IDAutomation PDF417 Barcode Font and Encoder

• Print PDF417 as a Font
• Works with Crystal Reports
• Compatible with many operating systems
• Uses IDAutomation Vertical Interleaved Technology™
• Includes ActiveX Control, Java Library and .NET DLL.  

Our PDF417 symbology barcode fonts allow printing of two dimensional, multi-row PDF 417 barcodes from MS Windows and any other operating system with a Java Virtual Machine that supports TrueType, SFP, PCL laserjet soft fonts, PostScript (type 1) Binary or PostScript ASCII fonts. Custom BDF, FON, AFP, Xerox Metacode, XES and FNT fonts can also be created with the Developer's License. Implementing bar code solutions with our fonts, provides a high level of scalability with operating system, application and printer independence. Learn more about the quality of our fonts. NOTE: If you do not want to implement PDF417 as a font, we also have MS Office Plug-ins as ActiveX Controls, .NET Controls and Java Components that can create several linear barcodes plus PDF-417 as images.

If you are not familiar with barcode fonts, please visit out Barcode Tutorial Center for Beginners.

Large amounts of text and data can be stored securely and inexpensively when using the PDF-417 symbology. Using Reed Solomon error correction, the printed PDF417 symbol can withstand damage without causing loss of data. This high level of error correction is far more advanced than one dimensional barcodes with check digits. The Reed Solomon error correction adds significantly to the size of the PDF417 barcode, but this is usually not a problem because the barcode is two-dimensional, multi-row and can be printed at very small x dimensions. Up to about 850 characters can be dependably encoded with our PDF417 Font and Encoder package.

This advanced PDF417 font uses IDAutomation Vertical Interleaved Technology™   which allows increased throughput and printing at small X dimensions. The implementation of PDF417, as a font, consists of both the encoder and the font. The purpose of the encoder is to convert the data to encode into proper bar and space patterns formatted to our PDF417 barcode font. The encoder returns a text string that when printed or displayed as our PDF417 font creates the PDF417 symbol. It is necessary to use the encoder because of the complexity of the symbology and the required Reed Solomon error correction. 

Our PDF417 font encoder is accessible as a Windows DLL, .NET DLL and a Java class library. However, there are a few options available for printing PDF417 from other operating systems that do not have this support:

• PDF417 may be printed on another system by using the encoder (DLL or java library) to populate a database with the "text string to print" and then access the database from the other operating system with the PDF417 font.
• The source code for printing PDF417 directly from Java, C# .NET and Visual Basic 6 can also be supplied with the purchase of 3 Developer Licenses and a signed source code license agreement. The VB source code consists of about 1200 lines of code using simple functions and arrays that can be easily converted to a programming language for another operating system.
• If you are a java programmer, we also have complete JavaBeans, applets and servlets that can create several 1D barcodes plus PDF417 on any OS with a Java virtual machine, including web pages.

In Microsoft Windows, the encoder is an ActiveX DLL that is installed when you install the PDF417 Fonts and Encoder application. The other tools provided such as MS Office macros, access the encoder from the PDF417 DLL. 

Running the INSTALL.exe file in the package will install the following components:

The following encoders are included in the ZIP file but are not installed with INSTALL.exe:

• PDF417 Java class library
• .NET DLL and Forms Control

With the purchase of a Developer License and 1 year of support and upgrade protection, we can convert fonts from this package to PCL 4, Xerox Metacode, XES, FNT, BDF, FON and AFP.  The Developer License also grants you the right to convert our fonts to other formats as necessary including TrueDoc and OpenType.

Choose the button below to order, we offer a 30 day money back guarantee if our products do not work in your application:

Our PDF417 font encoders allow advanced users to re-shape the PDF417 symbol and define specific options such as error correction levels, row and column limits, and truncation.

Error Correction Levels

By default, if the error correction level is not defined, the encoder chooses an error correction level between 2 and 5 that is recommended by AIM standards. The error correction level automatically chosen depends on the amount of data that needs to be encoded. The error correction can also be manually selected from level 1 to level 8.

Font Point Sizes, X and Y Dimensions

The X dimension is the width of the narrowest bar. When printing at 10 points, the X dimension is set to .015 inches, or 15 mil. If your barcode scanner supports it, we recommend printing the PDF417 font at 6 points (which is about .009 inches, or 9 mil), if you need to print very small symbols. We have been able to dependably scan our PDF417 font printed as small as 4 points (6 mil) with the HHP PDF417 CCD scanner we sell at our scanner site.

The Y dimension is the height of each row within the PDF417 symbol. We recommend printing the standard PDF417 font which has an X to Y ratio of 1:3. Fonts are also provided for ratios of 1:5, 1:4 and 1:2. To get the full benefit of changing the X to Y ratio, you should also adjust your font size.

