Step 1: Designing The Barcode Layout
To print barcodes with AutoCount, you must first design a layout using the required barcode printer software. The software varies depending on the brand and model of your printer.
For this guide, we’ll use BarTender 9 as an example.
A typical barcode label consists of four main objects:
1️⃣ Company Name – Fixed text (e.g., “Peter 24H Mini Market”)
2️⃣ Item Description – A non-fixed field mapped to a database
3️⃣ Item Barcode & Item Code – Uses Code 128 symbology and maps to a database field
4️⃣ Price – A non-fixed field mapped to the price database
✅ Pro Tips for Non-Fixed Objects:
✔️ Maximize the width of objects to accommodate long values
✔️ Set text alignment to Center for a neat appearance
🔛 How to Center Align the Text:
Right-click on the object
Select Properties
Go to Position > Center
💾 Save the layout/format once the design is complete.
Step 2: Modifying the Barcode Template
To integrate your barcode layout with AutoCount, you need to modify the .prn template file so it maps correctly to the database fields.
How to Edit the .prn File
1️⃣ Locate the .prn template file and open it in Notepad.
2️⃣ Replace hardcoded values with database field names, ensuring each field name starts and ends with %.
Example Field Replacements
| Barcode Value | Replace With |
|---|---|
!10512345678 | %ItemCode128% (Item Barcode) |
12345678 | %ItemCode% (Item Code) |
"Item Description" | %Description% (Item Description) |
"Price" | %Price% (Selling Price) |
🔹 Fixed Objects (e.g., Store Name) remain unchanged.
❌ Before:
✅ After:
Final Step: Saving and Using the Template in AutoCount
📁 Go to File > Save to save the modified template.
🔄 The .prn file is now ready for use in AutoCount’s Print Bar Code function.
