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SymArt Pro

SymArt Pro USER’S MANUAL

Introduction

Welcome to the SymArt Pro™ system, the most complete bar code production system for the Apple^® Macintosh^® environment. The SymArt Pro system is a full-featured, interactive program designed to integrate desktop publishing (DTP) packages and PostScript^® bar code generation for pre-press and label applications. You can use it to create PostScript descriptions of bar codes, import them into a number of DTP packages, and print them on a high resolution imagesetter. This eliminates the need to manually strip in the bar code film masters into a design and may also eliminate the need to use highly specialized service vendors to supply the bar code film masters.

In addition, SymArt Pro is flexible enough to allow you to generate the bar code and let a service vendor create the film masters or generate the bar code output, thereby eliminating the need to either purchase or maintain an expensive imagesetter.

Some of the SymArt Pro features include:

• Bar code validation
• System output calibration
• Supports Encapsulated PostScript (EPS), Adobe Illustrator^®, and Macromedia Freehand^® file formats
• Step and repeat film master or label production
• Compatible with DTP programs
• Creates bar codes directly from database files

Overview

Typically, each time you use SymArt Pro to generate bar codes, the following steps are used:

1 Calibration

Before you can begin generating bar codes, you must calibrate the SymArt Pro system to your output device. This process determines the amount of print gain or loss that occurs in the bar widths of a bar code when printing, and then automatically calculates the bar width adjustment (BWA) value to offset any gain or loss. This ensures that the bar codes you produce are of the highest quality. Only after you have calibrated your output device and determined the BWA value can you begin generating bar codes.

2 Bar Code Generation

SymArt Pro provides a well-thought-out, highly intuitive interactive application to create bar codes from a number of standard symbols. Each standard symbol has its own dialog box for specifying the elements that determine the physical appearance and the logical representation. Once created, the bar code displays in a preview window, so you can alter the symbol before saving or printing it.

The SymArt Pro system generates bar codes in the following standard symbologies:

• U.P.C.
• EAN
• Interleaved 2 of 5
• Code 39
• CODABAR
• Code 128
• Pharmacode
• MSI
• Code 93

3 Bar Code Layout

After the encodation information has been specified and the physical appearance determined, you can apply layout attributes and preferences to the bar code. Some of the typographic polishing features include:

• Making precise adjustments to the placement of the bar code text and human readable characters
• Placing a bearer bar around the bar code
• Applying different fonts, font sizes, and typeface styles
• Adding custom colors for color separation

4 Saving a Format

You can save a set of bar code attributes, output adjustments, and encodation information to a format file. This preset format can be used to produce bar code symbols with similar attributes without going through all the bar code layout procedures.

5 Saving Bar Codes

You can save bar codes as EPS, Adobe Illustrator, and Aldus Freehand file formats. You can also output a set of bar codes to a queue file, which can be printed, used to generate EPS, Adobe Illustrator, and Aldus Freehand format bar code files, or used by a Service Bureau to output the bar code files on a high resolution imagesetter for you.

SymArt Pro is the Answer

By taking advantage of this versatile, fully-integrated software system and the intuitive interface of the Macintosh, you can use the SymArt Pro system to design and produce top-quality bar codes in less time and for less money than more traditional techniques. This ideal tool allows you to handle all facets of bar code production—from design to pre-press production—while providing a work environment that makes you more productive and free to be creative. And, you may even find it fun.

About the SymArt Pro User’s Guide

The SymArt Pro User’s Guide is designed to be a work companion and quick reference when you need to find out how to accomplish a specific task. Since the guide is organized by task, it is not necessary to read it sequentially. The four sections of this guide describe how to:

• Calibrate the system to your output device
• Create up to nine bar code symbologies
• Apply layout attributes and preferences
• Create bar code formats
• Create the page layout formats
• Save and print multiple bar codes

Read as much of the procedures and reference information as you need. Consult the table of contents and index to locate the procedures, menus, dialog boxes, and terms you will use most often.

To learn more about the menus, dialog boxes, and windows found in this guide and the graphical objects they contain, consult the appropriate chapters in the Macintosh User’s Guide you received with your Macintosh.

System Requirements

To use the SymArt Pro system software, the minimum hardware and system requirements are:

• Any Apple Macintosh computer capable of running desktop publishing (DTP) software or graphics programs capable of importing and printing Encapsulated PostScript format (EPSF) files, such as Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Freehand
• System 6.0.4 or higher
• 2.5 megabytes of free RAM
• PostScript output device (e.g., laser printer or an imagesetter)

Installing SymArt Pro

Make a backup copy of the SymArt Pro master disk before you begin installing the program software.

Install the SymArt Pro software by copying the SymArt Pro folder (ƒ) directly onto the hard disk of your Macintosh. This is done using the standard dragging method explained in the Macintosh User’s Guide.

The following files are provided on the SymArt Pro diskette:

• SymArt Pro 4.x
• One EPSF file containing a sample U.P.C. bar code
• Read Me file containing information about the latest release

Getting Started

Getting Started with the SymArt Pro system contains procedures for starting up the system, using the light pen, and calibrating the SymArt Pro system to compensate for print gain or loss on your output device. This chapter also describes how to use the SymArt scanner to identify bar code symbologies. To complete these tasks, use the following two options on the Options menu.

Starting SymArt Pro

1. Turn on your Macintosh and locate the SymArt Pro icon. Locate the icon on either the hard drive or the working diskette.

Note: The SymArt scanner must be connected to the modem port and turned on before starting the SymArt Pro system software.

2. Double click on the SymArt Pro icon.

Using the Light Pen

The SymArt scanner or light pen is a hand-held scanning device that is used to read and decode bar codes. The light pen consists of a metal, pen-shaped housing assembly and a jeweled sapphire tip, light emitting aperture. An illustration of the SymArt scanner is shown below.

When scanning a bar code, hold and orient the light pen at a 30 degree angle from vertical. To ensure a high first read rate (FRR), it is suggested that you use a steady, smooth, sweeping motion while holding the light pen at a 30 degree angle to the bar code, as shown below.

Start the scanning process by placing the light pen in the left or right quiet zone of the bar code. The quiet zones are seen as white space on either side of the bar code. Then move the light pen across the face of the bar code in a smooth, sweeping motion passing through the trailing quiet zone. The light pen must touch the surface of the bar code.

Vertical (90°)

The speed at which you move the light pen across the face of the bar code can vary from scan to scan. Speeds can vary from 3 to 50 inches per second. Whatever speed you choose to scan, just remember to be consistent and be patient. If the scan is not successful, try again. The SymArt scanner is designed to ensure a first read rate (FRR) of 85 percent or better.

The bar codes supported in the SymArt Pro system, with the exception of Pharmacode, are bidirectional. This means you can begin scanning a bar code from either the left or right side of the bar code. The Pharmacode symbol is scanned from right to left.

How the Light Pen Works

As you pass the light pen across the face of the bar code, the light emitting aperture, or glass eye, detects the reflective difference between the bars and spaces and converts these differences to a digital signal, which is decoded by the light pen and passed to your Macintosh computer.

The light pen analyzes the received data according to the characteristics of the bar code design. If the criteria are met for the type of bar code, your scanner acknowledges the scan with a high-pitched double beep. If the criteria are not met, your scanner responds with a low, flat double tone. Reasons for a failed scan include the following:

• Jerky motion when passing the light pen across the face of the bar code
• Part of the bar code was missed
• Light pen was not started in the quiet zone or did not end in the trailing quiet zone
• Poor print quality in the bar code
• Criteria for bar width tolerances were not met
• Light pen malfunction

The audio response message allows you to easily learn how to use the light pen in about 10 minutes.

Calibration

This section describes the process of calibrating the SymArt Pro system for your imagesetter for pre-press applications, or your laser printer for label applications. Bar Code Systems recommends that you calibrate the SymArt Pro system for your output device each day you plan to generate bar code symbols.

Since most printing devices uniformly increase the size of the bar widths while uniformly decreasing the size of the intervening spaces, you must calibrate your output device to compensate for these print gains or losses. Calibration is the process of evaluating the print quality and making adjustments to compensate for these gains or losses. The SymArt Pro system makes the calibration process easy by:

• Providing a sample bar code to scan
• Audio response messages that indicate a successful or failed scan
• Automatically calculating the bar width adjustment (BWA) value

It is impossible to recommend a standard BWA value due to the number of influencing factors, such as:

• Printing technique, press, impression, and materials
• Ink viscosity
• Substrate
• Press operations

The calibration value is the calculated deviation of the average bar widths as compared to the average intervening space widths. A negative calibration value indicates the bars are smaller than the spaces, and a positive calibration value indicates the bars are larger than the spaces. Bar code quality increases as the calibration value approaches .0000 inches.

