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BarCodeWiz Barcode ActiveX Control: Quick Setup & Integration Guide

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Step-by-Step: Printing Barcodes Using BarCodeWiz Barcode ActiveX Control

Overview

A concise walkthrough to generate and print barcodes from a Windows application using the BarCodeWiz Barcode ActiveX Control (COM component). Assumes a basic Windows development environment (e.g., VB6, VB.NET with COM interop, or VBA) and a compatible barcode font/printer installed.

Prerequisites

  • BarCodeWiz Barcode ActiveX Control installed and registered.
  • Development environment supporting COM/ActiveX (VB6, VBA, or .NET with COM interop).
  • Printer installed and accessible from your app.
  • Appropriate barcode symbology license if required.

1. Add the ActiveX control to your project

  • VB6/VBA: In the Toolbox, choose “Components…” and select the BarCodeWiz control.
  • VB.NET: Add a reference to the COM component (Project → Add Reference → COM → BarCodeWiz Barcode ActiveX Control) and add it to the Toolbox.

2. Place the control on a form

  • Drag the control onto a form or user interface where you want barcode preview or generation to occur.
  • Set basic properties (size, visible) to fit your layout.

3. Configure barcode properties

  • Symbology: Choose the barcode type (Code128, Code39, EAN13, UPC-A, QR, etc.) via the control’s Symbology or Type property.
  • Data/Text: Set the Text or Data property to the string you want encoded.
  • Scale/Size: Adjust ModuleWidth, Height, or Scale properties to set physical barcode size.
  • Human-readable text: Toggle ShowText or similar property to display readable characters.
  • Checksum/Options: Enable check digits or start/stop characters if the symbology requires them.

4. Validate barcode data

  • Ensure input matches symbology requirements (length, numeric-only for EAN/UPC, allowed characters for Code39).
  • Use the control’s validation method or implement a simple check before printing.

5. Preview the barcode

  • Use the control’s rendering on the form to confirm appearance.
  • Optionally export to an image (PNG/BMP) if supported, for placement in documents or reports.

6. Send to the printer

  • Simple approach: call the control’s Print method if provided, specifying printer name, orientation, and copies.
  • Alternative (recommended for precise layout):
    1. Render barcode to an image file or in-memory bitmap.
    2. Use your application’s printing API (PrintDocument in .NET, Printer object in VB6/VBA) to position the image precisely on the page.
    3. Set printer resolution and scaling to match physical size (DPI considerations).

7. Handle printing details

  • DPI scaling: Calculate pixels = inches × DPI to preserve barcode scanner readability.
  • Margins and alignment: Account for printer non-printable areas.
  • Batch printing: Loop through data list, generate barcode image per record, and send sequential print jobs or use one print job with multiple pages.

8. Test with real scanner and labels

  • Print sample barcodes at intended size and material.
  • Verify scans with handheld scanner and target system (POS, inventory app).
  • Adjust quiet zones and scale if scanning fails.

9. Troubleshooting

  • Blurry prints: increase DPI or print at vector size if supported; avoid downscaling bitmaps.
  • Scan failures: ensure correct symbology, proper quiet zones, and adequate contrast (dark bars on light background).
  • Incorrect data: confirm checksum settings and data encoding for the selected symbology.
  • ActiveX registration errors: re-register the control with regsvr32 and ensure proper ⁄64-bit compatibility.

Example (VB.NET sketch)

”`vbnet ‘ After adding COM reference and a PictureBox for preview Dim bc As New BarCodeWiz.Barcode

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