0.010/29/2019

FAQ-1512: Create an OMR in PlanetPress Design

Description

 How do I add an OMR codes on my document?

Contents

OMR, or Optical Mark Recognition codes, have wide use in the printing industry and are used especially in digital archiving processes as well as in automated systems like folder inserters.

However, "OMR" is a generic term that encompasses different methods depending on the type of hardware, the brand, or the software used to read them. There are two popular methods of creating an OMR: Using Code 39, and creating black bars in exact locations and applying conditions to them.

Before you start

  1. Determining the required data. Start by determining what data is required in the barcode. For example, if the ultimate goal is to scan the document, the data may be an Invoice ID as well as page numbering. Or, if the device is a folder inserter, the information would contain triggers for first and last page, number of pages in the document, etc.
  2. Create any required conditions in your document (first page and last page, for example)

Code 39 OMRs

Code 39 OMRs are straightforward to create and maintain, as the stock barcode object in PlanetPress Design can be used.

  1. Add a new Barcode object on the page by clicking on the arrow under Barcode in the Home tab of the ribbon, then selecting Code 39 and clicking anywhere on the page.
  2. Remove the "Add Human Readable" option unless you want the barcode data to appear as text. This will have no effect on automated processes by may help with visual recognition in manual processes.
  3. Go in the "Data" section and check the Custom data selection check mark.
  4. In the "String to Display" box, build the PlanetPress Talk expression that the hardware or software is required to read. This can be a combination of variables, strings, data selections, etc.
  5. Click OK on the dialog, and test the barcode by scrolling through each data page.
  6. If your document contains more than one page, duplicate the barcode on each page and modify its data to correspond to that specific page.
  7. Print a small sample of the job in order to confirm that the end result is functional.

Manual OMRs

Some hardware only support manual OMRs, which are basically black lines of a certain thickness placed in precise locations. Implementing a manual OMR consists of the following easy steps:

  1. Locate your hardware's specifications, which describe the expected marks: their location, size, color, and meaning.
  2. Create each mark on your page following those specifications. Marks are made simply by adding a box object to the page and, in its properties, change the background color to black and removing all borders. Size and position are controlled from the Basic Attributes properties.
  3. For each mark, establish a condition that determines whether it will appear or not. These conditions all depend on individual criteria determined by the specifications of the hardware.

Special Case: Pitney Bowes Scan Codes

PB Scan Codes are specific OMRs that are only used in implementations of Pitney Bowes hardware. Scan Codes involve a lot of different steps and a very complex workflow which goes beyond the scope of support offered by Objectif Lune. For any information regarding PB implementation or support, please contact your local Pitney Bowes office.