Chapter 5. Generating barcodes
This chapter covers
- Producing 2D barcodes for display and print with Core Image
- Printing sheets of barcodes with AirPrint
- Saving paper with the AirPrint Printer Simulator
- Generating 1D barcodes with BarCodeKit
- Printing to AirPrint roll-feed printers
Half of your world already has barcodes on it. The other half has only been waiting for you to finish this chapter, so that you can remedy the barcode vacuum wherever you might encounter it. This chapter will teach you how to generate barcodes for display and print. With this knowledge under your belt, you’ll be able to extend your scannable barcode universe virtually without limit.
The ability to print barcode stickers was long the domain of large corporations or supermarkets who could afford to buy special printers for this purpose. Nowadays companies like Brother offer label printers that print to inexpensive thermal-paper rolls for less than $100. Those make the physical printing of barcodes attainable for everybody. In turn, Apple added AirPrint support for such label printers in iOS 7. Wireless printing of single stickers from any iOS device is a huge convenience.