How to create scannable barcodes

A scannable barcode is a powerful tool for businesses. Let’s say you have a list of products along with their product codes and want to streamline the inventory process. Creating scannable barcodes allows you to do just that in two simple steps.

First, format the unique product codes. To do this, make sure the codes are formatted as text values and add an asterisk before and after each code cell number. (Use the ampersand symbol to save time.)

Once you’ve added an asterisk before and after each product code, the second and last step is to update the font to Libre Barcode 128. If you don’t have this font installed, download it for free and then restart Excel to access it.

Pro tip: Increase the font size to make the barcodes easier to scan.

And there you have it! Now go conquer the world with your new business know-how.

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Emma is the founder of Excel Dictionary, your ultimate source for impactful, digestible Excel tips and tricks.  After graduating from The Ohio State University in 2019 with a degree in Actuarial Science, Emma began her professional career as an actuary, just in time for COVID to hit.  New to the industry, new to the company, adjusting to a new WFH environment, and new to Excel, Emma quickly realized how overwhelming those Excel projects could be and didn’t know where to turn for help – so she taught herself.

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