How to make a barcode for a product label
Make EAN, UPC, ITF-14, Code 128, 39, 93 and Codabar barcodes in Vectornation by Zaweba with Object > Code, with quiet zones and a print size check.
Product barcodes such as EAN and UPC can be made right on the label design in Vectornation by Zaweba. Choose Object > Code, pick the barcode type and enter the number. The barcode is drawn as live vector artwork, checked by reading it back, with quiet zones included and a print size check to warn if it is too small.
Supported types are EAN, UPC, ITF-14, Code 128, Code 39, Code 93 and Codabar, plus QR and Data Matrix codes. That covers retail products, outer cartons, shelf labels and most internal stock systems.
Which barcode to choose
EAN is the retail barcode used on products sold in shops across Europe and much of the world. UPC is the equivalent used in North America. If your product goes on a shop shelf, the retailer will expect one of these, and the number usually comes from your allocated range with the barcode numbering body.
ITF-14 goes on outer cartons and cases, the boxes that hold several products, for warehouses and deliveries.
Code 128, Code 39 and Code 93 are general purpose barcodes that can hold letters as well as numbers. They suit stock labels, asset tags, shipping labels and anything used inside a business. Codabar is an older type still used in some libraries and labs.
Making the barcode
Open your label design and choose Object > Code. Select the type and enter the number or text. Vectornation draws the barcode and reads it back to check that it decodes to what you entered. A mistyped number in a barcode is easy to miss by eye and expensive once printed, so that check earns its keep.
Because the barcode is live, you can change the number later and it redraws in place. That makes it practical to build a label template and update the barcode for each product.
Quiet zones and size
Every barcode needs clear space at each end, called the quiet zone. Without it, scanners can't tell where the code starts. Vectornation includes quiet zones with its codes. Keep other artwork and edges out of them.
Size and print quality matter. Barcodes printed too small, or squashed, may not scan. The print size check flags a barcode that is too small. Avoid stretching the barcode to fit a space; resize it in proportion.
Colour and printing
Scanners read the contrast between bars and spaces. Black bars on white are the safest. Dark blue or dark green on white can work. Red bars generally fail, because many scanners use red light, and so do light coloured bars or busy backgrounds.
For print, use a single solid ink for the bars rather than a mix of four colours, which can blur on press if the plates are slightly misaligned. Vectornation's separations preview shows how the barcode will split across plates before you send the file.
Sending it to print
Export a PDF or PDF/X-4. The barcode stays as vector shapes, so the bars print with clean, accurate edges. Avoid sending a barcode as a low resolution picture; soft edges change bar widths and can make it unreadable.
Print a proof and scan it with a barcode scanner or a phone app before approving a full run.
Repeated labels
For a sheet of stock labels, design one label with its barcode and use Object > Transform > Step and repeat with an A4 or US Letter label sheet preset. When each label needs a different number, Window > Document > Variables can merge numbers from a spreadsheet into the design.
A barcode made inside your label design is one less file to manage. Vectornation by Zaweba draws it as vectors, checks it, and warns you about size before anything goes to print.
