Wasp Barcode Maker User Manual

Wasp Barcode Maker Quick Start Guide
CONGRATULATIONS
The following topics are discussed in this document:
INSTALL THE SOFTWARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
STANDARD VS. PROFESSIONAL EDITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . .7
BARCODE MAKER PROGRAM FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
UNDERSTANDING BARCODES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
CREATING BARCODES IN MICROSOFT WORD
USING THE ACTIVEX TOOLBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
CREATING A BARCODE IN EXCEL USING
THE FONT TOOLBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
DECIDING WHEN TO USE FONT OR
ACTIVEX BARCODES IN EXCEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
WHERE TO FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . .18
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Wasp Barcode Maker Quick Start Guide
INSTALL THE SOFTWARE
1
Insert the installation disk into your computer.
Note for Windows Vista Users: You may see a screen alerting you that the software needs permission to continue. Click Continue on the message to start the installation program. This message appears if UAC (User Account Control) is turned on.
After the setup program finishes preparing the InstallShield wizard, the following message appears:
If the setup program does not automatically start, right-click on the Start icon and click the Explore option. Click on the disk drive location containing your Installation CD to expose the CD contents. Locate the Setup.exe program and double click on it. The installation process will begin.
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Wasp Barcode Maker Quick Start Guide
2
You may receive the following question:
You should turn off all anti-virus programs and firewalls before proceeding with the installation. You can turn them back on after the installation is complete. Click Yes when you are ready to continue.
3
Click Next on this screen to begin installing Barcode Maker.
Next the License Agreement screen appears:
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4
Review the license agreement, then select I accept the terms of the license agreement. Click the Next button to continue. You will not be able to continue installing the application until you select the I accept the terms of the license agreement option.
The User Registration screen appears:
5
Enter your User Name (this can be any name of your choice), your Company Name and the Serial Number. The serial number can be found on or in the case containing your Barcode Maker software.
Next a screen displays listing the default Destination Folder for installation of Barcode Maker:
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6
Click the Next button to continue. The Ready to Install
screen appears:
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If you want to make changes to your destination folder at this point, click the Back button. If you are ready to install Barcode Maker, click the Install button.
A series of progress screens appear. The installation process may take a few minutes. Some of the third party software installation may not show progress; please be patient and give it a few minutes to complete.
You may see a screen similar to the following:
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8
Click OK on this message to continue.
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After the entire installation process is complete, a screen will
appear asking if you want to reboot your computer:
Select Yes, I want to restart my computer now, remove any installation disks from their drives, then click Finish. Your system will reboot. The Barcode Maker icon will appear on your desktop.
The first time you run your software you should visit our website and register the software. When you register make sure to pick Barcode Maker as the product and use the serial number you used during installation to register. An activation key will be emailed to you that will fully enable the application.
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Wasp Barcode Maker Quick Start Guide
STANDARD VS. PROFESSIONAL EDITIONS
Wasp Barcode Maker is a powerful barcode creation program that seamlessly allows you to create barcodes in Microsoft®Word, Excel, and Access database, depending on the version you purchased.
The Professional version of Wasp Barcode Maker allows you to:
Create barcodes directly in Microsoft Word or Access using
the integrated ActiveX toolbar and share those files with other people.
Create barcodes directly in Excel using the integrated ActiveX toolbar, or the Fonts toolbar and share those files with other people
Create barcodes in Crystal Reports
Create a barcode directly in Barcode Maker, save it as a .bcm
file, and share the file with other people.
Print and scan barcodes created using Barcode Maker.
This version comes pre-packaged with 2D barcodes.
The Standard version of Wasp Barcode Maker allows you to:
Create barcodes directly in Microsoft Word using the
integrated ActiveX toolbar and share those files with other people.
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Wasp Barcode Maker Quick Start Guide
Create barcodes using in Excel using the integrated ActiveX toolbar, or the Fonts toolbar and share those files with other people
Create a barcode directly in Barcode Maker, save it as a .bcm file, and share the file with other people.
Print and scan barcodes created using Barcode Maker.
BARCODE MAKER PROGRAM FEATURES
Below are features of the Barcode Maker program that are important to understand.
Unavailable Options and Tools - After you select the barcode symbology, the program makes your job easy because any barcode attributes that do not apply to that symbology will not be available to you on the toolbar or in the Barcode Maker Main Window. For example, if the symbology does not support check digit, the check digit box will be unavailable. This feature applies as well to Special and Nonprintable Characters, described below.
Special and Nonprintable Characters - Barcode Maker makes it possible to add Special and Nonprintable Characters to the barcode value by simply clicking a button and selecting an ASCII Character from the list. Any Characters that do not apply to a symbology become unavailable.
