There are several different types of barcodes and I’ll try to show you how to create as many of them as possible for free. In order to create certain types of barcodes, you need specialized commercial software, so I won’t mention those. The most common 1D barcodes are Code 39, Code 128, UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, etc. 2D barcodes include DataMatrix, PDF 417 and QR codes.

To create a barcode, you need to install a barcode font onto your system and then use that font in any program that supports fonts like Word, WordPad, etc.

Download Barcode Font

The most popular barcode fonts are Code 39, Code 128 and QR code fonts. ..

QR codes are the perfect way to store large amounts of data. They are also great for short text, as they can handle a lot of text quickly. Code 39 is best for very short text, as it is long and easy to read. Code 128 can handle a lot more text and the barcode will remain relatively small.

However, there are a few caveats about using 1D barcodes in Word. Most 1D barcodes require a start and stop character in the barcode for it to be scannable. For Code 39, all you have to do is add the start symbol (*) to the front and back of the text.

If you want to include a space in a Code 39 barcode, you have to use the equals symbol (=). So, you would have to type Hello=John in Word to get the text Hello John when scanned.

For Code 128, it can be a little more complicated than just starting and stopping symbols. You need to include some special checksum characters in your text, and you can’t do it on your own. I’ll walk you through the steps below so that you can get started.

H e l l o ..

A QR code can store a lot of data, but that is only if you generate the QR code using third-party software or using a free online barcode generator. If you’re going to use Word, you’ll have to live with one QR code storing just one letter, number or symbol.

Install Barcode Font

Once you have downloaded the font, it will normally be included in a ZIP archive. Go to your downloads folder in Explorer, right-click on the archive and choose Extract All. ..

If you double-click on the TTF file, a window will pop up that shows you the different sizes of the font.

The font installation process in Word is simple. You will find the Fonts folder at the top of your C:\Windows\Fonts folder. Once you have located the Fonts folder, you will need to click on the Install button and then select the new font from the list of fonts that will be installed.

If you have a barcode font installed, you can now use it to read barcodes! The font is installed and ready to use.

Generating Barcodes in Word

Now that we have a Code 39 barcode, it’s time to generate it. To do this, I downloaded and installed the IDAutomation Code 39 font, which adds the text that you type to the bottom of the barcode. All of the other ones just show the barcode, but I’m using this one for instructional purposes.

Next, you will need to choose a font. I recommend using Arial or Helvetica. Once you have chosen your font, go ahead and copy and paste the text into the barcode generator. After you have copied and pasted the text, click on the “Generate Barcode” button. The barcode will be generated and will be shown below. ..

Here’s how to create a barcode with code 39:

  1. Choose the text you want to encode and then select the Code 39 font from the list.
  2. The text will automatically be converted into a barcode and you’ll see it at the bottom for this particular barcode.

You can now scan the 39 barcode on your smartphone using a mobile app. Skip down to the Scanning Barcodes section to learn how you can scan it using a smartphone app.

https://www.codec128.com/codes/code128.html

To encode text:

  1. Type the text you want to encode into the Data to Encode box.
  2. Click on the Code 128 button at the top left.
  3. The Encoded Text box will generate the appropriate text, which you can then copy and paste into Word.
  4. Make sure to increase the size of the font to 48 or 72. ..

To create a Code 128 barcode, you will need to install the Code 128 font on your computer. Once installed, open a text editor and type in the following: Now select the text and change it to the Code 128 barcode font you installed. It should create a nice looking barcode, which you can then scan. The only issue I ran into was spaces in Code 128 barcodes. When using the online encoder, it uses a special character for the space, but when I converted that to a barcode, the special character remained and wasn’t converted into a space. Couldn’t figure out how to fix it, so if you figure it out, let us know! ..

Barcode encoders are useful for generating various barcodes, such as Code 93, UPC-E and other formats. ..

Scanning Barcodes

If you don’t have a physical barcode scanner, you can use free apps to scan your barcodes. ..

Apps like these are great because you can create the barcode on your computer and scan them using the app before you even print them out. This way, you can check to make sure they are scannable first. ..

I absolutely love Beep on my iPhone! It’s a very simple barcode scanner that supports many different types of barcodes, and it’s really fast and free. I highly recommend it! ..

When scanning a barcode, the Android app will tell you the type of barcode (Code 39, 128, etc), and it will also show you the text at the top left. However, I haven’t used any myself so I can’t say for sure which ones are best for Android.

Word has a built-in barcode reader that you can use to read and store data in your documents. To get started, you’ll need to create a new document and add a barcode to it. Here’s how:

  1. Open Word and click the File tab.
  2. Click the New button on the left side of the screen.
  3. Type in a name for your document, such as “My Document.”
  4. Click the OK button to create your document and add a barcode to it.
  5. Click the Save As button on the right side of the screen and choose a filename for your document, such as “MyBarCodeDocument.”
  6. Click the OK button to save your document with your new barcode in it.