Calibrating Your Output Device

To ensure readability and reliability of the bar code output, you should calibrate the SymArt Pro system to your output device using the sample bar code that is provided with the program software. Use the following procedure to calibrate the SymArt Pro system to your output device:

1. Import the encapsulated postscript format (EPSF) file named calibrate (located in the SymArt Pro folder) into a desktop publishing (DTP) program like Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand, QuarkXPress^®, PageMaker^®, FrameMaker^®, or one of several graphics programs for the Macintosh.

2. After you have loaded the sample bar code file into one of the above mentioned programs, place three copies of this bar code on one page, as shown below. Print the page containing the three sample bar codes.

3. After you have printed the sample bar codes, start the SymArt Pro system and select Scan from the Options menu. The Scan dialog box appears.

4. Select the aperture size by clicking on the 6 mil option button. The 6 mil aperture size is compatible with narrow bar width dimensions of .0075 to .017 of an inch, whereas the 10 mil aperture size is compatible with narrow bar width dimensions of .017 to .030 of an inch.

Note: The SymArt scanner is a 6 mil aperture light pen.

5. Select the wavelength by clicking on the 633nm option button. Since the scanner uses a visible red light emitting diode, the 633nm wavelength is used. This allows you to scan and generate bar codes with carbon-based inks, dye-based black inks, and different color inks.

6. Select the image by clicking on either the Positive or Negative option button.

7. Click the Calibrate check box. A help dialog appears displaying instructions on calibrating the SymArt Pro system to your output device. Click Cancel after you read these instructions.

8. Scan the first of three sample bar codes. If a high-pitched double beep does not sound, rescan the sample bar code until the audio response message for a valid scan is obtained.

9. Click either the Verify (5 scan) or Verify (10 scan) option button in the Mode box, as shown on the following page. A five scan verification is sufficient to calibrate the bar widths; however, a ten scan verification is more accurate. The Macintosh alert sound announces when the system is ready for you to perform the next scan. See the Macintosh User’s Guide for information on setting the alert sound.

10. Continue scanning. The Scans Remaining field on the Scan dialog box keeps count of the number of scans left to do. When the last scan of the first sample bar code is verified, the SymArt Pro system automatically calculates the calibration value along with other calibration data. The calibration data appears in the bottom section of the Scan dialog box. The following shows the results of a 10-scan verification of the first of three sample bar codes.

11. Click Print to print a report of the calibration results. The Verification Report includes the information shown above, as well as the scanner configuration information.

12. Repeat steps 6 through 12 for the remaining sample bar codes. The calibration value is automatically generated and set upon completion of the last scan. To manually adjust the calibration value, see the following procedure.

13. Click Cancel to exit.

Adjusting the Calibration Value

This procedure describes how to adjust the calibration value for the type of film master (positive or negative) that you plan to create, generate, and use to print bar codes. Adjusting the calibration for the type of film you plan to use is very important to ensure the required calibration value will be used in creating your bar code. You must also select the required film type from the appropriate bar code dialog box. For more information on film types, see Film Setting on page 3-7. Use the following procedure to register the calibration value for the required film type:

1. Select Calibration from the Options menu. The Calibration dialog box appears. A positive or negative film master has black and white areas, where the white area is represented on the film master as clear. The positive film master generates the bar code in the same relationship as the final printed symbol. The background is white and the human-readable characters and bars are black and normally oriented. The negative film master generates a bar code in the reverse photographic image of the normal orientation.

2. Adjust the calibration value in either the Positive or Negative text boxes. For example, a positive BWA value causes the bars to grow, where as a negative BWA value causes the bars to shrink.

3. Click Save. You are now ready to create, generate, and print bar code symbols. Remember, you must also select the film type from the appropriate bar code dialog box to ensure the calibration value will be used.

Identifying a Bar Code

The following procedure allows you to quickly identify bar codes that your customers may occasionally send to you and create a bar code of the same symbology:

1. Select Scan from the Options menu. The Scan dialog box appears.

2. Type in the length of the bar code (in inches) in the Code Length field.

Note: The accuracy of the bar code length directly affects the dimension of the narrow bar, magnification, and the calculation of the BWA value. For bar codes containing supplement codes, only measure the primary symbol.

3. If you type in a length slightly longer or shorter than the actual bar code length, the SymArt Pro system automatically adjusts the magnification factor.

Note: Magnification is rounded to the nearest 5 percent for code lengths entered for U.P.C. and EAN symbologies.

4. If you are scanning a Pharmacode bar code, click the Pharmacode check box, and be sure to scan from right to left.

5. Scan the bar code. If a high-pitched double beep does not sound, rescan the sample bar code until the audio response message for a valid scan is obtained.

6. Click the Identify option button. The Macintosh alert sound announces when the SymArt Pro system has received and displayed the bar code symbology type, magnification (rounded to the nearest 5% for U.P.C. and EAN only), ratio (Code 39, I 2 of 5, and CODABAR only), and narrow bar (N bar) settings, as shown below.

7. To generate a duplicate of the identified bar code symbol, click Create. The appropriate symbology dialog box opens and a graphical representation of the bar code is displayed.

Generating Bar Codes

The Bar Code menu provides options for generating industry-standard bar codes. This chapter provides general instructions for generating bar codes and saving and opening bar code formats, followed by descriptions of the bar code generation dialog boxes for each bar code symbology supported by the SymArt Pro system software.

Generating a Bar Code

1. Access the appropriate option from the Bar Code menu. Each Bar Code menu option opens a dialog box.

2. Enter or change bar code specifications, as appropriate. Set the bar code dimensions using the controls on the dialog box.Type the required text characters in the Text fields. An additional 6 to 10 text fields can be used. Change other attributes using the bar code format options available on the Options menu

3. Click Create to generate a bar code. The bar code displays in the Bar Code Design window. To expand this window, click in the bottom, right corner and drag to desired sized. You may continue changing attributes before saving or printing the bar code. Click Create after each set of changes. This regenerates and displays the bar code in the Bar Code Design window.

Note: Be sure to click Create before saving or printing the bar code to ensure that all changes are included.

4. Save the bar code settings to a format file—this step is optional. Click Format if you want to save these specifications to a format file. You can open the format to generate additional bar codes with the same specifications in the future. A Macintosh Save File dialog box appears. Open the desired destination folder, enter a format name, and click Save.

5. Print or save the bar code. After generating a bar code, you can print the bar code, save the bar code to a print queue, or save the bar code as an EPS, Adobe Illustrator, or Macromedia Freehand file format. These options are described in Chapter 5, Printing Bar Codes.

Opening a Bar Code Format

After saving a bar code format in step 4 of the previous procedure, you can open this format in the future for generating bar codes with the same specifications.

1. Select Open Format from the File menu. A Macintosh Open File dialog box displays. Locate the format file and click Open. The appropriate bar code generation dialog box displays with the specifications that were saved in the selected format file.

SymArt Pro Bar Code Output Features

Several of the bar code attributes produced by these bar code features are shown on the following pages, for your reference.

Bearer A bearer is a frame with rounded or square corners surrounding the bar code. A partial bearer is also available for selected bar codes.

Corner Marks Corner marks are reference points printed at each corner of the bar code to assist you in layout and pre-press work. Most bar codes have this feature.

Film Setting The Film pop-up menu allows you to specify the type of film master for the bar code. The pop-up menu can be set from the bar code dialog boxes. To ensure the appropriate and necessary calibration value will be used to create a bar code, it is imperative that you chose a film type.

Film Type Description

ND negative down background black bars white or clear text and image normal (right reading)
NU negative up background black bars white or clear text and image reversed (wrong reading)
PD positive down background white or clear bars black text and image normal (right reading)
PU positive up background white or clear bars black text and image reversed (wrong reading)

Text Up to ten text strings can be included on the bar code output. Text can be output in any PostScript Type 1 font available on your Macintosh, and can be rotated 90° and 180° clockwise and counter-clockwise.

U.P.C. Bar Codes

The U.P.C. bar code is made up of a number system character, manufacturer identification number, product identification number, and a check digit. The primary use of U.P.C. bar codes is at the point of sale in retail and grocery stores.

Characteristics of U.P.C. Bar Codes U.P.C. bar codes are bidirectional, numeric only, and 12 digits in length.

Nominal Size Size of bar code when magnification is 100%—1.24 inches wide from bar to bar, without a supplement and 1.02 inches high, including human readable characters below the bars.

Number System Character Single digit that identifies the product category represented by the bar code. The product category is denoted by the following number system characters:

Note: The number system characters 1, 8, and 9 are reserved for uses unidentified at the time of this printing.

Manufacturer Number Unique 5-digit number assigned to the manufacturer by the Uniform Code Council (UCC).

Product Number Unique 5-digit number assigned by the manufacturer to each product.

Check Digit Mod 10 check digit is calculated from the previous digits. The check digit ensures the accuracy of the encoded information.

