Font Parameters

This section describes the parameters for creating the fonts used in bar codes.

T Parameter

The T parameter controls which type of bar code is used. The command for specifying the T parameter is as follows, where T is a typeface number.
Typeface Number
Corresponding Parameter
Typeface Number
Corresponding Parameter
24600
UPC-A
24621
EAN/JAN-8 + 2
24601
UPC-A + 2
24622
EAN/JAN-8 + 5
24602
UPC-A + 5
24630
EAN/JAN-13
24610
UPC-E (UPC-E0 & UPC-E1)
24631
EAN/JAN-13 + 2
24611
UPC-E + 2
24632
EAN/JAN-13 + 5
24612
UPC-E + 5
24650
25 industrial
24640
25 (2 of 5) interleaved
24651
25 industrial + CHK
24641
25 interleaved + CHK
24660
25 matrix
24642
German Postal 25 Leitcode 13
24661
25 matrix + CHK
24643
German Postal 25 Leitcode 11
24700
128 autoswitch
24670
39 (3 of 9)
24701
128 A
24671
39 + CHK
24702
128 B
24672
39 (3 of 9) encode space before data
24704
128 C
24673
39 + CHK encode space before data
24703
128 C (obsolete)
24680
39 extended
24710
UCC-128 (19 digits only)
24681
39 extended + CHK
24720
EAN/UCC-128
24675
Danish PTT 39 bar code
24770
ZIP + 4 POSTNET 5
24676
French Postal 39 A/R
24771
ZIP + 4 POSTNET 9
24690
93
24772
ZIP + 4 POSTNET 11
24691
93 extended
23591
USPS ZEBRA
24644
USPS 25, 11 digits Tray Label bar code
24760
MSI
24645
USPS 25, 8 digits Sack Label bar code
24761
MSI + CHK10
24750
CODABAR
24762
MSI + CHK10 + CHK10
24751
CODABAR + CHKmod16
24763
MSI + CHK11 + CHK10
24780
Singapore 4 State
24800
UPS MaxiCode
24785
Australia 4 State 37-CUST
24810
RSS-14
24786
Australia 4 State 52-FF-MET
24820
Data Matrix
24787
Australia 4 State 67-FF-MET
24830
Aztec
24790
Royal Mail 4 State Customer code
24840
Codablock F
24795
Netherlands KIX postal bar code
24850
PDF-417
24899
OMR (Optical Mark Reading) for folding, inserting, and sealing systems
24860
QRCode Model 1
24620
EAN/JAN-8
24861
QRCode Model 2

p Parameter

The p parameter, <Esc>(s#p, controls whether a human readable text caption is printed with bar codes, and the method used to print it.

1D Bar Codes

The numbers below represent the values that are used to define the commands in the escape sequence.
0:
Uses the default value.
1:
Does not print human readable text.
2:
Prints embedded human readable text.
3:
Prints human readable text that is half-embedded.
4:
Prints human readable text under the code.
5:
Prints human readable text above the code.
Example: If 24p is entered as the 1D bar code using the p parameter, the text for the French postal bar code is placed under the code.
NOTE
Add 10 to print the UPC/EAN/JAN checksum in the middle left, rather than the bottom left of the bar code.
Add 10 to print the start and end characters for the 39 bar code text.
Add 20 to format text for the French or German postal bar codes.
Add 100 to print the checksum character with the text.

Australia Post 4 State Bar Code

0:
Uses the N symbol set (numeric digits only) for customer information.
1:
Uses the C symbol set (alphanumeric characters) for customer information.

2D Bar Codes

PDF-417
0 to 8:
Defines the ECC (Error Correction Code) level.
1000 to 1400:
Defines the ECC level based on the size of the code word relative to the data size, in percentage (from 0% to 400%). The matching ECC level is calculated automatically.
Aztec
0:
The default ECC level (23% + three code words).
1 to 99:
Defines the ECC level in percentage.
101 to 104:
The number of layers (+100) in Compact format.
201 to 232:
The number of layers (+200) in Full Range format.
300:
The Aztec "Rune" format.
QRCode
0:
The default ECC level (5%) (Medium)
1:
Low ECC/High-Density level (Low)
2:
Standard ECC level (Medium)
3:
High-reliability/ECC level (Quality)
4:
Ultra high reliability/ECC level (High)

OMR

OMR Rotation
0:
Horizontal OMR marks (default)
1:
Vertical OMR marks

h Parameter

The h parameter, Esc(s#h, controls which font is used for the human readable text caption.

1D Bar Codes

Format: CBA, numeric value, position
C: Style
0:
Bold (default).
1:
Regular text.
2:
Italics.
3:
Bold.
4:
Bold italics.
B: Size
0:
Selects the font size automatically.
A: Typeface
0:
Uses Courier to print text (default).
1:
Uses Letter Gothic to print text.
2:
Uses Univers to print text.
3:
Uses Univers Condensed to print text.
4:
Uses CG-Times to print text.
5:
Uses OCR-B to print text (recommended with UPC/EAN).
Example: If 402h is entered as the 1D bar code using the h parameter, the text will be in Univers Bold Italic, and the text size will automatically be selected.

v Parameter

The v parameter, Esc(s#v, controls the bar height and the number of rows or columns that are used for the bar code.

1D Bar Codes

Controls the bar height in increments of 1/60" (0.42 mm).
If the value entered is lower than the minimum bar height, it is automatically adjusted to the minimum value.
Example: Bar code of 1" (25.4 mm) in size: 60v

2D Bar Codes

QRCode, Aztec
0:
Normal:
1
Reverse video (Letters or numbers are printed as white with a black background, giving the impression that the numbers/letters have been highlighted.)
Codablock: Bar code size
#1:
Single line bar height in increments of 1/60" (0.42 mm), the same unit as fonts.
#2:
Maximum number of rows for the Codablock symbol.
#3:
Maximum number of columns for the Codablock symbol.
Example: Line point size 20, 8 rows,10 columns: 20,8,10v.

