Leica IP C Instructions For Use Manual page 23

• printer technology,
• how the bar code is created,
• the type of object being printed on,
• the type of scanner used to read the bar code.
Printer technology
• As a dot matrix printer, this device can handle information only in the form of dots printed or not
printed. It is not possible to transmit bar code data or to select specific bar code types or use the
printer to create and print the bar code required.
Creating bar codes
• Since there is only limited printing space on the cassettes, the bar code should not contain more
information than necessary.
• You should use an error-checking code, which makes it easier for the bar code scanners to
recognize possible errors. Some codes even support error correction.
• When calculating and creating bar codes, always take the resolution of the printer into account.
The module size is the width of the smallest element of a bar code. Wider bars and spaces are
calculated in multiples of the module size.
The module size always has to be an entire divisor of the printer resolution, as, due to the technology
applied, only whole dots can be printed. Reading errors may occur (even if the print appears to be
crisp and correct), if module width and resolution no longer match after conversion.
Warning
Data should never be printed as bar code only, but also as text (line of optical characters above or
below the bar code), to ensure that no information is lost for the above reasons.
Requirements for bar code printing
The quality and readability of printed bar codes will depend on several factors that include:
• Texture and quality of the printable surface of the cassettes.
• Color of the selected cassette or slide.
• Barcode style (2D).
• The number and types of characters required in the bar code.
• The quality and resolution capabilities of the bar code reader.
As always, using Leica-recommended print media will produce the highest quality print. However, it
is highly recommended that any bar code solution be tested prior to implementation. Please check
with your local representative for details on achieving the maximum number of characters with 2D bar
codes.
Bar code scanners
The scanning results obtained not only depend on the correct bar code creation and the quality of the
cassettes but also on the features of the bar code scanner used.
Leica IP C
Instrument Components and Specifications
3
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