We are looking for suggestions from folks using NiceLabel on any best practices for linear barcodes. Here is our scenario. We have a label that requires a linear Code 128 barcode to be printed at a small size. It needs to fit within 1.5" wide at 300 dpi but given the data in the barcode it is too dense at the size needed and not readable by most scanners when printed at 3 mil.
The current specimen_label that we are using in the barcode follows this format:
A PPI looks like this: 00-00-[4 digits]-[postfix]
Specimen: %PPI%_%SP_TYPE%_%PPI_YOC_UID%
Aliquot: %PPI%_%SP_TYPE%_%PSPEC_UID%-A
Derivative: %PPI%_%SP_TYPE%_%PSPEC_UID%-D
Generating something like: 00-00-0001-WT01_DNA_1-D which can create a specimen_label anywhere between 21 and 30 characters. (We could also drop the [postfix] if needed, but it’s still ~20 chars.) For smaller labels such as a .750"x1.75" label this becomes difficult to read which ends up printing between 3 and 7 mils. So it’s really small and with that much data in it scanners fail often.
So bottom line is generating a specimen label over 20 characters with the above token format doesn’t seem usable with a linear barcode. Using a 2D barcode solves all of these issues, however I’m looking to see if anyone has come up with working model that produces a linear barcode on a small label using something like the tokens noted above.
It may just not fit as the spec of the barcode dictates, but I thought I would throw it out there. Is there a special Code 128 font that someone uses that solves any of this?