Code 39 Barcode Generator in Excel
How to create, make print Code 39 barcodes with check digit in Excel.

How to generate, display, print Code 39 barcodes with check digit in Excel without using font. Free download.
Barcode Generator for Excel add-in > How to generate barcode in Excel? > Create Code 39 barcodes in Excel. No font, VBA, Macro script required.


  • Compatible with latest Code 39 ISO/IEC 16388 specification to ensure Code 39 validity
  • Easily integrate barcode add-in features for Code 39 into Microsoft Excel 2007/2010
  • Customize multiple Code 39 settings, including DisplayStarStop, Orientation, WideNarrowRatio, etc
  • Adjust Code 39 resolution to get high-quality image output for almost all printers
  • Provide user-friendly interface for simple Code 39 generation in Microsoft Excel
  • Mature Excel barcode component with royalty-free and perpetual user license
  • Not only Code 39, Barcode Excel Add-in also creates 2d QR Code in Excel, PDF417 in Excel, Code 128 barcode in Microsoft Excel.
Introduce Code 39 Barcode Symbol
Code 39, also named as 3 of 9 Code, USD-3, Alpha39, Code 3/9, Type 39 & USS Code39, is a self-checking linear barcode symbology which encodes alphanumeric data, including alphanumeric data: 0-9, A-Z; special characters: space $ % + - . / and start/sop character: *.

Code 39 barcode specification is defined in ISO/IEC 16388. The specification full name is "ISO/IEC 16388 Information technology - Automatic identification and data capture techniques - Code 39 bar code symbology specification".

There are several standards based on Code 3 of 9 specification. For example: HIBC Bar Code (Health Industry Barcode) and LOGMARS (Logistics Applications of Automated Marking and Reading Symbols)
Download & Install


Install Excel Barcode Plugin

With this Code 39 barcode addin installation guide in Microsoft Excel, users will quickly install barcode addin in Excel.
  1. Please close all Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheets.
  2. Download KA.Barcode for Excel trial package and unzip it.
  3. Double click "KeepAutomationExcel2007Addin.exe" or "KeepAutomationExcel2010Addin.exe" to install.
  4. Open an Excel spreadsheet and click "Install" in the pop-up window.
  5. Now you can generate Code 39 barcode image for Excel.


Code 39 Character Set Encoding in Excel


Code 39 standard mode

Code 39 barcode standard mode supports 43 characters, including
  • Numeric digit: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
  • Uppercase letters (A - Z)
  • Special characters: - (Dash), $ (Dollar), % (Percentage), (Space), . (Point), / (Slash), + (Plus)
  • Start/Stop character
To generate Code 39 with standard mode characters in Excel, you need choose "barcode type" as "Code 39" in Excel Barcode Add-in "barcode settings pane". And input standard mode characters in property "Data".


Code 39 full ASCII mode

Code 39 supports encoding the full 128 character ASCII character set in accordance with ISO 646 IRV. To generate Code 39 with 128 ASCII characters in Excel, you need choose "barcode type" as "Code 39 Ex" in Excel Barcode Add-in "barcode settings pane". Using Excel barcode generator add-in, you do not need any font, VBA, Macro, formula programming to generate Code 39 barcode in Microsoft Excel documents.

In property data field, you can directly input the printable ASCII chars, and create and print Code 39 barcodes in Microsoft Excel. For the non-printable ASCII characters, you need process those chars in extra steps. Please view the details in How to generate code 39 with non-printable ASCII characters.


Code 39 characters minimum & maximum length

There are no rigid requirements for Code 39 barcode data maximum and minimum length.

Some barcode scanners will not scan code 39 for less than 4 characters by default. You need configure barcode scanner settings to minimize the length of code 39 characters to 0. Using Excel barcode generator software, you need at lease provide one character to generate Code 39 in Excel.


Code 39 start/stop characters

Code 39 uses asterisk character (*) as Start and Stop characters, and it should not be part of the Code 39 barcode data. In the barcode Human-readable interpretation, it can display or hide start/stop characters (asterisk *).

