Word Barcode Generation Plug-In for Data Matrix

How to Generate Data Matrix Barcodes or Barcode Labels in Word Documents

Word Barcode Plug-In

Mature Data Matrix barcode generator plug-in, supporting Word 2007 and 2010
Generate Data Matrix barcode easily in Word, without using third-party fonts
Support most linear and 2D barcode generation in Word, including Word QR Code
Generate a number of Data Matrix barcode labels with few simple clicks
Integrate Data Matrix barcode generation with Word mailing function
Provide detailed user manual and friendly & prompt service

This document describes the use of the BarcodeLib Data Matrix Barcode Add In for Microsoft Word, which enables generation and insertion of high quality linear and 2D barcodes without requiring barcode fonts or programming skills.

The Data Matrix Barcode Add In for Word is a mature barcode generator designed for Microsoft Office Word. It enables users to create and insert high quality Data Matrix barcodes in Word documents easily and quickly without any barcode fonts.

Quick Guidance

How to Run MS Word Data Matrix Barcode Add-In
How to Generate & Create Data Matrix Image in Word
How to Adjust Data Matrix Settings in MS Word
How to Use Mailing-Integrated Function in Word
How to Generate Data Matrix Labels in Word
Other Supported Linear and 2D Barcode Types

1. How to Run MS Word Data Matrix Barcode Add-In

Installation:

Close all Word documents.
Run the setup file.
Click "Install" when the "Microsoft Office Customization Installer" pops up.
Open a new Word document and you will see a tab "Add-Ins" in the menu bar.

2. How to Generate & Create Data Matrix Image in Word

With few steps, you can generate a high quality QR Code barcode image.

Switch to the tab "Add-Ins".
Choose DATAMATRIX in the Barcode Type selection bar.
Enter data in the Data textbox.
Click the button "Generate".

3. How to Adjust Data Matrix Settings in MS Word

Switch to the tab "Add-Ins".
Adjust the values of "Barcode Size".
Select the data mode, symbol version and and other checkboxes like GS1 compatible barcodes at "2D Barcode".
Click the button "Update".

4. How to Use Mailing-Integrated Function in Word

You can insert Data Matrix barcode into serial letters.

Switch to the tab "Mailings".
Click "Select Recipients" and choose "Use Existing List" or "Type New List" in the pull-down menu.
Generate a Data Matrix and then click "Finish & Merge" to edit, print or email the document.

5. How to Generate Data Matrix Labels in Word

You can fill your whole Word page with Data Matrix labels by doing following steps:

Switch to the tab "Mailings" and click "Start Mail Merge".
Select "Labels" in the pull-down menu to customize the label size.
Click "Select Recipients" and choose "Use Existing List" or "Type New List" in the pull-down menu.
Generate a Data Matrix and click "Update Labels"
Click "Finish & Merge" to edit, print or email the document.

Data Matrix Characters Encoding in Microsoft Office Word Application

This section guides the user through encoding character sets, adjusting dimensions, and understanding basic properties of Data Matrix (a 2D matrix barcode symbology) in Microsoft Office Word using the professional barcode generator add in.

Data Matrix Encode ASCII Printable Characters

ASCII code values from 32 to 126 represent printable characters (letters, digits, punctuation, and miscellaneous symbols).

Open the Barcode Generator settings pane embedded in the Microsoft Office Word Application.
Locate the Data text box within the pane.
Enter ASCII printable characters directly into the text box.

Data Matrix Encode Unicode Characters

Data Matrix symbology supports Unicode text encoding. Unicode text can be encoded into Data Matrix barcodes in Microsoft Office Word using the barcode add in.

In the barcode settings pane, set the Data mode property to BASE256.
Locate the Encode for bytes property and select the preferred byte encoding mode (default is UTF 8, 8 bit Unicode Transformation Format).
Input Unicode text into the Data property field or a linked Word document field.

Note: Selecting an incorrect byte encoding may produce garbled or unreadable barcode data. Always verify the result after updating.

Data Matrix Encode GS1 Data Message

Data Matrix symbology is an official GS1 compliant data carrier (others include QR Code, Code 128, EAN/UPC, DataBar, and ITF 14). GS1 data elements can be easily encoded using the Barcode Generator add in in Microsoft Office Word.

Adjust Data Matrix Width and Height Using Word Barcode Add in

Most Data Matrix barcodes are square symbols, but some formats are rectangular.

Square Data Matrix

Click to select the target Data Matrix barcode in the Word document.
Navigate to the Barcode Size tab in the Barcode Settings pane.
Locate the Width & Height property group.
Modify the values in the Image width and Image height fields.
Click the Update button to re render the Data Matrix.
Confirm that the barcode appears with the new dimensions in the Word document.

Note: For a standard square Data Matrix, set identical values for Image width and Image height. Mismatched values may cause scanning failure.

Rectangular Data Matrix

The Data Matrix specification defines six official rectangular formats.

Open the 2D Barcode tab in the Barcode Settings pane of the Word Application.
Set the Format mode property to the desired rectangular Data Matrix type.
Maintain the aspect ratio matching the module column to row ratio of the selected format.
Example for a 12×36 rectangular Data Matrix format: column modules are three times the number of row modules; Image width must be three times the Image height. Example pixel size: 1536 pixels (width) × 512 pixels (height).

Note: An incorrect aspect ratio will distort the barcode and prevent successful scanning.

Data Matrix Barcode Basic Characteristics

Data Matrix Encodable Characters

Data Matrix symbology supports full ASCII and extended ASCII encoding in the Microsoft Office Word Application.

Supported character sets:

ASCII values 0 - 127, compliant with ISO/IEC 646 (US version)
Extended ASCII values 128 - 255, compliant with ISO 8859 1
Additional language sets (Arabic, Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew) via binary data, ECI (Extended Channel Interpretation) protocol, or byte mode

Data Matrix Data Mode

Data Matrix supports multiple optimized data modes in the Word barcode add in:

ASCII: double digit numerics, ASCII 0 - 127, extended ASCII 128 - 255
C40: upper case alphanumeric, lowercase and special characters
Text: lower case alphanumeric, upper case and special characters
X12: ANSI X12 EDI data set
EDIFACT: ASCII values 32 - 94
Base 256: all byte values 0 - 255

If the target character set is known, select the matching data mode manually. Otherwise, set the data mode to AUTO. In AUTO mode, the add in automatically selects the optimal data mode based on the input characters in the Word document.

Data Matrix Maximum Character Size

Maximum character capacity varies by data type within a single Data Matrix symbol:

Numeric data: up to 3,116 digits
Alphanumeric data: up to 2,335 characters
Byte (8 bit) data: up to 1,555 characters

Ensure that the input character length does not exceed the maximum limit. If the limit is exceeded in the Microsoft Office Word Application, the barcode generator add in will create an error image displaying the message: Invalid Barcode Settings.

Note: Excessively long data will result in non scannable barcodes. Reduce the data length before generation.

Summary

This guide has covered the installation, configuration, and usage of the BarcodeLib Data Matrix Barcode Add In for Microsoft Word. The add in enables users to generate standard compliant Data Matrix barcodes without fonts or programming, and supports ASCII, Unicode, and GS1 data encoding, as well as square and rectangular symbol formats. For developers requiring similar barcode generation in VB.NET, Windows Forms, or WPF applications, BarcodeLib provides corresponding .NET libraries that follow the same encoding logic, ensuring consistency across document and desktop environments.