0 general consumer products (Version A and E)
2 random weight consumer products (Version A)
3 drug, health, and beauty products (Version A)
4 in-store marking of non-food items (Version A)
5 coupon (Version A)
6 general consumer products (Version A)
7 general consumer products (Version A)

• Select U.P.C. from the Bar Codes menu and then the desired number system character from the U.P.C. submenu.

The first seven options on the U.P.C. submenu represent the selected number system character for the bar code. Each option displays a similar dialog box, as shown on the following page. The first digit in the Encodation field is already provided. This digit is based on the selected U.P.C. submenu option.

The Version E options allow you to generate zero-suppressed U.P.C. bar codes. The dialog box for the Version E options is the same as the U.P.C. A dialog box. The Version E 12 digit option automatically converts U.P.C.-A to zero-suppressed U.P.C.-E. You still must enter the full 12 digits. It is important to note that only the number system character 0 is allowed.

Magnification Enter the size of bar code in relation to nominal size (100%). You may enter any value between 60% and 400%. Width and height are both automatically adjusted.

Note: Changes in magnification do not affect the size of text strings.

Bar Adjust Enter the amount, typically in inches, to reduce the width of the bars to compensate for print loss or gain on your output device. This adjustment is also known as bar width reduction (BWR). The intervening white spaces are increased in proportion to the reduction of the bars.

Note: Bar width reduction must be entered as a negative number (for example, -.002).

Height Enter the height in inches for the bar code. The height is measured from the bottom of the human readable characters to the top of the bars. Adjusting this value does not affect the magnification of the bar code.

Bearer Enter the width in inches for the frame that appears around the generated bar code. A bearer is used to reduce output distortion in flexographic printing.

Encodation Enter the bar code number. The number system character already appears in this field, based on the U.P.C. submenu option selected. Enter the next 10 digits. SymArt Pro automatically calculates the check digit.

Supplement Enter an additional 2 or 5 digits in this field to generate an add-on code that is appended to the right of the bar code.

Text Enter up to five text strings in these fields. The location and attributes of these text strings can be configured from the Options menu. An additional 6 to 10 text fields can be used.

Corner Marks Check this box to include corner marks on bar code output.

Film Use this pop-up menu to select the image attributes of the bar code output. Settings are ND (negative down), NU (negative up), PD (positive down), and PU (positive up).

Note: To ensure the appropriate and necessary calibration value will be used to create a bar code, it is imperative that you chose a film type. The film types are used only for bar codes sent to an output device—film types are not included when saved as EPS, Adobe Illustrator, or Macromedia Freehand format.

EAN Bar Codes

EAN bar codes are similar to U.P.C. bar codes, in that they include 5-digit manufacturer and product numbers. EAN codes also identify the country of origin for the product. EAN bar codes are primarily used outside the United States, although a version of the EAN called ISBN is used in North America for books.

Characteristics of EAN Bar Codes EAN bar codes are bidirectional, numeric only, and 13 digits in length.

Nominal Size Size of bar code when magnification is 100%—1.24 inches wide from bar to bar, without a supplement and 1.02 inches high, including human readable characters below the bars.

Flag Character Single digit that identifies the parity pattern of the first six characters of the bar code.

Country of Origin Code Two digits, including the Flag Character, that indicate the country of origin of the goods marked. USA is represented by 00.

Manufacturer Identification Number Unique 5-digit number assigned to the manufacturer of the goods by the Article Numbering Association.

Product Identification Number Unique 5-digit number assigned by the manufacturer to each of its products.

Check Digit Mod 10 check digit is calculated from the previous digits. The check digit ensures the accuracy of the encoded information.

Generating EAN Bar Codes

• Select EAN from the Bar Codes menu, and then select the desired flag character from the EAN submenu.

Magnification Enter the size of bar code in relation to nominal size (100%). You may enter any value between 60% and 400%. Width and height are both automatically adjusted.

Note: Changes in magnification do not affect the size of text strings.

Note: Bar width reduction must be entered as a negative number (for example, -.002).

Bearer Enter the width in inches for the frame that appears around the generated bar code. A bearer is used to reduce output distortion in flexographic printing.

Encodation Enter the bar code number. The flag character already appears in this field, based on the EAN submenu option selected. SymArt Pro automatically calculates the check digit.

Supplement Enter an additional 2 or 5 digits in this field to generate an add-on code that is appended to the right of the bar code.

Text Enter up to five text strings in these fields. The location and attributes of these text strings can be configured from the Options menu. An additional 6 to 10 text fields can be used.

Corner Marks Check this box to include corner marks on bar code output.

Film Use this pop-up menu to select the image attributes of the bar code output. Settings are ND (negative down), NU (negative up), PD (positive down), and PU (positive up).

Interleaved 2 of 5 Bar Codes

Interleaved 2 of 5 is variable length bar code. The most common usage in North America is the Shipping Container Symbol (SCS), which incorporates U.P.C. codes to identify the contents of cartons and boxes. Other uses of Interleaved 2 of 5 bar codes include warehouse inventory handling, photo-finishing envelope identification, airline ticketing, and baggage handling.

Characteristics of Interleaved 2 of 5 Bar Codes Interleaved 2 of 5 bar codes utilize only two bar widths—wide bars and narrow bars. Interleaved 2 of 5 bar codes are variable length, numeric only, bidirectional and require an even number of characters. The following descriptions apply to the Shipping Container Symbol bar code.

Nominal Size 1.25 inches high (excluding human readable characters below the bars). The width depends on the number of digits and the density of the bar code.

Packaging Indicator Single digit that denotes the level of packaging.

Number System Character Two-digit code that incorporates the number system character from the U.P.C. and a preceding zero.

Manufacturer Identification Number Unique 5-digit number assigned to the manufacturer of the goods.

Product Identification Number Unique 5-digit code assigned by the manufacturer to each of its products.

Check Digit Mod 10 check digit is calculated from the previous digits. The check digit ensures the accuracy of the encoded information.

Generating Interleaved 2 of 5 Bar Codes

• Select Interleaved 2 of 5 from the Bar Codes menu, and then the desired bar code format from the Interleaved 2 of 5 submenu.

Note: The Interleaved 2 of 5 submenu option names represent how the human readable characters are displayed. For example, select the SCS 1 2 5 5 1 option to display the human readable characters.

Magnification Enter the size of bar code in relation to nominal size (100%). You may enter any value between 60% and 200%. Width and height are both automatically adjusted.

Note: Changes in magnification do not affect the size of text strings.

Narrow Bar Enter the width in inches for the narrow bar.

Ratio Enter the ratio between the narrow bar width and wide bar width. For example, if you set the Narrow Bar value to .01” and the Ratio to 3.0, the width of the wide bar will be .03”.

Height Enter the height in inches for the bar code. The height is measured from the bottom to the top of the bars. Adjusting this value does not affect the magnification of the bar code.

Note: Bar width reduction must be entered as a negative number (for example, -.002).

Bearer Enter the width in inches for the frame that appears around the generated bar code. A bearer is used to reduce output distortion in flexographic printing. You can configure a partial bearer for Interleaved 2 of 5 symbols.

Encodation Enter the bar code number. The required length of the encodation varies, depending on which Interleaved 2 of 5 bar code option you are using. If the Check Char check box is activated, enter an odd number of digits and the check digit is automatically generated. If it is not activated, you must enter an even number of digits.

Add On Enter an additional 2, 3, or 5 digits in this field to generate an add-on code that is appended to the right of the bar code.

Text Enter up to five text strings in these fields. The location and attributes of these text strings can be configured from the Options menu. An additional 6 to 10 text fields can be used.

Check Char Check this box to indicate that a check digit should be generated and appended to the encodation number.

H Marks Check this box to include H marks at bottom right and left corners of bar code output. H marks are used as a visual checking system. Use this pop-up menu to select the image attributes of the bar code output. Settings are ND (negative down), NU (negative up), PD (positive down), and PU (positive up).

Code 39 Bar Codes

The Code 39 (a.k.a. Code 3 of 9) bar code is a widely recommended alphanumeric, variable length symbology that is used by the federal government’s General Services Administration and Department of Defense contractors, as well as significant segments of the automotive and health care industries.

Characteristics of Code 39 Bar Codes Code 39 bar codes are variable length, bidirectional, and may include the following characters: Asterisks (*) are used to signal the beginning and end of the encoded characters. They are referred to as start and stop characters. Code 39 bar code characters are output as groups of 9 elements (bars and spaces). This type of bar code is so named because 3 of 9 elements are wide—the other 6 are narrow, as shown below.

Generating Code 39 Bar Codes

• Select Code 39 from the Bar Codes menu. The Code 39 dialog box displays, as shown below. Enter required values and click Create.

CPI Enter the number of characters encoded per inch. Changes in the CPI value do not affect the size of human readable characters.

