As Roger mentioned, AFP printers create barcodes from AFP commands. The
commands are created by a Page Definition. The COBOL application simply writes
the data to be encoded at a fixed position in the data. For example, in COBOL
you might write a line containing the value for the barcode:
01 Line-2 Pic X(10) Value '5432109876'.
In the Page Definition, you would code:
Printline repeat 1
position margin next;
/*BARCODE*/
FIELD START 1 LENGTH 10 FONT GT10
POSITION * 0.4
BARCODE
TYPE CODE39
MOD 1
HRI BELOW
HRIFONT GT10
HEIGHT 0.25 IN;
The key concerns are printed barcode dimensions and the data to be encoded.
Each type of barcode has defined limits to the amount of data it can carry and
the size of the symbology (bars, spaces). It's best to start with the default
values. You should test the printed result with a scanner to determine
successful read rates, and if the scanner to be used is inside your company,
tested and adjusted to the scanner for best results.
Note that 3 of 9 (Code 39) is not for encoding standard UPC codes. You need UPC
or EAN Barcodes for that. For more information, see http://www.adams1.com.
Howard Turetzky
Advanced Technical Support, M/S 004L Dept 966
Ricoh Production Print Solutions
6300 Diagonal Hwy, Boulder, CO 80301
[email protected]
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