Printing barcodes in a production environment?

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to solve a particular
problem. A client wants to print barcode labels from their (web/php
based application). The barcode labels are very small, so I'm guessing
that doing a screendump via a standard inkjet isn't going to work
(i.e. might need somehow to print to a barcode printer!)

Any ideas where to start?

Thanks in advance.

re: Printing barcodes in a production environment?

"Murray Elliot" <too_much_spam@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c0tu015coc3lb6itjgo1e5rqqjdr7qnpv5@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to solve a particular
> problem. A client wants to print barcode labels from their (web/php
> based application). The barcode labels are very small, so I'm guessing
> that doing a screendump via a standard inkjet isn't going to work
> (i.e. might need somehow to print to a barcode printer!)
>
> Any ideas where to start?
>
> Thanks in advance.[/color]

Barcode technology & printers have been around for a long time (at least in
high tech spans). Visit the websites of one or two of the biggies in the
business. You should find white papers and other explanations that will tip
you in the right direction.

George

re: Printing barcodes in a production environment?

Murray Elliot wrote:[color=blue]
> Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to solve a particular
> problem. A client wants to print barcode labels from their (web/php
> based application). The barcode labels are very small, so I'm guessing
> that doing a screendump via a standard inkjet isn't going to work
> (i.e. might need somehow to print to a barcode printer!)[/color]


There are different "plugins", most seems to be commercial ones.
If you are interested in postscript based barcodes, then you can take a look
at www.terryburton.co.uk/barcodewriter/index.html


//Aho

re: Printing barcodes in a production environment?

Google for "barcode truetype font". Then check out
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/...t3/default.htm on
how to embed fonts into HTML pages.

re: Printing barcodes in a production environment?

Murray Elliot wrote:[color=blue]
> Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to solve a particular
> problem. A client wants to print barcode labels from their (web/php
> based application). The barcode labels are very small, so I'm guessing
> that doing a screendump via a standard inkjet isn't going to work
> (i.e. might need somehow to print to a barcode printer!)
>
> Any ideas where to start?[/color]

Why do the same work twice?

http://pear.php.net/package/Image_Barcode

re: Printing barcodes in a production environment?

Thanks for the feedback guys, I'm pretty clear on barcode generation
per-se, so perhaps my quetsion wasn't as clear as it should have been,

I'm more concerned about the practical ability to align a web page
printout with printer label stock... i.e. I can generate a page with
rows of barcodes on them, but how do you ensure that the bracodes and
the labels line up when output?

Thanks again.

re: Printing barcodes in a production environment?

> Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to solve a particular[color=blue]
> problem. A client wants to print barcode labels from their (web/php
> based application). The barcode labels are very small, so I'm guessing
> that doing a screendump via a standard inkjet isn't going to work
> (i.e. might need somehow to print to a barcode printer!)
>
> Any ideas where to start?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>[/color]

http://pear.php.net/package-info.php...=Image_Barcode

re: Printing barcodes in a production environment?

Murray Elliot wrote:[color=blue]
> Thanks for the feedback guys, I'm pretty clear on barcode generation
> per-se, so perhaps my quetsion wasn't as clear as it should have been,
>
> I'm more concerned about the practical ability to align a web page
> printout with printer label stock... i.e. I can generate a page with
> rows of barcodes on them, but how do you ensure that the bracodes and
> the labels line up when output?[/color]

It sounds difficult to do because of the way people might have set up
their browsers (margins, headers, etc). I think what you probably need
to do is either build a postscript or pdf file via the webpage, and send
that to printer, or alternatively, talk to the printer directly via
serial/parallel port (albeit, that's a lot of work).

/Marcin

re: Printing barcodes in a production environment?

Em Sun, 13 Feb 2005 15:39:05 +0000, Murray Elliot escreveu:
[color=blue]
> Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to solve a particular
> problem. A client wants to print barcode labels from their (web/php
> based application). The barcode labels are very small, so I'm guessing
> that doing a screendump via a standard inkjet isn't going to work
> (i.e. might need somehow to print to a barcode printer!)
>
> Any ideas where to start?
>
> Thanks in advance.[/color]

The best way to have exact positioning is to create a PDF.
Have a look at www.fpdf.org
There are several scripts with barcodes.

re: Printing barcodes in a production environment?

Just dump it to the PNG image. White and black won't take much size.


"Murray Elliot" <too_much_spam@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:gv71111sjrm8n7gkjsh21v9530bp8s572n@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> Thanks for the feedback guys, I'm pretty clear on barcode generation
> per-se, so perhaps my quetsion wasn't as clear as it should have been,
>
> I'm more concerned about the practical ability to align a web page
> printout with printer label stock... i.e. I can generate a page with
> rows of barcodes on them, but how do you ensure that the bracodes and
> the labels line up when output?
>
> Thanks again.[/color]

re: Printing barcodes in a production environment?

Murray Elliot wrote:
[color=blue]
> Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to solve a particular
> problem. A client wants to print barcode labels from their (web/php
> based application). The barcode labels are very small, so I'm guessing
> that doing a screendump via a standard inkjet isn't going to work
> (i.e. might need somehow to print to a barcode printer!)
>
> Any ideas where to start?
>
> Thanks in advance.[/color]

barcodes are actually fonts. This means that a barcode label is actually
very close to any other output. For low-end work you can print to laser
printers. Of course if the workstation does not have the font...

I google'd "barcode fonts windows" and out they came.

When you start to go high-end there are thermal barcode printers that have
built-in abilities.

--
Kenneth Downs
Secure Data Software, Inc.
(Ken)nneth@(Sec)ure(Dat)a(.com)

re: Printing barcodes in a production environment?

I do it by printing it to a gif and then working out spacing it for whatever
the printer it will normally print off of has set for top and left margins.

I used to do this with checks and the funky micr font on the bottom that has
to be exactly x/32 of an inch from the bottom of each check. Then, someone
several states away, clicks the link and prints the check page - 3 on a page
in one big gif. Is only two colors so still downloads quickly.

PHP graphics routines will let you do true-type fonts in *nix. Isn't PHP
great?

John

"Kenneth Downs" <knode.wants.this@see.sigblock> wrote in message
news:1bfqf2-pi7.ln1@pluto.downsfam.net...[color=blue]
> Murray Elliot wrote:
>[color=green]
> > Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to solve a particular
> > problem. A client wants to print barcode labels from their (web/php
> > based application). The barcode labels are very small, so I'm guessing
> > that doing a screendump via a standard inkjet isn't going to work
> > (i.e. might need somehow to print to a barcode printer!)
> >
> > Any ideas where to start?
> >
> > Thanks in advance.[/color]
>
> barcodes are actually fonts. This means that a barcode label is actually
> very close to any other output. For low-end work you can print to laser
> printers. Of course if the workstation does not have the font...
>
> I google'd "barcode fonts windows" and out they came.
>
> When you start to go high-end there are thermal barcode printers that have
> built-in abilities.
>
> --
> Kenneth Downs
> Secure Data Software, Inc.
> (Ken)nneth@(Sec)ure(Dat)a(.com)[/color]