Engraving Bar Codes

Type 39 Bar Coding

The only kind of bar coding the Xenetech software can produce is type 39.  The Xenetech font used for this is the Bar Code font.  It is a letter for letter translation and was designed to work with a .015" cutter.  For the bar code to work properly, each line must begin with an asterisk and end with an asterisk.

Ex. *ABC123*

As easy as it might sound, there are a few step required in making bar codes.  Special letter spacing is required for creating bar codes.  Below is a helpful tip on keeping the spacing the same while adjusting the height of the letters.

• Type out the text using the bar code font at .25" letter height

• Next, stretch the letters to the desired height.

It is very important that the line width remains the same as it was at the .25" letter height.  If the distance between the lines change, the bar code reader will not read it.

Other Available Software

There are true type bar code fonts, and translation softwares available.  Searching the internet or going to a local software supplier should yield good results.  Xenetech can read these true type fonts, and printing for sublimation should not be a problem.  However, using trial and error will be necessary to get good engraving results when using the True Type Fonts.