Narrow Bar Enter the width in inches for the narrow bar.

Ratio Enter the ratio between the narrow bar width and wide bar width. For example, if you set the Narrow Bar value to .01” and the Ratio to 3.0, the width of the wide bar will be .03”.

Height Enter the height in inches for the bar code. The height is measured from the bottom to the top of the bars. The recommended height for Code 39 bar codes is 0.5 inches or greater.

Note: Bar width reduction must be entered as a negative number (for example, -.002).

Encodation Enter the bar code number. The length of the encodation number is variable.

Note: Do not enter the start/stop asterisks. They are automatically included at the beginning and end of the bar code.

Text Enter up to five text strings in these fields. The location and attributes of these text strings can be configured from the Options menu. An additional 6 to 10 text fields can be used.

Check Char Check this box to indicate that a check digit should be generated and appended to the encodation number.

Start/Stop Check this box to indicate whether the stop and star characters should be included with the human readable characters on the bar code output. These characters are automatically encoded in the bar code symbol.

Film Use this pop-up menu to select the image attributes of the bar code output. Settings are ND (negative down), NU (negative up), PD (positive down), and PU (positive up).

Corner Marks Corner marks are reference points printed at each corner of the bar code to assist you in layout and pre-press work.

CODABAR Bar Codes (Rationalized)

CODABAR symbols were originally developed for retail price labeling and are still used by many department stores. Since the adoption of U.P.C. symbology by the grocery industry, CODABAR has been redirected toward other uses, including express package labeling (e.g., Federal Express), libraries, and blood labeling in the medical industry (e.g., Red Cross).

Characteristics of CODABAR Bar Codes CODABAR bar codes are bidirectional, variable length, and may include the following characters: The alphabetic characters a, b, c, and d are used as the start/stop characters in the encodation.

Generating CODABAR Bar Codes

• Select CODABAR from the Bar Codes menu. The CODABAR dialog box displays, as shown below. Enter required values and click Create.

CPI Enter the number of characters encoded per inch. Changes in the CPI value do not affect the size of human readable characters.

Narrow Bar Enter the width in inches for the narrow bar.

Ratio Enter the ratio between the narrow bar width and wide bar width. For example, if you set the Narrow Bar value to .01” and the Ratio to 3.0, the width of the wide bar will be .03”.

Height Enter the height in inches for the bar code. The height is measured from the bottom to the top of the bars. The minimum height for Codabar bar codes is 0.2 inches or 15% of the length of a symbol, whichever is greater.

Note: Bar width reduction must be entered as a negative number (for example, -.002).

Encodation Enter the bar code number. The length of the encodation number is variable. Enter start/stop characters (a, b, c, d) at the beginning and end of the encodation value. Enter up to five text strings in these fields. The location and attributes of these text strings can be configured from the Options menu. An additional 6 to 10 text fields can be used.

Start/Stop Check this box to indicate whether the start/stop characters should be shown at the beginning and end of the human readable text. The start/stop characters are always encoded in the bar code, even if they are not shown as part of the human readable text.

Film Use this pop-up menu to select the image attributes of the bar code output. Settings are ND (negative down), NU (negative up), PD (positive down), and PU (positive up).

Corner Marks Corner marks are reference points printed at each corner of the bar code to assist you in layout and pre-press work.

Code 128 Bar Codes

Code 128 bar codes are high-density alphanumeric symbols used to encode product identification data.

Characteristics of Code 128 Bar Codes Code 128 bar codes are variable length, bidirectional, and can encode all 128 characters in the standard ASCII character set. SymArt Pro bar code generation software offers the A, B, and C Code 128 character subsets. The UCC/EAN 128 specification is supported.

Characteristics of Serial SCS and Non Serial SCS A Serial SCS bar code, as shown below, is fixed length containing 20 digits with the 20th character being a modulo 10 check digit, which is automatically calculated. The encodation starts with Code C (i.e., a Code 128 subset C start pattern), followed by a function (Fnc) 1 character code, and a two digit application identifier. Together these characters uniquely identify the bar code as a UCC/EAN-128. The data portion contains the following 18 characters of encoded information:

• One digit to denote the packaging type (Refer to the following page for a definition of the packaging types)
• Seven digits to describe the UCC assigned number system character (which is preceded by a zero) and the five digit manufacturer identification number
• Nine digits to indicate the shipping container serial number that identifies the manufacturer’s carton, case, or pallet

The Non Serial SCS, as shown below, encodation also starts with Code C, followed by a Fnc 1 character code, and a two digit application identifier. This bar code is fixed length containing 22 digits with the 16th digit being an embedded modulo 10 check digit, which is automatically generated.

Packaging Types The packaging type is denoted by the following packaging identifiers.

Characteristics of UCC 128 Extended Coupon Formats Following is a description of the coupon formats.

Coupon Format 1

This fixed length bar code contains 6 numeric digits. Following is a description of the bar code:

• Four digit application identifier (i.e., 8100)
• One digit number system character (see page 3-10)
• Five digit (numeric) offer code

Coupon Format 2

This fixed length bar code contains 10 numeric digits. Following is a description of the bar code:

• Four digit application identifier (i.e., 8100)
• One digit number system character (see page 3-10)
• Five digit (numeric) offer code
• Four digit expiration date formatted as MMYY

0 Serial number shipping case or carton identification
1 Serial pallet (i.e., larger than a case/carton)
2 Serial container (i.e., larger than a pallet)
3 Unidentified packaging type
4 Internal defined shipping container code
5 Mutually defined between trading partners
6-9 Reserved for future use

Coupon Format 3

This fixed length bar code contains 14 numeric digits. Following is a description of the bar code:

• Four digit application identifier (i.e., 8100)
• One digit number system character (see page 3-10)
• Five digit (numeric) offer code
• Function 1 character code
• Two digit application identifier (i.e., 21)
• Eight digit household identification number

Coupon Format 4

This fixed length bar code contains 18 numeric digits. Following is a description of the bar code:

• Four digit application identifier (i.e., 8100)
• One digit number system character (see page 3-10)
• Five digit (numeric) offer code
• Four digit expiration date formatted as MMYY
• Function 1 character code
• Two digit application identifier (e.g., 21)
• Eight digit household identification number

Coupon Format 5

This fixed length bar code contains 2 numeric digits. Following is a description of the bar code:

• Four digit application identifier (i.e., 8102)
• The number 0
• One digit number system character (see page 3-10)

Generating Code 128 Bar Codes

• Select Code 128 from the Bar Codes menu, and then the desired bar code type from the Code 128 submenu. The Code 128 dialog box displays. Enter required values and click Create.

CPI Enter the number of characters encoded per inch. Changes in the CPI value do not affect the size of human readable characters.

Narrow Bar Enter the width in inches for the narrow bar.

Height Enter the height in inches for the bar code. The height is measured from the bottom to the top of the bars. The minimum height for Code 128 bar codes is 0.2 inches or 15% of the length of a symbol, whichever is greater.

Note: Bar width reduction must be entered as a negative number (for example, -.002).

Enter the width in inches for the frame that appears around the generated bar code. A bearer is used to reduce output distortion in flexographic printing. You can configure a partial bearer for Code 128 symbols.

Encodation Enter the bar code number. The encodation number may be any length. You can include special characters in the encodation value. Enter up to five text strings in these fields. The location and attributes of these text strings can be configured from the Options menu. An additional 6 to 10 text fields can be used.

Check 43 Check this box to indicate whether a modulus 43 check digit should be calculated and appended to the encodation value.

Film Use this pop-up menu to select the image attributes of the bar code output. Settings are ND (negative down), NU (negative up), PD (positive down), and PU (positive up).

Corner Marks Corner marks are reference points printed at each corner of the bar code to assist you in layout and pre-press work.

Special Characters Select from this box of option buttons to include invisible characters in the encodation string.

Note: Grayed out options are not available. Special characters define various operations to a bar code scanner.

Note: Special characters are used for self-checking and are displayed for your information below the bar code.

Option Button Definition

F3 Interpret the following characters as initialization or reinitialization instructions.
F2 Message append. Transmit the following characters as prefix to the next set of characters.
C The following characters are from the Code 128 C character subset.
F4 Character reader defined.
B The following characters are from the Code 128 B character subset.
F1 Character reader defined.

Pharmacode Bar Codes

Pharmacode symbols are used in the pharmaceutical industry for packaging line security.

Characteristics of Pharmacode Bar Codes Pharmacode bar codes are between 1 and 6 digits in length, numeric only, and can only be scanned from right to left. Unlike other SymArt Pro bar codes, Pharmacode bar code output does not include text strings.

Generating Pharmacode Bar Codes

• Select Pharmacode from the Bar Codes menu. The Pharmacode dialog box displays.

Narrow Bar Enter the width in inches for the narrow bar.

