Printing Barcodes
Barcodes are printed with various printing methods. Variable barcodes (barcodes that are different across a print run) must be printed with digital printers; static barcodes can be printed by any type of printers.
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Rendering Barcodes
For printing standard barcodes, the print software renders the image to print based on the underlying data of the barcodes; the image does not need to be provided. For non-standard barcodes (colorized, special dot shapes, logos…) an image of the barcodes must be provided for printing, as printing software usually does not know how to print customized barcodes.
Quiet Space
A barcode must have an area of white quiet around it so that it can be properly scanned; this is called the “quiet zone”. If there is not enough quiet zone the scanner will be unable to differentiate the barcode from the surrounding content and the barcode will not be able to be scanned.