Creating Barcode Labels

Applicable version : 1.00 and later

 Card Colour :
Caution is required when using white barcode stickers on white card.  The decoder uses an infra-red light source and what appears to be white to the human eye might appear as black to the decoder.  As long as the sticker looks whiter than the card it will operate correctly.  If the sticker looks darker than the card then the decoder will not operate correctly.

We recommend that a dark coloured card, such as blue, be used.

Barcode Position :
The gap between the bottom of the barcode stripes and the bottom edge of the card must not exceed 6 mm.  This includes any lamination. 

Wide to Narrow Ratio :
To enable a decoder to distinguish between the wide and narrow elements a minimum wide to narrow ratio is needed. Depending upon which resolution has been used for the printing of the bar code, the width of the wide element should be at least two times greater than the narrow element. A ratio of three to one is better. All elements of the same type should be printed the same size. (The width of a narrow bar should be the same as a narrow space.)

We recommend a four to one ratio be used.

Please refer to the article on the Hewlett Packard web site from more detailed information.

www.hp.com/HP-COMP/barcode/sg/Misc/code_39.html

Advanced :
At least one bar code manufacturer has called this specification

Code 3 of 9 MARK(3) SPACE(1)