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2.3 Choosing the Right Font
The various Code 39 fonts creates bar code symbols of different sizes and densities.
Most of the fonts use a 2.5:1 wide: narrow bar ratio. The Slim fonts use a 2:1 ratio for
narrower symbols and the Wide font uses a 3:1 ratio for wider symbols. Like any
TrueType or Type 1 font, the bar code fonts can be scaled to any size. Any of the
fonts formatted at 24 or 36 points will create bar codes that are 1/3 (8.5mm) or 1/2
(12.7mm) inches tall respectively.
Be sure to print samples of the desired string in a number of the fonts and check that
it can be scanned when printed on your particular printer. Since the fonts have
different wide bar to narrow bar ratios, and overall height to width ratios, the same
string formatted in different fonts will be different widths. Try different fonts to decide
which one works best in your situation.
2.4 The PCL Escape Sequences
From UNIX or DOS it is necessary to send PCL escape sequences as part of the
print data to select the desired bar code font. Example escape sequences are shown
below:
Code39QuarterInch-Regular : esc(9Yesc(s1p#v0s0b28676T
Code39HalfInch-Regular : esc (9Yesc(s1p#v0s0b28677T
Code39OneInch-Regular : esc(9Yesc(s1p#v0s0b28678T
Code39SmallLow-Regular : esc(9Yesc(s1p#v0s0b28679T
Code39SmallMedium-Regular : esc(9Yesc(s1p#v0s0b28680T
Code39SmallHigh-Regular : esc(9Yesc(s1p#v0s0b28681T
Code39Slim-Regular : esc(9Yesc(s1p#v0s0b28682T
Code39Wide-Regular : esc(9Yesc(s1p#v0s0b28683T
(# : point size 0.25 - 999.75)
Replace the hash (#) with the relevant point size. For example, to print a bar code
that is one inch (25.4 mm) high, substitute ‘#’ with ‘72’. To print a bar code half and
inch (12.7 mm) high, use 36.
After printing a bar code it is necessary to select a different font in order to print
something besides more bar codes. The PCL command to select the default font is
“<esc>(3@”. To select a font other than the default font, use the PCL escape
sequence show on the PCL font list. The “<esc>” shown is the ASCII escape
character. It is decimal 27, hexadecimal 1B, octal 33, or binary 00011011.