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Wasp Barcode Maker Quick Start Guide
Illegal and Incomplete Barcode Messages - If you enter a barcode value that is not supported by a particular barcode symbology, Barcode Maker will display a message letting you know that the barcode value is either illegal or incomplete. For example, the Interleaved 2 of 5 barcode symbology requires numbers. If you include a letter in the barcode value, you will receive a message telling you that there is an illegal character in your barcode. An incomplete barcode is one that does not include the required number of characters. For example, PostNet, which is used to barcode zip codes, requires 5, 9 or 11 digits. If the barcode you enter only has 4 digits, you will receive an incomplete character message.
Special and Nonprintable Characters: Certain barcode symbologies use Special or Nonprintable Characters. For example, Code 3 of 9 Full ASCII can be extended to an 128 character symbology (full ASCII) by combining one of the special characters ($, /, %, +) with a letter (A-Z) to form the characters that are not present in the standard Code 3 of 9 symbology. In standard Code 3 of 9 a lowercase "a" cannot be represented. In Code 3 of 9 Full ASCII a lowercase "a" is represented as "+A". See Barcode Symbologies in the Barcode Maker online help for more information about the use of Special and Nonprintable Characters in barcodes.
Check Digit - Check digit is a character included within a barcode symbol that is used to perform a mathematical check to ensure the accuracy of the scanned data. It checks that the barcode meets the specifications set for the barcode symbology. Not all barcode symbologies support check digit. If you select a symbology that does not support check digit, Barcode Maker makes check digit unavailable to you on the toolbar or in the Main Window. See Barcode Symbologies in the Barcode Maker online help for more information on barcode symbology specifications.
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Bar Width - When you create barcodes, you have the option of choosing a range of widths for your barcode.
Foreground/Background Colors - When you create a barcode, you can choose a foreground color (the color of the barcode itself) and a background color (the color of the surface behind the barcode). Choose foreground and background colors that print with sufficient contrast to be scannable. Black barcodes on white backgrounds are commonly used because they scan easily. It may be useful to test a few of your barcodes by printing them out and scanning them.
UNDERSTANDING BARCODES
What is a Barcode?
Barcodes are symbols that store information. They simplify the movement and sale of goods and the storage, movement, tracking and use of information. Barcodes consist of a series of scannable bars and spaces that can be printed on packages, cartons, bottles, and other commercial products. The bars and spaces in each symbol are grouped in such a way to represent a specific ASCII character or function. In addition to the scannable part of a barcode, many barcodes have readable numbers and letters that appear below and surrounding the bars. With products in the grocery store, for example, the barcode stores a number that is associated with a product. Through the stored number, the barcode can be set up to cross reference an electronic file with information such as the price and on-hand inventory counts.
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Wasp Barcode Maker Quick Start Guide
There are many different types of barcodes. Each type has its own symbology, or set of rules. One very familiar barcode symbology is UPC-A (Universal Product Code-A). UPC-A is fixed length and is the most common UPC barcode for retail product labeling. It is seen in most grocery stores across the United States. The symbology encodes a 12-digit numeric only number. The first six digits are assigned from the GS1 US in Lawrenceville, New Jersey (formerly the Uniform Code Council or UCC), the next five digits are assigned by the manufacturer, and the final digit is a modulo 10 check digit. The nominal height for the UPC-A barcode is one inch. The reduced size is 80% of the nominal size.
Specifications, or rules, govern the way the bars and spaces are grouped and whether or not and how numbers are used for each barcode symbology. Various symbologies have been developed for particular industries. Some examples are shipping and receiving, manufacturing, retail, health care, transportation, document processing and tracking, and libraries.
Choosing a Barcode Symbology
As a general rule, the business you are in and the need you have for a barcode will determine the type of barcode you would use. Some symbologies, such as UPC, are used for retail product labeling and are licensed to the user by a third party. Code 3 of 9 is the most popular of all the symbologies and is recommended for first-time users. Please refer to Symbologies Supported in
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Barcode Maker for a list of symbologies supported in Barcode Maker. Detailed information about barcode symbology standards can be found in Barcode Symbologies found in the Barcode Maker online help.
CREATING BARCODES IN MICROSOFT WORD USING THE ACTIVEX TOOLBAR
The following steps provide a basic outline for creating a barcode using the ActiveX toolbar in Microsoft Word. For more detailed instructions, please review the topic Creating Barcodes in Microsoft Word and Excel in the Barcode Maker online help. To access the online help, open Barcode Maker and click Help >
Contents.
1
Open a document in Microsoft Word. The Barcode Maker toolbar appears in your document. If it does not appear, click the Add-in option on the Word menu bar.
