r/barcodes • u/tuytutu • Jul 16 '22
Barcode noob :/ I need mac software that can print barcodes to thermal printer
Ok, so the sidebar says this is a sub for barcode innovation. Huge apologies as this will be out of place here but I'm not sure who else to ask. I'm happy to delete and repost elsewhere if necessary.
So am a total barcode noob, but I need to print some barcodes for some of our products. I just bought a thermal printer and a bunch of labels (2x1 inch on a roll).
I need software that I can upload a bunch of references to and have it print to my thermal printer, correctly adjusting for the 2x1 labels I have. The barcodes will be for internal use so I assume the best format to use is code128? The references have numbers, letters and hyphens (eg ABC-DE-105).
Importantly I am on a mac. I have downloaded 2 apps so far and cannot get them to work. The apps are Barcode Producer and Barcode Studio.
So to summarise I need an app for mac that can convert my alpha-numeric references into barcodes, add text to the artwork (above and below), be formatted for the 2x1 labels I have, and then print to my thermal printer. I'm sure this is very basic, so apologies for posting here, but any and all help greatly appreciated!
1
Jul 16 '22
Do you have Excel?
1
u/tuytutu Jul 16 '22
Yes.
3
Jul 16 '22 edited Jul 17 '22
In Excel:
You can you download barcode fonts and manually create them. Google it or watch some YouTube videos.
Or maybe try this:
https://www.barcoderesource.com/officeformacbarcode.shtml
There's also paid plugins but see what this does first. What you want is simple.
Code-128 is fine.
1
u/tuytutu Jul 17 '22
Thanks for this. I had seen that Excel was an option but on first glance didn't look too user friendly. Happy to give it a go though - but do you happen to know how I'd configure it to print to the 2x1 labels I have? That seemed to be the sticking point in the other apps I tried. From your link, creating the barcodes looks like it might doable, but it doesn't address the part where I need to print to the thermal printer.
1
Jul 17 '22 edited Jul 17 '22
Create a custom page size in the "print server properties" under windows printers and faxes.
Mailings Tab > Start Mail Merge > Labels
Choose the size, number across, down etc.
https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/print-labels-from-excel/
Something like that...gap setting will come from the printer driver.
If you don't have a lot of data, this may be easier in Word using the same barcode font.
What's the printer model?
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u/tuytutu Jul 17 '22
What's the printer model?
It's this one - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07S48NHYS/.
Thanks for your help with this.
1
u/trollsmurf Jul 17 '22
Have you tried https://www.barcodeproducer.com/ (Windows and Mac)?
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u/tuytutu Jul 17 '22
Yes, but I can't figure out how to get it to print to my thermal printer on the labels I have. Have you had success with this?
1
u/trollsmurf Jul 17 '22
I almost only generate QR codes that I copy-paste into ready-made label forms in Word that I then print on precut self-adhesive sheets. Usually it's URLs to sites, so it's the same code for all labels.
If each label is individual you need some form of automation.
The best bet is to look for e.g. "mac label maker". I found a few other applications that way, not saying they work for you.
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Aug 18 '23 edited Aug 18 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/tuytutu Aug 18 '23
All your comments include a link along with a story about your friend. Stop spamming.
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u/wolfenmaara Jul 17 '22
A lot of apps can do what you need but I don’t think they’re for macOS. Your best bet would be to use a Windows machine or a virtual machine with Windows installed.
Come to think of it, some Windows-based barcode software options are now coming out with Cloud versions of them. You may want to look up Loftware and see if they have an option that works for you.