Customizing Barcode Labels: Fonts, Colors, and Layout

The Barcode Printer in AccuArk gives you full control over how your barcode labels look. You can change fonts, colors, text alignment, paper size, and label grid layout to match your exact requirements. This guide walks through every customization option available on the Barcode Printer form.

Font Customization

The font settings control the appearance of the human-readable text that appears on the barcode label (the text printed below or above the barcode image itself).

Font Family

The font family dropdown lists every font installed on your Windows system. Common choices include:

• Arial — A clean sans-serif font, good for general-purpose labels
• Consolas or Courier New — Monospaced fonts where every character has the same width, useful when you need digits to align vertically across multiple labels
• Calibri — A modern sans-serif font with good readability at small sizes
• Times New Roman — A serif font for a more traditional appearance

Select the font that best matches your branding or readability needs. The preview panel updates immediately when you change the font.

Font Size

The font size control accepts values from 6 to 100 points. For most barcode labels, a size between 8 and 14 points works well. Smaller sizes (6 to 8) are useful when you need to fit text on very small labels. Larger sizes (24 and above) are appropriate for signs, posters, or large-format labels where the barcode needs to be readable from a distance.

Bold and Italic

Two checkboxes let you apply Bold and Italic styling to the label text. Bold increases the stroke weight of each character, making it easier to read at small sizes or from a distance. Italic slants the text and is occasionally used for descriptive subtitles on labels. You can enable both simultaneously for bold-italic text.

Text Alignment

Text alignment controls where the human-readable text appears relative to the label area.

Horizontal Alignment

• Left — Text is flush with the left edge of the label. Useful when labels include additional information to the right of the text.
• Center — Text is centered horizontally within the label. This is the most common choice and the default setting. It produces a balanced, professional appearance.
• Right — Text is flush with the right edge of the label. Used in specialized layouts where right-alignment matches other design elements.

Vertical Alignment

• Top — Text appears at the top of the label area, above the barcode image. This is useful when you want the human-readable text to serve as a title or header.
• Middle — Text is vertically centered within the label. This is the default and works well for most layouts.
• Bottom — Text appears at the bottom of the label area, below the barcode image. This is the traditional placement for retail barcode labels where the number appears beneath the bars.

Colors

The Barcode Printer provides two color settings that control the visual appearance of the label.

Font Color

Click the Font Color button to open a standard Windows color picker dialog. The color you select applies to both the barcode bars (or modules, in the case of 2D barcodes) and the human-readable text. The default is black.

When choosing a font color, keep in mind that barcode scanners rely on high contrast between the bars and the background. Dark colors on a light background produce the most reliable scanning results. Avoid using light colors such as yellow or light gray for the barcode, as these may not scan reliably.

Background Color

Click the Background Color button to set the label background. The default is white. A white or very light background provides the best contrast for barcode scanning. If you change the background to a dark color, you should also change the font color to a light color to maintain readability and scannability.

Custom background colors are useful for color-coded labeling systems. For example, you might use a light blue background for warehouse zone A labels and a light green background for zone B labels, while keeping the barcode itself in black.

Paper Size Presets

The paper size dropdown provides several built-in presets:

• Letter — 8.5 x 11 inches (215.9 x 279.4 mm). The standard paper size in the United States and Canada.
• A4 — 8.27 x 11.69 inches (210 x 297 mm). The standard paper size used internationally.
• A5 — 5.83 x 8.27 inches (148 x 210 mm). A half-size sheet useful for smaller label runs.
• Custom — Select this option to enter your own width and height dimensions in inches. Custom sizes are useful for dedicated label printers that use roll stock or non-standard sheet sizes.

The paper size you select determines the total printable area. The label grid (rows and columns) is laid out within this area, minus the configured margins.

Multi-Label Grid

The multi-label grid settings let you print multiple barcode labels on a single page. This is ideal for printing sheets of labels on standard label stock such as Avery label sheets.

Rows and Columns

Set the Rows and Columns values to define how many labels appear on each page:

• 1 row x 1 column — One large label per page. Useful for signs or large-format labels.
• 3 columns x 10 rows — Creates 30 labels per page. This matches many standard address label sheets (such as Avery 5160).
• 2 columns x 7 rows — Creates 14 labels per page. Matches larger shipping label formats.
• 4 columns x 12 rows — Creates 48 small labels per page. Suitable for tiny price tags or component labels.

Each cell in the grid contains the same barcode with the same formatting. The barcode and text are automatically scaled to fit within each cell while maintaining aspect ratio.

How the Grid Works with Paper Size

The available space for each label is calculated by dividing the printable area (paper size minus margins) evenly across the grid. For example, on a Letter-sized page with 0.5-inch margins on all sides and a 3 x 10 grid:

• Printable width: 8.5 - 0.5 - 0.5 = 7.5 inches
• Printable height: 11 - 0.5 - 0.5 = 10 inches
• Each label width: 7.5 / 3 = 2.5 inches
• Each label height: 10 / 10 = 1.0 inch

Margins

Four margin fields control the blank space around the edges of the page:

• Top margin — Space between the top edge of the paper and the first row of labels
• Left margin — Space between the left edge of the paper and the first column of labels
• Right margin — Space between the right edge of the paper and the last column of labels
• Bottom margin — Space between the bottom edge of the paper and the last row of labels

All margin values are entered in inches. The default margins are 0.5 inches on all sides, which works well for most printers. If your printer cannot print to the edge of the paper (most standard printers have a minimum margin of about 0.25 inches), set your margins to at least that minimum to avoid clipping.

When using pre-cut label sheets, adjust the margins to match the sheet's label positioning. Refer to the label manufacturer's specifications for the exact top and left offsets.

Preview

The right panel of the Barcode Printer form displays a real-time preview of your barcode label. Every change you make — text, format, font, color, alignment, paper size, grid layout, or margins — is reflected in the preview after a short delay (typically less than one second).

The preview shows:

• The barcode image rendered in the selected format
• The human-readable text with your chosen font, size, style, color, and alignment
• The label background color
• The full page layout including all grid cells if you have multiple rows and columns configured
• The margin boundaries (the printable area within the margins)

Use the preview to verify your label looks correct before printing or exporting. What you see in the preview is exactly what will be printed or exported.