Height Enter the height in inches for the bar code. The height is measured from the bottom to the top of the bars.

Note: Bar width reduction must be entered as a negative number (for example, -.002).

Encodation Enter the bar code number. The length of the encodation number is variable, between 1 and 6 digits.

Desc (Description) Enter up to three text strings in these fields. The location and attributes of these text strings can be configured from the Options menu.

Corner Marks Corner marks are reference points printed at each corner of the bar code to assist you in layout and pre-press work. Use this pop-up menu to select the image attributes of the bar code output. Settings are ND (negative down), NU (negative up), PD (positive down), and PU (positive up).

• Color 1 (applies the same color to all the bars)
• Color 2 (applies the same color to all the bars except the last bar, which has a different color)
• Color 3 (applies the same color to all the bars except the last two bars, which have a different color)
• Color 4 (applies the same color to all the bars except the last three bars, which have a different color)

Code MSI Bar Codes

Code MSI is a pulse width modulated (PWM) bar code. The code was developed by the Plessey Company Limited. This bar code is used primarily for shelf marking.

Characteristics of MSI Bar Codes Each bit of information of a MSI bar code is represented by a bar and space pair, which is typical of PWM codes (e.g., Telxon or Anker Codes). The zero bit consists of a narrow bar followed by a wide space. The one bit consists of a wide bar and a narrow space, as shown below. Each decimal digit is represented by a binary code decimal (BCD) number consisting of four bits, as shown here:

Digits BCD Characters BCD

0 0000 A 0101
1 1000 B 1101
2 0100 C 0011
3 1100 D 1011
4 0010 E 0111
5 1010 F 1111
6 0110
7 1110
8 0001
9 1001

The MSI bar code is bidirectional and encodes two to thirty characters, which can include ten digits and six additional characters. Code MSI is not a self-checking symbology. It employs a modulus 10 check digit. For start and stop characters, code MSI encodes a single bit pair of 1 as the start character and a single bit pair of 0 as the stop character.

Generating Code MSI Bar Codes • Select MSI from the Bar Codes menu. The MSI Code dialog box displays.

Narrow Bar Enter the width in inches for the narrow bar.

Height Enter the height in inches for the bar code. The height is measured from the bottom to the top of the bars.

Encodation Enter the bar code number. The encodation number varies in length and consists of ten digits between 0 and 9 and six characters A through F.

Note: Bar width reduction must be entered as a negative number (for example, -.002).

Desc (Description) Enter up to three text strings in these fields. The location and attributes of these text strings can be configured from the Options menu.

Check Char Check this box to indicate that a check digit should be generated and appended to the encodation number.

Film Use this pop-up menu to select the image attributes of the bar code output. Settings are ND (negative down), NU (negative up), PD (positive down), and PU (positive up).

Corner Marks Corner marks are reference points printed at each corner of the bar code to assist you in layout and pre-press work.

Code 93 Bar Codes

The Code 93 bar code encodes exactly the same characters as Code 39, which are both used by the federal government’s General Services Administration and Department of Defense contractors, as well as significant segments of the automotive and health care industries.

Characteristics of Code 93 Bar Codes Code 93 bar codes are variable length, bidirectional, and include the following 43 characters: Nine modules of three bars and three spaces are used to represent each character, except the start and stop characters, which are an open square. The bars of each character are either 1, 2, or 3 modules wide, where the start and stop characters are four modules wide and the space is either 1 to 4 modules wide. A termination bar of one module wide is added after the stop character to close the final space in Code 93. To increase bar code security, it is recommended that two check characters be used.

Generating Code 93 Bar Codes

• Select Code 93 from the Bar Codes menu. The Code 93 dialog box displays, as shown on the following page. Enter required values and click Create.

CPI Enter the number of characters encoded per inch. Changes in the CPI value do not affect the size of human readable characters.

Narrow Bar Enter the width in inches for the narrow bar.

Ratio Enter the ratio between the narrow bar width and wide bar width. For example, if you set the Narrow Bar value to .01” and the Ratio to 3.0, the width of the wide bar will be .03”.

Height Enter the height in inches for the bar code. The height is measured from the bottom to the top of the bars. The minimum height for Code 93 bar codes is 0.2 inches or 15% of the length of a symbol, whichever is greater.

Note: Bar width reduction must be entered as a negative number (for example, -.002).

Encodation Enter the bar code number. The length of the encodation number is variable up to 43 characters.

Text Enter up to five text strings in these fields. The location and attributes of these text strings can be configured from the Options menu. An additional 6 to 10 text fields can be used.

Check Char Check this box to indicate that a check digit should be generated and appended to the encodation number.

Start/Stop Check this box to indicate whether an open square is used to denote the reading and scanning instructions.

Film Use this pop-up menu to select the image attributes of the bar code output. Settings are ND (negative down), NU (negative up), PD (positive down), and PU (positive up).

Corner Marks Corner marks are reference points printed at each corner of the bar code to assist you in layout and pre-press work.

Bar Code Layout

The Options menu allows you to customize the bar codes that you create. In this chapter, you will learn how to:

• Specify custom bar code color combinations
• Specify how the bar code prints on a colored background
• Apply style attributes to the human readable, text, and ISBN elements
• Set bar code preferences
• Configure placement and type of bar code bearer bars
• Specify the bar width growth recorded by the H gauge
• Display the Current Format window

Colors

With SymArt Pro, you can create and apply a custom color to a bar code symbol. Only one color can be specified for each bar code symbol. The custom color is saved with the bar code as an EPSF file. The EPSF file is compatible with plate separation software. We recommend that you save your bar codes in Adobe Illustrator format and use Illustrator to apply color to your bar codes.

Background Color

The SymArt scanner, as well as most scanners, is very sensitive to impurities in the background color. Occasionally, a very small percentage (less than 5%) of blue or black may be used in the background color, but this is not recommended. Red and yellow are seen as white by the SymArt scanner, and therefore, may be used for the background color. Deselecting the White Knockout option causes the background to be transparent. The size of the white knockout is automatically determined by the size of the bar code symbol.

Note: To color separate a bar code symbol, select the Overprint option when using QuarkXPress, Adobe Illustrator, or Macromedia Freehand.

Overprint Option

SymArt Pro allows you to create a custom color that is based on the CMYK equivalencies. Only custom colors are acceptable for producing bar codes. Overprint implies that the bar code symbol will print on top of the background color. The Overprint option is located on the Custom Colors dialog box, as shown on the following page. This option allows you to not knockout the bar code symbol color out of the background color’s separation plate.

For example, if the foreground color is black and the background color is PANTONE^® 238, checking the Overprint option prints the bar code symbol (black) on the PANTONE 238 background without knocking out the bar code symbol out of the background color. Conversely, when the Overprint option is not checked, the bar code symbol knocks out the part of the background color that represents the exact dimensions of the bar code symbol.

One Symbol Color Option

Selecting this option (a check mark appears to the left of the option) allows you to assign only one custom color to both the bar code and its text strings. Deselecting this option (the check mark is removed from the left of the option) allows you to assign, if desired, a custom color to the bar code and a different custom color to each of the text elements.

Use the following procedures to create and apply a custom color to a bar code, its text, and background:

• Select the Bar Color option from the Options menu. The Custom Bar Colors dialog box appears.

Note: If you are creating a bar code to be used in a color separation, the Overprint option must be checked.

Creating a Custom Color

Note: To exit and not apply the new custom color, click Cancel.

1. Type the name of the color in the Name field. The name field is case-sensitive.

2. Type the percent of each CMYK color in the appropriate color field.

Note: For more information about PANTONE colors, consult a PANTONE color chart.

3. Click Save. The new color displays in the color window and is added to the list box.

Note: To exit without saving the new custom color, click Cancel.

4. To apply the new custom color to the bar code, click Okay.

Selecting a Color

1. Select the color from the list box. The chosen color displays in the color window. The cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CYMK) percentages also display in their respective text boxes.

2. Click Okay to apply the selected color to the bar code or click Cancel to exit without applying the selected color.

Updating a Color

1. Select the color from the list box. The chosen color displays in the color window. The cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CYMK) percentages also display in their respective text boxes.

2. Make the necessary changes to the CYMK percentages.

3. Click Update. The new color displays in the color window and the list box is updated to reflect the changes.

4. Click Okay to apply the selected color to the bar code or click Cancel to exit without applying the selected color.

Deleting a Color

1. Select the color from the list box. The chosen color displays in the color window. The cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CYMK) percentages also display in their respective text boxes.

2. Click Delete. The selected color is removed from the list box.

3. Click Okay to apply the selected color to the bar code or click Cancel to exit without applying the selected color.

Selecting White Knockout

The White Knockout option allows you to control whether the background of the bar code symbol is a solid color or clear (transparent) when the bar code graphic is placed over a colored or shaded background in a graphics or desktop publishing program. Selecting the White Knockout option (a check mark appears to the left of the option) makes the background of the bar code symbol solid white, as shown in the right-hand example below.

