Excel Add-In

Barcode Add-In for Microsoft® Excel® 365, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010

The Excel Add-In extends Excel with a specialized ribbon for barcodes. This makes it possible to easily design barcodes and insert them into Excel documents.

The optional Add-In represents a considerable simplification for Excel users and developers (VBA). No special or technical barcode know-how is required.

Highly accurate 1D and 2D Barcodes

Barcodes for your documents

Flexible layout options

User-friendly barcode ribbon

Easy to use

Embed highly accurate barcodes in your Excel sheets

Link barcodes to a cell

Automation of barcodes

Generate multiple barcodes at once

Easy to use!

Click on 'Add'

Setup the barcode

Click on 'Apply'

Done!

All features of the ActiveBarcode Add-In for Excel

Simple and flexible integration of barcodes into Excel tables.
Generation of barcodes that accept the value of a cell:
Move the cursor to the desired cell - Insert barcode - Done.
Automation
Barcodes can be linked with Excel cells so that the barcode changes automatically when the cell content changes.
Positioning
Insert barcodes in the table as needed: Right from the cell, Under the cell, Left from the cell, Above the cell, Onto the cell or Free position.
Exactly matching, high-precision barcodes
The size of the barcodes can be specified in inch or centimeter (country setting).
The cell size can be set to the same size as the bar code.
Or you insert barcodes that are exactly as large as an existing cell.
Validation
ActiveBarcode informs you when a barcode is too small or the selected text with the desired barcode symbology is not valid.
Assistance functions: The add-in helps you work with barcodes and helps you avoid errors when inserting barcodes into your table. For example, If you want to insert a barcode whose size is too small, the add-in suggests that you change the size to the smallest possible size and performs this function for you. Or, if you are using barcode text that is not valid for the selected barcode symbology, the add-in suggests the use of a formally valid text so that you can start working with valid barcodes.
All common barcode symbologies are supported.
Check digits are calculated and output automatically.
Flexible layout possibilities for colors, alignment, font selection etc.
The barcode is freely scaleable and can be rotated (0, 90, 180, 270 degrees).
Barcode API for developers: Properties, Events and Methods.
Examples and example programs with sourcecode.
The Picture property allows developers to use bar codes as you know from the Picture object.
Easy Installation and Uninstallation.
For 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) environments.
Get support directly from the developers.
Individual customization and enhancement of the add-in is possible according to your needs.

Insert barcodes into an Excel table with one click and link them directly to a cell content.

Select cell or cells with data

Barcode settings

Insert barcodes

Ready!

ActiveBarcode and the Excel Add-In Demo Video

Barcodes in Excel - Documenting every aspect of the Add-In in detail

The menu ribbon of the Add-In allows you to insert one or more barcodes into an Excel spreadsheet with one click. You can create barcodes that take the value of a cell and optionally change automatically if the value of the linked cell changes.

Settings for new barcodes

In the first group you define the desired settings for the barcodes to be generated. You select the type of barcode from the list, select the position and size of the barcode and determine whether the barcode should be linked to a cell.

Settings before inserting barcodes:

The List of Types allows you to select from the list of all supported barcodes.If you would like more information about the individual barcode types from within Excel, you can also find them directly under the button Manual rightmost in the menu.
Positioning the barcodes: Right, Left, Above or Under sets the barcode to be created relative to the cell for which a barcode is to be inserted.

Onto the cell sets the barcode to be created exactly on the cell for which a barcode is to be inserted and thus covers this cell.

Free position allows you to determine the exact position of a barcode to be inserted. When inserting, the barcode is first stored in the center of the worksheet and can then be moved.
Check Show the human readable text if you want a human readable text to be displayed with the barcode. This setting can also be changed later for each inserted barcode object. Please note that some barcode types such as Data Matrix do not display a human readable text because it does not belong to the specification.
Barcode/Cell defines the behavior that is desired when barcodes are inserted in relation to the barcode and cell size.

Barcode size independent of the cell size allows the barcode to be inserted without any influence on the cell size.

Select Set cell size like Barcode size if you want to automatically adjust the size of the cell to the selected size of the barcode when inserting the barcode. The selected barcode size determines the resulting cell size.

With the last setting Set barcode size like cell size, the existing cell size specifies the size of the barcodes to be inserted. If you choose this setting, you should first resize the cells to the desired size so that the generated barcodes have enough space.
Width (in) and Height (in) Here you can specify the width and height for new barcodes in inch or centimenter depending on your system settings for metrics dimmension. These fields are only available if the other settings allow this information.

Insert Barcodes

Single Barcode: Move the cursor to the desired cell that is to be used as a source for the barcode and click the button from the Barcode group. The barcode is inserted and the cell content is used as text for the barcode. If the cell is empty, the content of the barcode to be created is queried beforehand.
Multiple Barcodes: If you select several cells, multiple barcodes are created according to the previously defined settings. For example, if you have selected one hundred cells in a column with product numbers and set that barcodes of a certain size should be inserted to the right of the cell and the cell should be adapted to the size of the barcode, you will get a list with one hundred barcodes in the desired size as shown in the screenshot.

Edit and work with barcodes

In the third group, optional or additional functions are available that allow subsequent changes to the barcodes previously inserted or special functions such as inserting as a static image.

Design mode: Switches the design mode on and off. If the design mode is enabled, you can click on barcode objects and a frame around the barcode object will be displayed. You can then move barcodes, resize them and change their properties using the context-sensitive menu (right mouse button, ActiveBarcode object, Properties). If you deactivate the design mode, the frame is no longer displayed and the barcode objects are better protected against changes.
Properties: Opens the Properties window which displays all properties tabularly. With active design mode, all properties for barcode objects can be retrieved by clicking on a barcode while this properties window is open.
Show code: Opens the VBA Code Editor for developers.
Text: The two-part button allows you to change the barcode text for the selected barcode in the upper area. In the lower area a menu is offered that has further functions for changing the barcode text: The barcode text can be set to a demo text which is useful for starting the selected barcode type with a valid demo. The plain text line for the barcode can be switched on and off and the size can be changed.
Minimum size: Allows shrinking to the smallest possible size for which the barcode is still valid.
Delete: Deletes the selected barcode.
Insert image: Inserts a barcode as an image. Unlike when inserting a barcode object, the barcode cannot be changed any more. If the image is resized, a loss of quality is possible. This function should only be used in exceptional situations and is usually not recommended to be used if a solution can also be solved by inserting a barcode object.

Step-by-step example for inserting barcodes with the Add-In.
Further Step-by-step manuals guide you quickly to the desired solution.
The add-in is optional: You can use the barcode object directly in Excel without the add-in.
The usual application of the barcode object in Excel is still available.