode to get you started!

• Launch Barcode Generator.

• From the list of codes select "Code ISBN 13". Select the EAN Size SC6 (corresponding to 150% of the standard size) from the drop-down below (ISBN is an EAN variant so all EAN settings apply to ISBN codes as well).

• Enter an ISBN number into the Data to Encode field, e.g. "978-1-123-12345-6". Hit Enter. Add five digits into the Add On field, e.g. "90000". Hit Enter. Select a font from the drop down field in the Human Readable Text section.

The window should look like this:



• Select an output format. EPS, a common vector format, is preset. Barcodes saved as EPS are resolution independent, i.e. they will work equally well on low resolution printers as well as high resolution type setting machines. Most DTP applications will support this format so it is usually the best choice for most purposes.

Alternatively, select a raster image format from the list and specify the required output resolution. In most cases choosing 600 or 1200 dpi will be ok, higher resolutions are seldom useful. If you plan to put the barcode on a website or scan t from the screen, use 72 or 150 dpi. Note: EAN family codes require at least 300 dpi to comply with the standard.

Some printing processes cause ink to be soaked into the paper, causing so called ink spread. This can make the bars of the code stronger than intended. To compensate for this effect, you can enter a value for bar width reduction. The software will then generate bars that are slimmer by the given amount. For office printers (e.g. laser printers) a value between 5-10% will be ok. If the barcodes are to be printed in a regular print shop, ask your printer for a recommendation.

4. Points to note

The section about "Barcode Symbologies" lists all supported codes and the required data entry and settings for each symbology. However, we will also list the most common issues here:
  • Some barcodes have a fixed length, e.g. EAN family codes. Example: EAN 13 encodes 12 digits plus check digit. If you enter less than 12 or more than 13 digits, the software can not create a barcode and will issue a warning.
  • Some barcodes have a fixed data set, e.g. EAN family codes can only encode numbers, not letters. If you attempt to encode letters into an EAN symbol, the software can not create a barcode and will issue a warning.
  • Some symbologies allow to freely specify the module width and height. The module width is the width of the narrowest bar of a symbol, usually between 0.3 and 0.5mm. It is not the width of the complete barcode which is determined from the amount of data encoded and other parameters. Module height is the height of a barcode, not counting the readable text.


Next page: Code Symbology Reference 		 
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