Deselecting the White Knockout option (the check mark disappears from the left of the option) makes the background of the bar code transparent, as shown in the left-hand example below.

1. Select the White Knockout option from the Options menu. A check mark ([.radical]) appears to the left of the White Knockout option. The bar code knocks (blocks) out all of the background color when printed. To deselect the White Knockout option, select the White Knockout option again. The check mark ([.radical]) is removed. The bar code will be printed over the background color without blocking out the background color.

Note: If you are doing color separations of bar codes using QuarkXPress, Adobe Illustrator, or Macromedia Freehand, select the White Knockout option.

Stylizing the Human Readable Characters

The Human Readable option allows you to set the following style attributes for the human readable characters:

• Font type and size
• Typeface style
• Location relative to bar code symbol
• Background white knockout (only valid for Code 39, Interleaved 2 of 5, Code 128, MSI, and Code 93)
• Specify a custom color
• Rotation of text characters

1. Select Human Readable from the Options menu. The Human Readable Settings dialog box appears.

2. Make the appropriate changes to the style attributes defined below:

Style Use this pop-up menu to choose a typeface style. The bar code style defaults to plain.

Font Use this pop-up menu to choose a font. The bar code font defaults to Helvetica.

Size Use this field to specify a font size. The bar code font size defaults to 9.

Show Text Check this box if you want the human readables to appear on the printed bar code.

Autosize Check this box to allow the text to be automatically resized as you increase or decrease the bar code size. This attribute is not valid for U.P.C. and EAN symbols.

White Background Check this box if you want the text to appear with a white background when the human readable text is positioned inside the bars. This option is valid for Code 39, 2 of 5, and Code 128.

V Distance Use this field to specify the vertical distance between the human readable characters and the bar code.

H Distance Use this field to specify the horizontal distance to move the human readable characters in relation to the bar code.

Horz (Horizontal) Scale Enter a percent to increase or decrease the human readable text. This option allows you to use a larger font than the area allows.

Position Select one of these option buttons to specify the vertical position of the human readable characters in relation to the bar code.

Justification Select one of these option buttons to specify the horizontal position of the human readable characters in relation to the bar code.

Rotation Select one of these option buttons to specify the orientation of the human readable characters in relation to the bar code.

Note: The Rotate 180° option rotates the human readable text along the X axis.

Color... Select this push button to display the Custom Colors dialog box. You can now create and assign a custom color to the human readable characters.

Note: If the One Symbol Color option is selected (a check appears to the left of the option), the Color... push button is deactivated.

3. Click Okay when you are finished using this dialog box, or click Cancel to exit without saving the human readable attributes.

Note: The bar code style attributes are temporarily saved for the current bar code unless you save these attributes in a bar code format file.

Stylizing the Bar Code Text

The Text 1, Text 2, Text 3, Text 4, Text 5, and ISBN options allow you to set style attributes for the bar code and ISBN text:

• Font type and size
• Typeface style
• Location
• Rotation

1. Select one of the text options or the ISBN option from the Options menu. A text formatting dialog box appears.

2. Make the appropriate changes to the style attributes defined below:

Style Use this pop-up to choose a typeface style. The bar code style defaults to plain.

Font Use this pop-up menu to choose a font. The bar code font defaults to Helvetica.

Size Use this field to specify a font size. The bar code font size defaults to 9.

Show Text Check this box if you want the text to appear with the printed bar code.

V Distance Use this field to specify the vertical distance between the text and the bar code.

H Distance Use this field to specify the horizontal distance between the text and the bar code.

Horz (Horizontal) Scale Enter a percent to increase or decrease the human readable text. This option allows you to use a larger font than the area allows.

Position Select one of these option buttons to specify the vertical position of the text in relation to the bar code.

Justification Select one of these option buttons to specify the horizontal position of the text in relation to the bar code.

Rotation Select one of these option buttons to specify the orientation (clockwise, counter clockwise, or no rotation) of the text in relation to the bar code.

Note: The Rotate 180° option rotates the human readable text along the X axis.

3. Click Okay when you are finished using this dialog box, or click Cancel to exit without saving the text attributes.

Note: The bar code style attributes are temporarily saved for the current bar code unless you save these attributes in a bar code format file.

Stylizing Additional Bar Code Text

The text items 6 through 10 provide the placement of up to five additional text strings on a bar code. Text can be output in any PostScript Type 1 font available on your Macintosh, and can be rotated 90° and 180° clockwise and counter-clockwise.

1. Select the Text 6-10 option from the Options menu. The Text Items 6 - 10 dialog box appears.

2. Enter up to five text strings in the Text 6 through Text 10 fields.

3. Click on the Attr (attribute) button for each text strings used to format and arrange the text. A text formatting dialog box appears for the corresponding text strings, as shown on the following page.

Setting Preferences

The Preferences option allows you to alter the appearance of a bar code. Use the following procedure to set one or more of the preference settings:

1. Select Preferences from the Options menu. The Preferences dialog box appears.

2. Click on one or more of the preference settings, as described below:

Long Guard Bars (U.P.C., EAN) Check this box to extend the bars in the stop and start characters for U.P.C. and EAN bar codes. The guard bars are used to provide reference points for the SymArt scanner. This setting is only valid for the U.P.C. and EAN bar code symbologies.

Long Center Guard Bars (U.P.C., EAN) Check this box to extend the bars of the guard bars in the center of the bar code. The guard bars are used to provide reference points for the SymArt scanner. This setting is only valid for the U.P.C. and EAN bar code symbologies.

Switch Human To Text 1 (U.P.C., EAN) Check this box to place the human readable characters in the Text 1 field. This setting is only valid for the U.P.C. and EAN bar code symbologies.

Metric Check this box to change the unit of measurement from inches to centimeters and microns.

Manufacturing On Check this box to print the name of the manufacturer above the bar code. This feature is only valid for the SymArt Manufacturing system users.

Print Specs Check this box to print the magnification, BWA value, narrow bar, height, and the type of film master (negative or positive) above the bar code on the original copy. This feature allows you or your customer to quickly identify the specifications of the bar code.

N on Number System 3 Check this box to place an N above the number system character, which is the left most character of the bar code. This feature is only valid for the U.P.C. Number System 3 symbol and denotes National Drug Code (NDC).

Use Text 1 as EPS File Name Check this box to use the text in the TEXT 1 field as the EPS file name for the bar code when you use the Save EPS and Import to EPS options. This feature is especially useful when the TEXT 1 field contains the name of the product.

Supplement Text Below Check this box to place the supplemental human readable text below the bar code symbol. This setting is only valid for U.P.C. and EAN symbols supporting a supplemental bar code.

Expanded Supplement (U.P.C./EAN) Check this box to enable expanded human readable characters for the U.P.C. and EAN bar code supplements. This option is valid for 5-digit bar code supplements only. An expanded supplement includes a single prefix character and up to five suffix characters, all of which are not encoded in the supplemental bar code symbol. When this option is activated, prefix the supplement characters with an upper case M to indicate that no prefix is required.

Rotate Bar Code Type in either 90° or 180° to indicate the default degree of rotation.

Light Margin (EAN) Check this box to place a greater than symbol (>) on the right side of the bar code to mark the quiet area.

3. Click Save when you are finished setting your preferences.

Note: To deselect a setting, select the required preference setting. The X is removed from the check box.

Bearer Bars and Corner Marks

The primary purpose of the bearer bar is to provide printing plate support at critical areas near the symbol. Corner marks are used to indicate the four corners of the bar code symbol and are particularly useful to the designer when creating rows and columns of bar code labels.

1. Select Bearer Bar/Corner Marks from the Options menu. The Bearer Bar/Corner Marks Adjustments dialog box appears.

2. Type in the amount that you want the bearer bar or corner marks to be expanded in the following text boxes:

• Expand Top
• Expand Bottom
• Expand Left
• Expand Right

The expand value indicates how far from the edge of the bar code symbol a bearer bar or corner mark is moved. The actual width of the bearer bar is set in the appropriate bar code generation dialog box.

3. Click on one or more of the bearer bar check boxes, as described below:

Rounded Bearer Bar Check this box to place a rounded-corner box around the bar code symbol. This setting is valid for all bar codes.

Partial Bearer Check this box to place a line above and below the bar code symbol. This setting is only valid for the following bar code symbologies:

• Interleaved 2 of 5
• Code 39
• Codabar
• Code 128
• Code 93

Extra Bar on I 2of5 with Supp Check this box to place a vertical line between the primary and the supplemental bar code symbols. This setting is only valid for the Interleaved 2 of 5 symbol.

4. Click the Save button.

H Gauge This bar code option is a traditional method used to determine how much ink spread is occurring in the quiet zone of an Interleaved 2 of 5 bar code. Ink spread occurs as the two upright lines of the H symbol narrows.