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Wasp Barcode Maker Quick Start Guide
2
Select a barcode type from the symbology box.
a. Enter a barcode value directly into the document and
select the value.
3
Click the New Barcode button. The barcode(s) appears in your document and the Design Mode toolbox appears on the page. Scroll over the barcode with your mouse. Use the move handle to drag and drop the barcode, if desired.
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To resize the barcode, select it, then use the sizing handles to increase or decrease the box surrounding the barcode.
Then, use the barcode properties to increase the font size to fit the box.
To edit the barcode after it is created, select the barcode, and click the Edit Barcode button on the ActiveX toolbar or right-click on the barcode and select Edit. This opens the Barcode Maker Dialog Bar. To leave the Dialog Bar, click anywhere in the document.
Note: To edit the barcode, you should right-click on it and select Edit, or click the Edit Barcode button on the toolbar. Do not double-click on the barcode, or a Visual Basic window will appear, as is normal with ActiveX controls. If you do inadvertently open the Visual Basic window, simply close it to return to Word and continue working.
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Wasp Barcode Maker Quick Start Guide
CREATING A BARCODE IN EXCEL USING THE FONT TOOLBAR
1
Open a document in Excel. The Barcode Maker toolbar appears in your document. If you do not see the toolbar, click the Add-In option on Excel's menu bar.
Note: You can switch to the ActiveX toolbar bar clicking Switch to ActiveX.
2
Select a symbology from the symbology box. Notice that once you choose a symbology, some of the features on the toolbar become unavailable because they are not a required by the specifications for the chosen symbology. This program feature makes choosing the symbology before you choose other barcode attributes an efficient way to work.
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3
Select the cell (not the value in the cell) by clicking once on a
blank cell and then selecting the cell or cells with the values.
4
Click the Create Font Barcode button from the toolbar.
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Wasp Barcode Maker Quick Start Guide
DECIDING WHEN TO USE FONT OR ACTIVEX BARCODES IN EXCEL
As mentioned previously in this document, Barcode Maker provides you with two options for creating barcodes in Microsoft E x c e l . This following information outlines when you should choose each format:
Use the ActiveX barcode control for creating barcodes with the Wasp Barcode Maker ActiveX toolbar when:
You want to send the Excel spreadsheet to another user who
does not have Barcode Maker installed.
You want to create a barcode that can be placed anywhere on the Excel sheet (i.e. not bound to a cell).
Your Excel spreadsheet will contain less than 200 barcodes (number chosen for optimal performance).
You want to link the value of a cell to a barcode, so that when the value changes the barcode also changes.
You want to control the Bar Width property and fine tune the density of the generated barcode to be different than “High”, ”Medium”, ”Low”.
You need 2D symbologies. The 2D symbologies are only available through the ActiveX barcode control. 2D symbologies are available in the Professional version.
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Use text barcode fonts by creating barcodes with the Wasp Barcode Maker Fonts toolbar when:
You want to create more than 200+ barcodes in the Excel
spreadsheet.
You do not need portability (sending to another user who does not have Barcode Maker installed) and printing will be done on machines that have Barcode Maker installed.
You want to use OCR fonts for Optical Character Recognition Applications.
You want to use MICR font to print checks. Please be aware that the Wasp MICR must be picked from the Excel font list to use the MICR fonts.
WHERE TO FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
You can find detailed information on creating barcodes using Wasp Barcode Maker in the online help found in your software. Additional information for all topics discussed in this Quick Start Guide can be found in the Barcode Maker Help file. There is also a .pdf of the Help file included on your installation CD that you can view and/or print. When you are first learning to use Barcode Maker, it is a good idea to have the Barcode Maker program open
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Wasp Barcode Maker Quick Start Guide
even if you are creating barcodes only in Word, Excel or Access so you can quickly access the Help if needed.
After installation you can open Word, Excel, Access etc. and the Barcode Maker toolbar(s) will be available to begin making barcodes. To access the Barcode Maker help from these programs:
Open the Barcode Maker software by clicking on the icon on your desktop or through the Start menu. Click on Help or press F1 in the Barcode Maker software.
OR
Create a barcode in Word, Excel or Access. Highlight the barcode and click the Edit button on the ActiveX or Font toolbar or right-click on the barcode and select Wasp Barcode Maker Control Object>Edit. The Dialog Bar will appear. Click the Help button on the Dialog Bar to access Barcode Maker online help.
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Wasp Barcode Maker Quick Start Guide
You can use the Search tab in the help file to enter your question, enter a keyword on the Index tab, or use the Table of Contents to find information.
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Wasp®Barcode Technologies
1400 10th Street, Plano, Texas 75074
Tel: 214.547.4100 • Fax: 214.547.4101
www.waspbarcode.com
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