"Bar codes from fonts? Why not graphics?"
- Text requires no storage. Not so with graphics; they take up space.- Manipulating text is fast and is well-suited for large batch runs.
- Text works within any application. Compatibility is a given.
- Text works across platforms, Windows, Mac, *NIX.
- Font can be fitted into most work processes.
- Fonts print at full resolution and aren't locked to any one printer.
When you look at a bar code, what do you see? Graphics or text? Most people "see" a picture. We see a chunk of text formatted in a symbol font. Think of the barcode as a word made up of letters. A barcode font has letters that make up the word.If you do need to create a barcode as a graphic, choose your file format carefully. A low-res GIF may work on a web site but it won't work as camera-ready art. Likewise JPG's involve compression and that reduces a barcode's quality and scannability. An uncompressed EPS or PDF file is a better choice.