1. Select H Gauge from the Options menu. The H Gauge dialog box appears, as shown below.

2. Type in the following information, as described below:

Left/Right Use this field to specify the printing range value. This range indicates the print capability under specific printing conditions. The printing range value measures the distance between two vertical bars in tenths of a millimeter.

Show Check this box to display the left or right value above the H symbol.

Move Up/Move In Use this field to specify the distance to move the H symbol in relation to the bar code. This value is measured in tenths of an inch.

3. Click the Okay button.

Displaying the Current Format Window

The Current Format window, as shown below, displays information about elements and attributes of a bar code. This window is updated each time one of the following settings is changed:

• Text and ISBN Layout
• Human Readable Font
• Height/Magnification
• Color
• Manufacturing
• Print Specifications
• Bar Code Height
• Positive or Negative Adjustment and Calibration Value
• Human Readable Overprint
• To display the Current Format window, select Show Window from the Options menu.

Printing Bar Codes

This chapter provides instructions for printing bar codes and working with bar code queues. All options for managing bar code output are provided on the File menu, shown below.

SymArt Pro provides several ways to output bar codes. From the File menu, you can:

• Print to a Queue to output your bar codes
• Print a single bar code
• Print Labels to output a series of incremental bar codes
• Save a bar code to EPS, Adobe Illustrator, or Aldus Freehand file format

If you are going to output your bar codes to a queue, the following description will assist you.

How SymArt Pro Bar Code Queues Work

A SymArt Pro bar code queue is a specifications file containing data that is used to generate one or more bar codes. The following example shows the queue file for a single U.P.C. bar code imported into Microsoft^® Excel^®. The queue file is a tab-delimited file, so it can be imported into a spreadsheet or text editor. The file must be kept in TEXT format. Data required to print a bar code queue or generate a set of bar code EPS format files is contained in a queue file. This allows you to generate a queue file and send it to your service bureau for bar code output. See the SymArt Pro Service Bureau addendum at the end of this manual. For more information about getting SymArt Pro Service Bureau software for your service bureau, call Bar Code Systems customer support.

Structure of the Bar Code Queue File

In the example on the previous page, the first eight lines represent the various bar code layout options. These format lines contain layout information about the text strings, bearer bar/corner marks, and other specifications set via the Options menu. The ninth line contains data describing a single bar code symbol, including size, encodation, text, and other attributes. This is a bar code line. In a queue containing several bar codes, the format lines repeat each time any format information changes.

For example, if you save three bar codes to a queue using one set of format specifications, and then change the format before saving two more bar codes to the same queue, the queue file lines would follow this pattern.

Bar Code Queue File

8 Format Lines
Bar Code Line
Bar Code Line
Bar Code Line
8 Format Lines
Bar Code Line
Bar Code Line

Opening a Queue

Before you begin generating bar codes for output to a queue, you need to open a queue file.

1. Select Open Queue from the File menu. Select New from the Open Queue submenu to create a new queue file, or select the Existing option to open and add to an existing queue file. A Macintosh Save File dialog box displays.

2. If you selected New, name the new queue file. When the standard Macintosh Save File dialog box displays, open the folder where you want the queue file to be stored, type a queue name, and click Save.

3. If you selected Existing, open a queue file. When the standard Macintosh Open File dialog box displays, locate the queue file and click Open. You are now ready to save bar codes to the opened queue.

Note: The Close Queue option on the File menu becomes active when a queue is open.

Saving to a Queue

The Save To Queue option appears on the File menu only when a queue is open. To save bar codes to a queue, follow the instructions for creating a bar code. A bar code must appear in the Bar Code Design window before you can save it to an open queue.

• Select Save To Queue from the File menu. The information required to generate this bar code is now saved in the queue file.

Note: If you have a queue file open, you can save a displayed bar code to the queue by pressing Command+S. Pressing this key combination when you do not have a queue file open saves the bar code as an EPS file.

Saving a Bar Code Symbol

The Save EPS, Save Adobe Ill, and Save Freehand options are selectable when a queue is not open. A generated bar code must appear in the Bar Code Design window before you select this option. Be sure to click Create on the bar code generation dialog box before saving to ensure that any changes are included when you save the bar code.

1. Select one of these file formats from the File menu:

• Save EPS
• Save Adobe Ill
• Save Freehand

A Macintosh Save File dialog box displays. The file name automatically appears in the Save As field when this dialog box displays. This automatic file name is a string of information about the bar code, including bar code type and encodation. If the check box Use Text 1 as EPS File Name is activated on the Preferences dialog box, the Text 1 string appears in this field.

2. Click Save to save the bar code to the chosen file format, or Cancel to exit without saving the bar code.

Printing Single Bar Codes

Use the Print One option to print and proof a single bar code on your laser printer.

1. Select Print One from the File menu. A generated bar code must appear in the Bar Code Design window before you select this option. Be sure to click Create on the Bar Code Generation dialog box before printing to ensure that any changes are included when you print the bar code. The Macintosh Print dialog box displays.

2. Click Print to send the bar code to the printer, or Cancel to abort the print job.

Printing a Queue

1. Select Close Queue from the File menu, if the queue you want to print is open.

2. Select Print Queue from the File menu. A Macintosh File Open dialog box for selecting a print layout appears.

3. Locate the desired print layout and click Open. If you do not wish to use a preset print layout, click New. The Queue Print Layout dialog box appears.

4. Change the print layout settings as appropriate. Enter the Number Across and Number Down fields to specify the layout of the page. Enter the Film Width and Film Length to reflect the page size. Adjust spacing, as necessary in the Adjustments (Inches) box to avoid overlapping bar codes. To proof your bar code queue, click the Laser Printer check box and change the Film Width field to 8.5 and the Film Length field to 11.

5. Click OK to continue, or Cancel to exit without printing the queue.

Note: If you opened a print layout in step 3, any changes you make on the Queue Print Layout dialog box are automatically updated and saved when you click OK.

6. To save a new print layout, use the Macintosh Save File dialog box to open the storage folder, enter a print layout name, and click Save.

7. Select the queue you want to print. A Macintosh Open File dialog box appears.

8. Select the queue file and click Open, or click Cancel to exit without printing the queue. When the queue is opened, the Macintosh Print dialog box displays. Click Print to send the bar code queue to the printer, or Cancel to exit without printing the queue.

Generating Bar Code Graphics from a Queue

You can generate EPS, Illustrator, or Freehand format files using the bar code symbol specifications in a queue file. This option may be helpful if you include bar codes in documents created using DTP software like Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand, or QuarkXPress.

1. Select one of the following import options from the File menu:

• Import to EPS
• Import to Adobe Ill
• Import to Freehand

A Macintosh File Open dialog box appears.

2. Select the desired queue file and click Open, or click Cancel if you do not wish to proceed with the file generation. The Bar Code Design window displays as the bar codes from the selected queue file are written to the chosen file format. The files are saved to the folder where the selected queue is located.

Note: If the Text 1 string contains the same value for more than one bar code in a queue file, make sure the check box Use Text 1 as EPS File Name is not activated on the Preferences dialog box. This prevents you from overwriting the bar code in the EPS, Illustrator, or Freehand file format with another bar code symbol.

Printing a Series of Bar Codes

The Print Labels option allows you to print an incremented series of bar code symbols based on a single bar code symbol, which is displayed in the Bar Code Design window. The procedure for printing a series of bar codes is similar to printing queues.

1. Generate a bar code. A bar code must appear in the Bar Code Design window before you can use this option.

2. Select Print Labels from the File menu, or press Command+P. A Macintosh Open File dialog box for selecting a label print layout appears.

3. Locate the label print layout and click Open. If you do not wish to use a preset label print layout, click New. The Label Print Layout dialog box appears.

4. Set the label increments. The increment fields set up the sequence of bar code numbers produced in this label run. The starting number of a label series is the encodation number on the generated bar code that appears in the Bar Code Design window.

Note: The check digit appended to the end of an encodation number is not considered part of the number that is incremented during the label generation process. The check digit is automatically calculated and appended to each encodation number when a series of bar code labels is generated.

Subsequent encodation numbers are generated based on the increment number. For example, if the last four digits of the starting encodation number are 1000 and the increment is 5, the sequence of numbers are generated in this order:

1000, 1005, 1010, 1015 ...

The sub range feature allows you to generate sets of bar codes that start at fixed intervals. For example, you could generate sets of encodation numbers starting at 1000, 2000, 3000, and so on.

