BCF® is a software package including a collection of TrueType™ barcode fonts and a Dynamic Link Library (DLL), which is used to translate text to barcode. An additional utility, BCF Assistant®, is also provided, for quickly creating barcodes to be pasted into other applications.

BCF® can be used very easily with the most widespread applications and development systems:

The fonts included are standard True Type™ fonts for Windows and allow the creation of barcodes in the following symbologies:

The bar codes can be used in any Windows package that has the feature of allowing selection of font and sizes for text. The bar codes created following the directions in this manual can be read with traditional instruments, such as optical pen, CCD readers and laser scanners.

The DLL in the package is necessary to produce readable bar codes because it is not possible to simply apply the font to the information being encoded. A bar code is always characterized by:

• start bars
• body
• check digit, if needed
• end bars

Starting and ending bars are special symbols that instruct the decoder about which symbology is used for the bar code; they do not contain information useful to the user and are normally mapped to the characters "*" (start) and "#" (end) in every font of the package.

The body of the barcode, in the simplest symbologies, is more or less the information being encoded; however, a few symbologies like Interleaved 2/5, the EAN/UPC family and Code 128 are exceptions, in that they optimize the information being encoded with special strategies.

The check digit, which is always needed for a few symbologies (such as Code 128 and EAN/UPC family), reccomended for others (Interleaved 2/5) or optional (e.g. Code 39), is calculated with a different algorithm for each symbology and is determined from the contents being encoded; it supplies the decoder with an additional information that can be used to determine if the barcode was interpreted correctly, thus increasing the degree of security.

Every symbology is characterized by a few features, the most important of which are:

• alphabet - every symbology admits digits 0 to 9; a few symbologies let you use alphabetic characters and special characters, others include the full ASCII set;
• length - fixed or variable, limited only by the size of the resulting symbol;
• compactness - the same contents, expressed in different symbologies, create symbols of different lengths; moreover, a few symbologies, given the same length of text to be encoded, create bar codes of different size; this is because these symbologies optimize the information in different ways, depending on both contents and disposition (e.g. Code 128);
• security - a few symbologies should include a check digit, for being read with a high degree of security (e.g. Interleaved 2/5); more complex symbologies make use of bars of different thickness, thus it is necessary that both printing and reading devices can handle them correctly.

Always keep in mind that the field of application very often determines the symbology which should be used.

BCF Assistant is an utility that lets you quickly and easily create bar codes in the supported symbologies, for pasting them inside other applications. It is very easy to use.

Type in the "Code" field  the information to be encoded; under the field there is a label that lists admitted characters and maximum length. When you press Enter, the corresponding bar code appears in the big area below, at least if the size of the bar code fits the window. If the text cannot be encoded, a message will appear. For the symbology EAN 128, the picture of a small magic wand appears to the right of the input field; by clicking on this symbol a window (wizard) will open to help you build up the code. 
The field "Symbology" let you choose the type of barcode to create; a few symbologies limit the possible values for other settings (HRC, check digit).
The field "Size" let you choose the number of dots for the barcode character.
The "Style" field changes according to symbology; "normal" and "short" attributes refer to the height of the barcode (the short version is half the height of the normal version); "narrow" and "wide" refer to the horizontal size, with the narrow version being a little more compact and the wide version a little oversized.
The "Check Digit" checkbox enables or disables the check digit; for a few symbologies, this checkbox is unselectable. When the check digit is enabled, the resulting barcode is a little longer (if the symbology allows for variable length).
The checkbox "HRC" (Human Readable Code) enables or disables the printing of readable text under the barcode. The font used for this purpose can be selected with the menu option "Edit, HRC Font" and appears to the right of the checkbox. A few symbologies (like EAN/UPC family) always have HRC; others, like Code 32, have their own font and does not follow user settings.

Press the "Clipboard" button to copy to the Windows clipboard the contents of the preview.

The package is available in two languages (italian and english), with buttons, tooltips and manual in English language. The software can be customized with end-user logo.

	Download a demo: this version allows to encode a subset of EAN barcodes, where each occurence of the digits 3-5-7 is replaced with 0. It is reccomended to reboot the PC at the end of the installation, if the installed font is not visible.
	Data sheet
	User manual

The list price for BCF depends on the kind of licence required.

Single symbology

• 199 Euro for site licence; 
• 399 Euro for corporate licence; 
• 699 Euro for developer licence. 

The package features BCF-Assistand and a DLL for calculating the barcode (including check digit, if required) in the supported symbology. The fonts can be single or double height and, in some cases, normal, extended or compressed.

The prices do NOT include VAT (for foreign countries, VAT is paid in your country and is not billed by us).

Full package

• 499 Euro for site licence; 
• 899 Euro for corporate licence; 
• 1999 Euro for developer licence. 

The package features BCF-Assistant and a DLL for calculating the barcode (including check digit, if required) in all supported symbologies. The fonts can be single or double height and, in some cases, normal, extended or compressed.

The prices do NOT include VAT (for foreign countries, VAT is paid in your country and is not billed by us).

The differences between the licences are documented at the end of the manual.

• I have installed BCF Assistant, but do not see any font installed; what happens?
• Why should I use the DLL, instead of applying the fonts directly to the information that I want to encode?
• Can BCF barcodes be printed on any printer?
• Can I use BCF from Word, Access, Excel..?
• I need to create a barcode taller than the one that I obtain when applying a font from BCF; how can I do that?
• The barcode which I get does not have HRC; how can I add it?
• I must create an EAN 128 barcode; what is an "AI"?
• What does it mean that each copy of BCF is "serialized"?

For further information write to szp@zanella-hifi.com or fill in the form below; many useful answers can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

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