Leica IP S - Printing Bar Code

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Leica IP S
Instrument Components and Specifications 3
Print quality
Quality and resolution of the imprints depend on:
• the material of the imprintable surface/the dyes used to color the imprintable surface,
• the structure of the imprintable surface (→ "Fig. 6-1").
The final resolution of the imprints is not only determined by the resolution of the print head.
If the slide surface is not capable of 360 dpi resolution, "running" ink will lead to poor printing results. In
such cases it is better to work at a lower resolution.
The printer driver allows you to change the resolution from 360 dpi to 180 dpi (→ p. 51 – 5.4 Printer
driver settings).
3.3.3 Printing bar code
Printing readable bar codes depends on various factors that need to be taken into consideration in
order to achieve results suitable for reliable and durable archiving. The main factors influencing the bar
code results are:
• 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 slides, 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.