First, set the high value for each range in the Sub Range field. If you want to generate all increments up to 1500, 2500, 3500, and so on, enter 500 as the sub range. Second, enter the interval between these sub range sets in the Sub Increment field. For the above example, you would enter 1000 in the Sub Increment field. The rest of the bar code encodation to the left of the number of digits entered in the sub increment number is fixed—these digits will not change for the bar code series. Finally, enter the total number of bar codes you wish to generate and print. The last four digits of the bar code number series will generate like this:

1000, 1005 ... 1500

2000, 2005 ... 2500

3000, 3005 ... 3500

...until the total label count is reached.

The label increment fields are defined as follows:

Increment By A number that indicates how the encodation number sequence is incremented.

Sub Range The high sequence number for a sub range of bar code numbers.

Sub Increment If you are using a sub-range, this increment determines the starting sequence number for the next set (sub range) of bar codes.

Total Labels The total number of labels you want to generate.

5. Change the print layout settings as appropriate. Enter the Number Across and Number Down fields to specify the distribution of bar code symbols on the page. Enter the Film Width and Film Length to reflect the page size. Adjust spacing as necessary in the Adjustments (Inches) box to avoid overlapping bar codes. Check the Laser Printer box to proof the bar code symbols.

6. Click OK to continue, or Cancel to exit without applying the changes.

Note: If you opened a print layout in step 3 of this procedure, any changes you make on the Label Print Layout dialog box are automatically updated when you click OK.

7. If you did not open a label print layout, a Macintosh Save File dialog box appears. To save this label print layout, use the dialog box to open the storage folder, enter a label print layout name, and click Save. If you do not wish to save these settings, click Cancel.

8. Start the printing process. The Macintosh Print dialog box displays. Click Print to send the bar code queue to the printer, or Cancel to abort the print job.

Glossary

bar code a series of vertical parallel lines (bars) and spaces of varying widths. Bar codes are arranged in predetermined patterns following unambiguous rules to represent data that are referred to as characters.

bar code density the number of characters that can be represented in a lineal inch.

bar code symbol a graphic image, either printed or photographically reproduced, composed of a series of vertical parallel bars and spaces of varying widths. A bar code symbol contains a leading quiet zone, a start character, one or more data characters (i.e., check character), a stop character, and a trailing quiet zone.

bar width the thickness of a bar. A bar width is measured from the edge closest to the symbol start character to the trailing edge of the same bar.

bar width adjustment (BWA) the adjustment needed to compensate for a print gain or loss. It may be a bar width reduction (BWR) or a bar width gain (BWG).

bar width reduction (BWR) the reduction of the average bar widths as compared to the average space widths on film masters or printing plates to compensate for print gain. A negative value indicates the bars are smaller than the spaces, and conversely a positive value indicates the bars are larger than the spaces (called BWG).

bearer an expandable rectangular box with square or rounded corners circumscribing the bar code. The purpose of the bearer is to provide printing plate support at critical areas near the symbol during flexographic printing.

character a single group of bars and spaces that represent an individual number, letter, or symbol.

check character a character included within a symbol whose value is based, mathematically, on other characters within the symbol. It is used to perform a mathematical check to ensure the accuracy of the read. Same as checksum or check digit.

CODABAR a bar code symbology in which four bars and three spaces are used to represent the digits 0 through 9 and certain special characters. The code is characterized by four unique start/stop characters, variable intercharacter spacing, and code density of up to 10 characters per inch (cpi).

Code 39 a code developed by the Intermec Corporation that encodes 43 data characters. Each data character is represented by nine elements (five bars and four spaces), where three of the nine are wide elements and the remaining are narrow elements. Code 39 also is referred to as “Code 3 of 9.”

Code 128 a code developed by Computer Identics that encodes the full ASCII character set of 128 characters. Each data character is represented by 11 modules and four bar widths.

Code 93 a code developed by the Intermec Corporation that encodes exactly the same characters as Code 39. Each data character is represented by 9 modules which make up three bars and three spaces. Two checksum parameters are recommended to increase code security.

decodability a quantitative measure of cumulative errors contributed by all elements of the bar code symbol, wand, and output device. Each bar code character is measured on an academic scale of A through F, where A represents excellent quality and F represents an unsatisfactory character. Excessive bar width reduction or gain can reduce the decodability of a symbol.

European Article Number (EAN) the international standard bar code developed by IBM for retail food packages corresponding to the Universal Product Code (U.P.C.) in the United States. Also called International Article Number (IAN).

element a generic term used to refer to either a bar or space.

emulsion side the image-bearing side of a film master. Can be identified visually by the slightly raised image. The nonemulsion side is called the base side.

emulsion up, emulsion down orientation of a film master when the human-readable character reads correctly.

encoded area the total lineal dimension of the bar code, including the left and right quiet zones.

film master a precise negative or positive film transparency of a specific bar code symbol from which a printing plate is produced.

first read rate (FRR) the percentage of successful scans per 100 attempts. The FRR is used to determine the user friendliness of the wand scanner to the bar code symbol.

format the geometric construction rules that define a particular bar code symbol. A format is often used as a template to create a number of bar code symbols.

guard bars the tall bars used at the beginning, middle, and end of the U.P.C. and EAN bar code symbols to provide reference points for the scanner.

human readable alpha and numeric characters and special symbols that represent the bar code symbol.

image orientation the orientation (emulsion up or emulsion down) of the image on a film master.

ink fill-in expansion of a mark beyond specified tolerances.

Interleaved 2 of 5 Code developed by the Intermec Corporation for Computer Identics, this symbol encodes the ten digits, 0 through 9. The name is derived from the method that encodes characters in pairs. In the symbol, the two characters are paired, using bars to represent the first character and the interleaving spaces to represent the second character. Each character contains two wide elements and three narrow elements for a total of five elements. The maximum density is 17.8 cpi and the encodation must always be an even number of digits.

light pen a hand-held, pen-like scanner.

magnification factor (MF) the term used to identify the size of a printed U.P.C. or EAN symbol compared to a standard (nominal) size U.P.C. or EAN symbol. A MF of 1.00 (100%) is the nominal size.

micron a unit of measurement equal to one millionth of a meter, or about .00004 inch: 25 microns equal .001 inch.

MSI a code initially developed by the Plessey Company and later modified by MSI Data Corporation that encodes two to thirty numbers (numeric only). Each bit of information is represented by a bar and a space pair with a modulus 10 checksum preceding it, which can be used to determine if an additional modulus 10 or 11 checksum will be added before final checksum. The character set consists of 10 numbers and 6 additional characters.

negative a photographic image of an original copy in reverse from that of the original copy with a normal orientation.

nominal ratio the ratio of wide bar nominal size to narrow bar nominal size. The standard nominal ratio is 3:1 (3.00).

number system character in a U.P.C. symbol, the first or left most digit that serves to define and categorize the item marked with the symbol.

omnidirectional a symbol that can be read regardless of orientation to a given plane.

positive a positive film master has black and white areas in the same relationship as the final printed symbol, that is, the background is white or clear and the human readable characters are black.

print gain gain in bar width in the final printed bar code symbol, compared to the original precision film master; influenced by plate making and ink spread during printing. Film masters are made with a suggested amount of bar width reduction to allow for print gain.

print tolerance an absolute measurement of deviation from a nominal print width, expressed as being plus or minus in thousandths (.001) of an inch.

product identification number in a U.P.C. symbol, a five digit number assigned to a product by the manufacturer.

quiet zone the clear area (margin) to the immediate left of the start character and to the right of the stop character. The margin contains no markings.

start/stop characters distinct characters used as the beginning and end of the bar code to denote the start and finish of a bar code to the scanner.

tolerance see print tolerance

Universal Product Code (U.P.C.) a 12-digit bar code symbol adopted by the grocery industry, which identifies the number system character, five-digit manufacturer number assigned by the UCC, five-digit product number assigned by the manufacturer, and a modulo 10 check digit as the 12th character. Nominal dimensions for the U.P.C. symbol include an element width of 13 mils with a tolerance of (±) 4 mils.

variable length symbol a symbol format that is not fixed beyond basic requirements for overhead characters, such as start/stop codes. A U.P.C. symbol is an example of a fixed length symbol and a Code 39 symbol is an example of a variable length symbol.

verification the technical process by which a symbol is evaluated to determine whether it meets the required specifications for a bar code symbol.

wavelength a term describing the frequency of light radiated by the light emitting diode of a scanner.

wand scanner see light pen.

wide to narrow ratio the ratio between the widest bar or space and the narrowest bar or space.

zero suppression the technique used to shorten U.P.C. codes with a number system character of zero by omitting certain zeroes from the bar code number or encodation.

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Acknowledgments

FineLine Technologies acknowledges all the hard and creative work by the development team of Thomas Duxbury and Michael Hodnett. The SymArt Pro User’s Guide was designed and written by Kevin Ritter and Andrew Brockton and edited by Kim Stamper.

This manual was produced using FrameMaker^®.

FineLine Technologies hereby agrees to grant you a non-exclusive license to use the enclosed SymArt Pro software, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this License Agreement.

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