How Can Line Printers Create Barcode Labels?

Did you know you can use a line printer to create barcodes?

Line matrix printers have historically provided high quality barcodes by generating barcodes within the printer. But many new computer applications create and modify barcodes within the application and send to the printer as graphics.

The strength of line matrix is in producing high quality output from protocols that create text and bar codes within the printer, as opposed to creating these elements within the host application. Line matrix products are highly reliable but print at a lower resolution than most other printing technologies. When the host applications create high-density graphics, the operating system scales them down to the target resolution.

With this action, there can be some loss of quality during the scale-down process. Furthermore, the scale-down process does not account for the larger line matrix dot sizes. These oversights might be acceptable for cosmetic elements (e.g., logos), but could be an issue for critical elements such as barcodes which must be scannable by a barcode reader.

While some applications offer methods for barcodes to be created within the printer, newer applications send barcodes down to printers as graphics. Any graphic element must be scaled to the target DPI of the printer, whether up or down.

Since laser and MFP products are operating at high densities, such as 600×600 or 1200×1200, they are able to produce high quality graphics and bar code output. Printers that operate at lower resolutions have challenges producing good barcodes from graphics.

MIDCOM has been providing solutions to companies for line printers and barcode labeling since 1982. Talk to one of our Specialist today by calling (800) 643-2664 .