Need to create barcodes in Illustrator for label

[JoeM]

Using Illustrator CS 5.5. I tried a vector barcode generator but the barcodes are not being read well on two scanners I've tested with a print out. Not sure if the tolerances are right as far as white space around the barcode. I'm reading up on that now.

Does anyone have a suggestion for software or a plugin for Illustrator? I know people used to use Barcode Toolkit but that looks to have gone away.

TIA

[C(-)ris]

I think the book publishers I worked with used a Barcode font of some sort and a normal white box. Could be wrong though.

[evilrobot]

I set UPCs and databars on a regular basis with Barcode Producer (for the past 5 years). Exports PDF, EPS, and AIs easily.

No issues with scannability in offset or litho printing (or in office laser).

[JoeM]

evilrobot wrote:
I set UPCs and databars on a regular basis with Barcode Producer (for the past 5 years). Exports PDF, EPS, and AIs easily.

No issues with scannability in offset or litho printing (or in office laser).

I had read about Barcode Producer but the price tag of $299. might not go over here. Thanks, I'll have to see if they want to spend that much on the purchase.

[Paul F.]

I don't have it here at work to find the name of, but I have a bar-code font that works great for me (or at least it did four or five years ago last time I needed it).

[JoeM]

Paul F. wrote:
I don't have it here at work to find the name of, but I have a bar-code font that works great for me (or at least it did four or five years ago last time I needed it).

Thanks I will search for it. I'm trying this online generator and so far my barcode reader on my iPhone is reading the Code 39 Extended ones I'm creating OK so this might work:

http://www.terryburton.co.uk/barcodewriter/generator/

[jdc]

I think we have had this conversation before? Maybe a forum search. Maybe it was QR codes.

Not sure why barcodes need to be in a vector format.

[JoeM]

I think it was QR codes. Vector because you can then obviously scale the size of the code, if you are dealing with a graphic.

I just found a font that will do what I need here: http://www.morovia.com/free/code39-font/
Thanks Paul F.!

[Bosco]

I use this:
http://www.barcoding.com/upc/#.VEGFE-gz-Op

It's simple and free.

[Buzz]

I used to do a bunch of barcode stuff, and for most stuff either a barcode font was sufficient, but for non-fontable codes that required a code generator, scaling was my friend... I scaled as many iterations as it took to scan cleanly at the desired size, then as needed, I scaled the rest of the label/form to match the barcode to be properly sized for that label/form. Never let them darn barcodes beat me, as hard as they tried sometimes... there was also an occasional resolution conflict between the CCD scanners and the usually more accurate laser scanners, so I also had to take that into consideration as well. Additionally, different printers have different print resolutions, so you have to make sure the codes will scan when printed on different printers... I had situations where I had as many as four different print layouts for the same label/form, and had to smarten up the print script to poll the printer being used so that the label/form printed properly from wherever printer it was printed from...

IOW, I never found a perfect all-around solution that worked for all scanners, printers, labels/forms, so I just tweaked the known variables to get the necessary combinations to work, and went w/ the flow... the white space tolerances and the individual code element spacing are like SCSI voodoo, as unless you're using a closed system where all elements are supplied by the same vendor; something is pretty much guaranteed to not be exactly as stated IRL, so no reason to fight the voodoo, just scale it into submission. Good luck.
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