Frequently
Asked Questions on BCG (FAQ)
Frequently
Asked Questions on BCG (FAQ) |
Below you will find questions which we frequently receive on BCG and their answers; if you still can not find what you need, write to: szp@zanella-hifi.com.
Answers |
Q: Can BCG
create barcodes having the following features...?
A: A demo version is available upon request; it can be used
to verify if the software satisfy your needs. The demo version changes a few digits, but
the circular barcodes created are still readable and work well for testing purposes. BCG
has been on the market for several years, during which many features were added: today it
can recreate any circular barcode which is usually employed in the video market.
Q: I am not sure
about which settings I should change to create the barcodes I need; what can I do?
A: The easiest way to obtain what you need is using the
"QuickSet" function inside "Barcode properties", then select from the
list of templates the barcode that is most similar to the one you need. If, despite your
efforts, you still can not obtain the required barcode, contact us for additional
information. We usually require a hi-res capture (at least 300 dpi) of the target barcode
to determine correct settings for BCG; do not send big attachments by e-mail if not
specifically instructed to do so.
Q: The target
barcode which I need is not exactly the same created by BCG; what can I do?
A: Even if the barcode created by BCG is not exactly
identical to your target barcode, the symbologies for which barcode readers are built are
market standards which have been around, in some cases, for more than fifty years; the
purpose of marking an object with a barcode is simply to automatically identify it among
others; thus, any aesthetical difference has no practical consequence if the scanner can
read the barcode. For example: a few labels on the market have the HRC written
horizontally, taking up a large sector in the barcode; BCG prints the HRC along a radius,
taking up a lot less space, thus making the symbol more easily readable.
Q: Which
symbologies are reccomended for the barcodes?
A: The most commonly used symbologies are: Code 128, EAN 8
and Interleaved 2/5 for circular barcodes; Code 128 and Code 39 for linear barcodes.
Except for Code 39, all other symbologies should be used with a check digit (for Code 128
and EAN 8 it is always needed, for Interleaved 2/5 it is optional but reccomended to avoid
incomplete readings).
Q: How do you
suggest to encode information?
A: A few symbologies, which only encode numbers, are very
compact: e.g. Interleaved 2/5, EAN 8. Other symbologies are alphanumeric, but are
convenient (in terms of space taken up) only when representing numbers: e.g. Code 128.
Alphanumeric codes are usually considered only when encoding numbers not in base 10.
Q: Which
printers are reccomended for circular barcodes?
A: Laser printers are very easy to use: they feature high
resolutions (600 or 1200 dpi), high speed and lot of memory. Besides, they do not require
special settings before being used. Thermal transfer printers are more difficult to use
and have lower resolutions; 300 dpi is the minimum reccomended: the lower the resolution,
the bigger is the resulting barcode (depending on symbology and number of characters to be
encoded, there is the risk to extend beyond the free area in the center of the CD/DVD).
Q: Why I cannot
print a full page of barcodes?
A: Circular barcodes require lot of memory for printing;
when compared to linear barcodes (in which every line is equal to the previous one),
circular barcodes compress poorly because every line is different from the previous and
the following one. If you cannot print a full page, the reason is insufficient memory: you
need to buy a memory expansion.
Q: I have
problems aligning prints on paper with my thermal transfer printer; any suggestions?
A: Thermal transfer printers require a specific skill for
configuration and use; it is usually better to ask the reseller for suggestions. BCG uses
default document settings for the selected printer; thermal transfer printers usually
require to carefully specify paper size and label type. We suggest to use only labels with
black mark (preferred) or with gaps: do not rely on printer mechanism for proper
alignment, it is never accurate enough.
Q: Why sometimes
barcodes appear partially printed or with artifacts/print errors using my thermal transfer
printer?
A: The problem is not with BCG, but with printer drivers:
actually, when using laser or ink-jet printers these problems never arise. We reccomend to
change printer drivers; a good source of free thermal printer drivers is: www.seagullscientific.com . Sometimes, it is
advisable to increase printer memory or to update printer firmware: ask your local
reseller.
Q: Why is
barcode printing so slow?
A: Circular barcodes require a lot of memory, thus the
amount of data that need to be transferred to the printer is big. BCG can generate
barcodes at very high speed, the bottleneck is determined by printer speed and the way it
is connected to the computer. We reccomend to link the printer in one of these ways (in
order of preference): USB, ethernet. Usually, printer speed is also
influenced by the amount of memory in the printer: more memory allows to achieve greater
speed.
Q: Can we buy
printing media (labels) together with the software?
A: SZP only deals in software, requests for printing media
are turned to label makers with which we usually work; anyway, it is preferable that the
customer directs his requests to a local label maker or typography. On the market there
are thousands of printers and hundreds of different barcode layouts; there is no standard
for label format and label layout: there are printers using paper in rolls, other using
single sheets, other fanfold sheets; label separation can be a gap (of various height) or
a black mark on the back (in different positions and heights); the material with which
labels are made can be simple paper, PVC or Primax; the ribbon must also be chosen
accordingly...
Q: How is BCG
protected?
A: BCG is protected in
different ways: a USB dongle; a software key. Software
key is usually offered to foreign customers; this key is generated from the
hardware ID of the computer where the software will be installed.
Q: Is it
possible to import barcodes created with BCG in other programs?
A: Yes, it is, but this is not usually advisable. BCG can
save in Windows Bitmap (BMP) or Paintbrush (PCX) format many different layouts; not all
the variants are supported, anyway. As an alternative, if the user owns a copy of Acrobat
Distiller, he can print to Acrobat and later import the PDF file into other applications
(e.g. CorelDraw), where he will convert lines to curves, thus creating drawings of
barcodes which can be freely resized while maintaining the correct proportions between the
bars.
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