In Barcode Generator for Excel add-in, you do not need manually config and create Code 39 start/stop characters. The barcode generator software will automatically generate them for you. You can also config to display or hide start/stop characters in the Code 39 text label printed.


Code 39 symbol check digit

Code 39 does not include a checksum or check digit by default. For applications requiring enhanced data security, the modulo 43 (MOD43) check character may be used as a check digit.

To enable Code 39 check digit, you need apply the option "Apply checksum char" in the tab "1D Barcode" in barcode settings pane in Microsoft Excel application.


Code 39 text label printed
Code 39 barcode text label is also known as human-readable interpretation. It should normally be printed with the Code 39 symbol.

You can generate Code 39 with barcode symbology only without Code 39 text labels printed. In Excel, you need disable option "Display barcode data" in "1D Barcode" in Excel barcode settings pane.


Code 39 barcode dimension size
Code 39 barcode uses the following dimension settings, you can find all option settings in tab "Barcode Size" in Excel barcode settings pane.
  • Width of narrow element (X): the mimumum bar width is defined by the application specification. In Excel, the option is "Bar width (X)"
  • Wide/narrow ratio (N): the valid value is from 2.0 to 3.0 inclusive. In Excel document, you can set the property "Wide-narrow ratio (N)"
  • Width of intercharacter gap (I):
    minimum gap is equal to X
    maximum: for X < 0.287mm, is 5.3X; for X >= 0.287mm, is 1.52mm or 3X, whichever is greater.
    In Excel barcode generator, the property name is "I" also.
  • Quiet zone: the minimum width of quiet zone is 10X. You can set the option through "Left margin", "Right margin", "Top margin", and "Bottom margin".
  • Bar code height: the minimum height is 5.0mm or 15% of symbol width (excluding quiet zones), whichever is greater. The option name is "Bar height (Y)"


How to generate code 39 with standard mode characters and printable ASCII characters
It is really easy and quick to create and print Code 39 barcode with printable ASCII characters in Excel document. You can directly input the chars in property “Data” or the barcode linked Excel cell.


How to generate code 39 with non-printable ASCII characters
There are few control characters in ASCII character set are non-printable. You cannot key-in those characters directly in Excel document.

To encode Code 39 barcode with the non-printable chars, you need some extra work to do.

With code 39 barcode generator excel addin, you need convert the non-printable chars into "~ddd" 3-digits format. The numeric value is the char ASCII code value. For example, character "Carriage Return", its ASCII code value is 13. So the [CR] character will use the format "~013" in Excel barcode generator software.


Create Code 39 Barcode in Excel
Code 39 barcode image can be easily generated in Microsoft Excel documentation with this barcode addin and no other programming tools are needed.
  1. Switch to "Add-Ins" tab in Excel and click "Insert Barcode" to activate barcode setting panel.
  2. Select a cell for Code 39 barcode generation.
  3. Choose "Code39" symbology, enter valid data, and click "Insert".
  4. Revise default property values in the setting panel then click "Insert" button.
  5. Of course you can customize the inserted barcode images, and then click "Update".
Insert Code 39 Barcode List in MS Excel
Based on the following barcode list creation steps, you can successfully insert Code 39 barcode list in Excel.
  1. Go to "Add-Ins" tab to activate "KA.Barcode for Excel" setting panel.
  2. Select a list of cells and enter data, or choose a list of cells with required data.
  3. Then choose "Code39" barcode symbology, and click "Insert".
  4. All the selected cells are converted into corresponding barcode images.
Link Code 39 Barcode to Cell
Try to link Code 39 barcode image to cell in order to save time and efforts.
  1. Open an Excel spreadsheet, create a Code 39 image and click "Link Barcode to Cell".
  2. Select a cell with data, and click "Update Barcode" (To undo it, click "Cancel").
  3. Now the Code 39 image is successfully linked to the data in the cell.
  4. You can also link multiple images to cells and revise the linked data.
  5. Then choose one of linked Code 39 images and click "Update" button.
  6. Immediately all the linked barcode images will be updated with the revised data in selected cells.