Specifications

Fonts and Bar Codes
Bar Codes
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45541L-004 Rev. A ZPL II Programming Guide 9/15/06
Bar Codes
Every bar code contains data made up of a sequence of light spaces and dark bars that
represent letters, numbers, or other graphic characters. The usable characters differ among the
various kinds of bar codes. Each bar code section in the Command Reference provides a table
of applicable characters. Start and stop characters and check digits are used by many, but not
all, bar codes. These will be indicated in the specific bar code explanations.
Zebra printers can print the following kinds of bar codes:
Basic Format for Bar Codes
The basic format for bar codes is quiet zone, start character, data, check digit, stop character,
and quiet zone. Not all bar codes require each of these elements.
Every bar code requires a quiet zone. A quiet zone (sometimes called a “clear area”) is an area
adjacent to the machine-readable symbols that ensure proper reading (decoding) of the
symbols. No printing is permissible within this area. Preprinted characters, borders, and
background color are acceptable if they are invisible to the reading device; these are used in
some applications but restrict the type of reading device that can be used. The size of the quiet
zone depends on the size of bar widths (usually 10 times the width of the narrow bar).
Bar code modulus “X” dimensions
• Picket fence (non-rotated) orientation:
• 203 dpi = 0.0049 in. mil to 0.049 in.
• 300 dpi = 0.0033 in. mil to 0.033 in.
• Ladder (rotated) orientation:
• 203 dpi = 0.0049 in. mil to 0.049 in.
• 300 dpi = 0.0039 in. mil to 0.039 in.
Linear bar codes
•Code 11
•Code 39
•Code 93
• Code 128 with subsets A/B C and
UCC Case Codes
•ISBT-128
•UPC-A
•UPC-E
• EAN-8
• EAN-13
• UPC and EAN 2 or 5 digit extensions
• Plessey
•Postnet
• Standard 2 of 5
• Industrial 2 of 5
• Interleaved 2 of 5
• LOGMARS
•MSI
•Codabar
•RSS-14
Two-dimensional bar codes
• Code 49
• Maxi Code
•PDF-417
•QR Code
• Codablock
• DataMatrix
• Micro-PDF417
Bar code ratios
•2:1
•7:3
•5:2
•3:1