Aspect Ratio, Row and Column Limits

The aspect ratio is the ratio between the height and width of the entire PDF417 symbol. By default, the aspect ratio is 1:3 which will generate a PDF417 symbol which is 3 times wide as it is high. The number of rows and columns can also be selected to place the symbol in specific form. If either the number of rows or columns is set then the PDF417 code created will have the number of rows and columns selected. The PDF417 symbol has limits and if the rows or columns cause the symbol to go beyond the limits of the symbol the row and column settings will be ignored. The PDF417 symbol is limited to 30 columns and 90 rows. When selecting columns, keep in mind that you are only selecting the number of data columns in the symbol. The normal PDF417 symbol has two row start columns and two row stop columns. Truncated PDF417 contains only two row start columns.

Truncated PDF417

A truncated PDF417 symbol is more area efficient than normal PDF417. By selecting this option, the right hand side of the PDF417 is removed or truncated. This option should only be used in clean environments since it is less immune to damage.

Scanning PDF417

With a 600 DPI laser printer, the PDF417 font can be printed at 4 points or smaller if the scanner supports reading it. Printed with a HP Laserjet at 600 DPI, we have been able to dependably scan our PDF417 font printed at 4 points with the HHP PDF417 CCD scanner . The symbol should be printed at 8 to 10 points for open systems.

NOTE: After you order a PDF417 barcode font license, you will receive our fully functional PDF417 barcode font set with fully functional versions of the PDF417 tools and encoders. Before you order, you may also wish to do the following:

• Read about the quality of our fonts.

• We offer secure online ordering by credit card and immediate delivery via download.

Make sure your product is properly licensed. Software audits are performed internationally by several organizations. Software copyright violators are fined up to $250,000 per violation and face up to 5 years imprisonment.

  Pricing and Licensing:

The following is a summary of licensing and pricing, refer to the License Agreement for details about the license.

• The Small Company Developer License costs $595. With this license, the rights of the Developer License are granted to all organizations with a gross annual revenue or funding of less than 1 million U.S. Dollars (or equivalent amount in a foreign currency) if that company purchases either three (3) Single User Licenses for the same font product or the Small Company Developer License and sends us a signed Small Company Agreement.
• The Developer License costs $1190 and allows one developer royalty-free distribution of the Software internally (in the same organization) and externally (outside the organization bundled with an application) up to 10,000 user licenses, provided you adhere to the Developer License distribution terms. When distributing the fonts outside your organization, you may not resell, rent, lease or distribute the fonts alone, they must be distributed as a component of an application and bundled with an application or with the application's installation files. For details, review the distribution terms. If you have more than one developer that will be developing applications using the fonts, you will need to purchase a Developer License for each additional developer.
• The 5 Developer License costs $2380 and grants the rights of the Developer License for up to 5 developers and 20,000 user licenses. This license is also granted if two Developer Licenses are purchased.
• The Unlimited Developer License costs $3570 and grants the rights of the Developer License for an unlimited number of developers and an unlimited number of user licenses. This license is also granted if three Developer Licenses are purchased.
• The Single User License costs $199 and allows use of the Software for one effective user in your organization. The number of effective users for software licensing is determined by the method defined below that returns the greatest number.
  1. The number of users contributing to the data that is printed with the Software. For example, 100 users entering or editing data on a host where only 1 program prints barcodes to 1 printer, would require 100 user licenses. According to the multi-user licensing below, this would require 4 Single User Licenses to be purchased.
  2. The number of users that have the Software installed on their CPU.
  3. The number of printers that are being printed to with the Software. For example, 1 user printing to 5 printers would require 5 licenses. Per the multi-user licensing below, only 2 Single User Licenses would need to be purchased.
• Multi-User Licenses are obtained by ordering multiple single user licenses of the same product. The effective number of licensed users is determined by the following:
  1 Single User License =  1 licensed user
  2 Single User Licenses = 5 licensed users
  3 Single User Licenses = 25 licensed users
  4 Single User Licenses = 100 licensed users
  5 Single User Licenses = 500 licensed users
  6 Single User Licenses = Developer License Granted for 10,000 licensed users
• We offer free technical support and product upgrades for a period of 90 days from the date of purchase on all software products. Technical support and product upgrades may be provided beyond 90 days if the Extended Support and Upgrade Protection option is purchased when you order.

FAQ

I ordered the wrong product - how do I exchange it?

To swap products, you need to order the one you want and then email us the new order number with the old order number you want to return. Then, we will refund the old one. This is necessary so the licensing data is correct in our database. We provide bar code and automation products including Barcode Fonts, ActiveX Controls, DLLs, .NET Controls, ASP Components, Web Controls, Java applets, servlets & libraries, encoders and barcode hardware such as bar code scanners and printers. Our products support several symbologies including Code 3 of 9, Code 128, PDF417, Data Matrix, Postnet, Interleaved 2 of 5, MICR, OCR, UPC, EAN and others.

System Requirements

Platform : MS Windows, Macintosh

Order

30 day money-back guarantee!

Platform : Windows 98 or above, MAC, UNIX

   $199.00

If you do not want to implement PDF417 as a font, we also have MS Office Plug-ins as ActiveX Controls and JavaBeans, applets and servlets that can create several linear barcodes plus PDF417.

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