How to Create Bar Codes?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know how to create multiple bar codes using a string of numbers in Marketo or a LaunchPoint partner? We work with a large retailer and they provided the number strings and asked us to create the bar codes using the numbers. I know there are free online tools but it would be ideal to create in the system and make it a dynamic email.

[SanfordWhiteman]

You don't actually need to pre-create the codes and store them in lead fields. In fact, this is wasteful because you'll be rendering codes for people that never open the message.

Instead, have an <img> tag in the message that points to a server that dynamically renders the image on request, based on data in the query string. As they're black-and-white images, barcodes have negligible overhead to create on-the-fly.

What is the exact barcode format you want? There are over 20 types. (https://www.scandit.com/types-barcodes-choosing-right-barcode/)

[Anonymous]

We need to create UPC codes.

[SanfordWhiteman]

OK, I recommend IDAutomation's purchased SaaS offering.

Now, I grant you that having to purchase a yearlong subscription for this is frustrating (it's only $25/mo but sold in years) but your rollout is going to be completely seamless. Just put <img> tags in your emails and you're done.

P.S. Tbh I personally wouldn't use IDAutomation, but that's not because I don't trust them (they're great) but because I'm a developer. Your dev could build the same thing for you so you could use it forever, but the upfront code + testing might rival 1 year of IDAutomation subscription. It's up to you.

[Anonymous]

Thank you Sanford. This has been helpful and provides options to think about.

[Anonymous]

Hi Lindsey,

Yes as Sanford mentions there are in fact hundreds of different barcodes, some country specific, available.
They can be created using data strings be it numbers with a check digit for the majority of retail applications or url's  and text strings for things like QR codes.

Some barcodes are created using specific software as an image where as some are rendered as a font eg, 4 State barcodes.
I can't advise on specific software as we used to use inhouse software for all our barcode creation.
If you are just creating a handful of variations it may be easier to render them as images and just reference them from a server. Once you get into larger numbers it is better to create on the fly.

For design and placement make sure you  get the barcode specific specifications. Try not resize, check the whitespace, check the background colour, do you need a footer string, etc...
test, test, test.

Cheers
Tim

[Anonymous]

Thank you fro the response. There might be over 100 bar codes we need to create and I'd like to do it as seamless as possible.

[Jason_Scott]

Take a look at Movable Ink. They can dynamically generate a unique bar code in an email.  We use them to generate qr codes, as well as several other pieces of content.