OMR

Controls the OMR mark length in increments of 1/60" (0.42 mm).
Example: 1" (25.4 mm) OMR mark: 60v

b Parameter

The b parameter, Esc(#1,#2,#3,#4b, controls the bar width.

1D Bar Codes

#1:
Bar width (thin), first width in dots (1/600").
#2:
Bar width, second width in dots (1/600").
#3:
Bar width, third width in dots (1/600").
#4:
Bar width, fourth width in dots (1/600").
Example: Thin bars 4 dots, thick bars 8 dots: 4,8b

2D Bar Codes

PDF-417
#1:
Maximum number of rows for the PDF symbol.
#2:
Maximum number of columns for the PDF symbol.
#3:
If "1" is specified, #1 and #2 are the mandatory number of rows and columns for the PDF symbol.
If "0" is specified or a value is not specified, #1 and #2 are the maximum number of rows and columns (default) for the PDF symbol.
#4:
If "1" is specified, the PDF-417 symbol is truncated on its right side.
If "0" is specified, the PDF-417 symbol is not truncated (default).
Example: 8 columns, 10 lines mandatory size, non truncated: 8,10,0b
Data Matrix, QRCode
#1:
Small module height in dots (1/600").
Example: Data Matrix, 10 dot height: 10b
Aztec
#1:
Small module height in dots (1/600").
#2:
Bar undercut parameter. Value: 0 to (#1) -1 dots, default is 0.
Example: 20 dot height, 15 dot bar undercut: 20,15b
Codablock
B parameters are the same as ID bar codes.

OMR

Controls the OMR mark's thickness in dots (1/600").
#1:
Regular mark thickness in dots (1/600").
#2:
Heavy mark thickness in dots (1/600").
Example: .01" for a thin mark, and .02" for a thick mark: 6,12b

s Parameter

The s parameter, Esc(s#1,#2,#3,#4s, controls the width of the spaces.

1D Bar Codes

#1:
Space width (thin), first width in dots (1/600").
#2:
Space width, second width in dots (1/600").
#3:
Space width, third width in dots (1/600").
#4:
Space width, fourth width in dots (1/600").
Thin spaces 4 dots, thick spaces 8 dots: 4,8s
NOTE
The b parameters can be sent alone if the b and s parameters are identical. This enables shorter PCL bar code commands to be sent to the printer.

2D Bar Codes

PDF-417
#1:
Symbol black-and-white module height, compared to the width (1 to 10).
Unit = minimum module width (default = 3).
#2:
X parameter for the symbol X/Y size ratio (default = 2).
#3:
Y parameter for the symbol X/Y size ratio (default = 3).
#4:
Symbol module width (1 to 100). Unit = 1/100" (default value = 10).
Example: Minimum module width, square PDF, and module size = 1/20": 1,1,1,5s
QRCode
#1
0:
Uses the default Japanese font (Automatic: JIS/Shift JIS).
1:
Numeric (0 to 9).
2:
Alphanumeric (0 to 9, uppercase letters A to Z, spaces, and symbols $%*+-. /:).
3:
Binary 8 bits/bytes data (JIS 8 bit character set (Latin and Kana) in accordance with JISX0201).
4:
Kanji characters (Shift JIS values 8140h to 9FFCh and E040h to EAA4h shifted from JISX0208).
Example: Alphanumeric data: 2s

OMR

Controls the OMR mark spacing in dots (1/600"). Default value = 85 (1/7").

Code 128 Control Codes

Code 128 has five non-data special control codes called Function Codes, and three control codes which enable the Bar Code Printing function to switch from one 128 set (A, B, or C) to another one. The switching of the control codes is used to force one 128 set. For example, the string "123456" can be printed with all sets A, B, and C. Inserting a character with an ASCII code value of 134 at the beginning of the string, forces the system to use set B of code 128.
NOTE
Both Code 128 Autoswitch and EAN 128 analyze the data and optimize the bar code length by switching automatically between sets A, B, and C. EAN 128 and UCC-128 already include the FNC 1 code as the first character. Therefore, you should not send the FNC 1 code along with EAN 128 and UCC-128 data.
Special control codes are included in bar codes by inserting the following numeric characters into the bar code:
128 = SHIFT
Used to switch from character set A to B, or from B to A temporarily. The change applies to the character following the Shift character. All subsequent characters are then given in the original character set.
129 = FNC 1
Reserved for future use or special applications, such as UCC-128 shipping container codes.
130 = FNC 2
A special instruction for the bar code reader to temporarily store data, append it to the symbol containing the FNC 2 character, and then transmit it together with the next symbol/character.
131 = FNC 3
Reserved for bar code reader initialization and other special bar code reader functions.
132 = FNC 4
Reserved for future use or special applications.
133 = CODE A
Used for numbers, ASCII characters, and upper case letters.
134 = CODE B
Used for numbers, ASCII characters, upper and lower case letters, and all numeric codes.
135 = CODE C
A double-density code, which is required to have an even number of characters.

NOTE
Values cannot have decimals. For example, "2.5" is an invalid value.
Bar code parameters must be combined in a unique PCL escape sequence ending with the T parameter.
Example: <Esc>(s4p305h24v7,21s7,21b24670T
When using default parameters, only commas are required if other parameters still need to be defined.
Example: <Esc>(s6p1,,,5s24850T
3U18-1WW