Barcode Package Tutorial
After receiving a lot of comments and emails from customers who are confused about how to open and navigate through their barcode package, we’ve decided to put together a step-by-step tutorial with images to illustrate how to open your attachment and show you more about what we provide you with in the barcode package.
1. Downloading the barcode package attachment from your email
Once you have purchased barcodes from us, we will send you your barcode package in a zipped file via email. To access that zipped file, download the barcode package attachment from your email onto your computer, as shown below:
- Once you’ve clicked on the attachment, it will download to your computer. This will take a few seconds.
As mentioned, the barcode package is sent to you in a zipped folder, and many of our customers run into problems opening it because they don’t have an application on their computer which can open zipped files. If the barcode package cannot open, you will need to install 7zip onto your computer. 7zip is free to download and illustrated below are the steps on how to do so.
2. Installing 7zip
If 7zip is not already installed on your computer, head over to www.7-zip.org and you will be directed to the screen below. Once here, click on the “download” link as highlighted below.
- You will then be directed to the screen below and 7zip will automatically start downloading onto your computer.
- Once the file has completed its download, open it and you will see the following screen. Click on “Browse” and select a location to save the 7zip file so that you know where 7zip will be saved on your computer.
- I have chosen to save 7zip to my desktop so that the programme is easy to find. Once you’ve selected a location, click install, and 7zip will begin its installation. You will land up on this screen whereby you may click on finish:
- 7zip is now saved as a file on your computer.
3. Opening your barcode package using 7zip
To use 7-zip to open your barcode package, open the 7zip folder and then click on “7zFM” or 7zip File Manager.
- Now, locate your barcode package on your computer using the 7zip file manager. My barcode package was saved to “Downloads” when I downloaded the attachment from my email.
4. The contents of your barcode package
The barcode package includes the barcode numbers in both the EAN and UPC formats, high resolution images of the barcode in JPEG, TIFF and EPS formats, a certificate, your invoice, the terms and conditions, as well as a barcode sizing template. When opening your barcode package, you will land up at the following screen with all the above mentioned items included in the zipped folder:
- When purchasing retail barcodes from us, we provide you with both the EAN-13 and UPC-A versions of your barcodes. This is due to some stores preferring to use the UPC, and others opting for the EAN. It is your responsibility to make sure you are using the format that your intended retailers work with. Opening either the EAN or UPC folders, you will see the same thing: an “Artwork” folder which holds the barcode images, as well as two excel spreadsheets and a PDF of the barcode numbers.
- Opening the “Artwork” folder of either the EAN or UPC format, you will find your barcode images. We provide you with each of your barcode images in JPEG, TIFF and EPS formats. EPS files are opened in Photoshop and can be resized without losing quality. The TIFF and JPEG files are high quality images that can be opened in most other image programmes such as Paint.
- Going back to the main folder of your zipped file, as shown below, you’ll notice four more PDFs.
- The first is the certificate of ownership which registers the barcodes to your company or name and certifies that the barcodes are unique and fully-registered – ready to operate in retail stores:
The next PDF is the barcode sizing template. It is there to help you or your designer when inserting the barcode images into the design of your packaging. The barcode images that we have provided you with in the barcode package are already at an ideal size for printing. If however, you need to make them smaller to fit onto your packaging or would like to enlarge them, the sizing template provides you with approved dimensions that will still leave your barcode scannable. Changing your barcode image size outside of the suggested dimensions could result in your barcode not being able to be scanned by a scanner or reader. View below an example of a barcode image and sizing:
- View below a table of approved barcode magnification dimensions:
- Do not create a barcode that is less than 80% magnification. The barcode images should be printed at a print quality of at least 300 dpi (dots per inch), with 600 dpi or above being ideal. It is also not recommended to go below 100% magnification unless you are using thermal printing.Also note that the total barcode width is calculated by adding up the “bar width” with the “left quiet zone” and the “right quiet zone.” The third PDF file in your barcode package is simply your invoice.
- The fourth and final PDF is simply another copy of our terms and conditions for your discretion.
- We hope this tutorial was helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.
