FREE Summa barcode Gen for Illustrator

[DonutSlinger]

Hey I thought I'd share this script I made that creates Summa barcodes+marks in illustrator. If you find issues let me know but works great for our needs

LINK: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14Qx4JR8xE7iVIJGgKHU_B35Rftw9SrMv?usp=sharing

2 versions:
1 - marks+barcode around artboard
2 - marks+barcode around selection


Prompts for the following settings:
-Barcode (if less than the required #'s are entered it adds 0's, and it filters out text characters)
-Marks offset (defaults to .31in)
-Barcode offset (defaults to .05in)
-Add additional marks on the left and right sides (to create marks in the corner use 0 which defaults to)

*Places the Marks in a separate layer named "Marks" and the barcode into a layer named "Barcode XXXXXXXXXXX"

How we use it
Send to Go-Sign to create the cut file, and then use cutter control for reading the barcodes. File names must match the barcode number exactly.

How to install in illustrator
Needs to be added to the scripts folder in illustrator something like C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator 2025\Presets\en_US\Scripts

Where to find it in Illustrator:
File>Scripts


Enjoy

 

[ozpall]

Summa has a plug in in their website for illustrator that give you all that, plus layers for every element with spot colors already built in.
is yours any different?
thanks for sharing thou.

 

[DonutSlinger]

Theirs doesnt create a barcode, just 4 marks and you can’t modify the offset or rows of marks. At least last time i used it.

In order to to generate barcodes you must purchase macsign which hasnt been updated in 4 years and its $500. Plus the dongle must be used on the computer to generate

 

[ozpall]

Theirs doesnt create a barcode, just 4 marks and you can’t modify the offset or rows of marks. At least last time i used it.

In order to to generate barcodes you must purchase macsign which hasnt been updated in 4 years and its $500. Plus the dongle must be used on the computer to generate

ok cool thanks for the clarification,
on theirs you can modify marks.
i'll check yours out,
thanks again.

 

[ozpall]

Hey I thought I'd share this script I made that creates Summa barcodes+marks in illustrator. If you find issues let me know but works great for our needs

LINK: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14Qx4JR8xE7iVIJGgKHU_B35Rftw9SrMv?usp=sharing

2 versions:
1 - marks+barcode around artboard
2 - marks+barcode around selection


Prompts for the following settings:
-Barcode (if less than the required #'s are entered it adds 0's, and it filters out text characters)
-Marks offset (defaults to .31in)
-Barcode offset (defaults to .05in)
-Add additional marks on the left and right sides (to create marks in the corner use 0 which defaults to)

*Places the Marks in a separate layer named "Marks" and the barcode into a layer named "Barcode XXXXXXXXXXX"

How we use it
Send to Go-Sign to create the cut file, and then use cutter control for reading the barcodes. File names must match the barcode number exactly.

How to install in illustrator
Needs to be added to the scripts folder in illustrator something like C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator 2025\Presets\en_US\Scripts

Where to find it in Illustrator:
File>Scripts


Enjoy

downloaded and installed, works good, i like being able to make my barcode, thank you!!!

 

[DonutSlinger]

downloaded and installed, works good, i like being able to make my barcode, thank you!!!

Right! They sell the machine for barcodes but you must use a 3rd party rip like Flexi, or Onyx to create and they place so much spacing around them it's a waste. I don't like those programs for various reasons. Trying to find a way to get the cut file creation process more automated in GoSign using barcodes. Currently pulls the barcode layer in as cut paths that must be manually removed and then manually rename the cut file to the barcode.

 

[ikarasu]

Hey I thought I'd share this script I made that creates Summa barcodes+marks in illustrator. If you find issues let me know but works great for our needs

LINK: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14Qx4JR8xE7iVIJGgKHU_B35Rftw9SrMv?usp=sharing

2 versions:
1 - marks+barcode around artboard
2 - marks+barcode around selection


Prompts for the following settings:
-Barcode (if less than the required #'s are entered it adds 0's, and it filters out text characters)
-Marks offset (defaults to .31in)
-Barcode offset (defaults to .05in)
-Add additional marks on the left and right sides (to create marks in the corner use 0 which defaults to)

*Places the Marks in a separate layer named "Marks" and the barcode into a layer named "Barcode XXXXXXXXXXX"

How we use it
Send to Go-Sign to create the cut file, and then use cutter control for reading the barcodes. File names must match the barcode number exactly.

How to install in illustrator
Needs to be added to the scripts folder in illustrator something like C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator 2025\Presets\en_US\Scripts

Where to find it in Illustrator:
File>Scripts


Enjoy

Any reason you don't put it on the correct layers? I would also auto generate the barcode... I made my script for The flatbed cutters, but I assume its the same on roll cutters.

If it's a 0 it denotes the front... if it's a 5 it denotes the back. That way you can have a barcode on both sides - then whether you're laminating or not, your cutter will still read it in the correct orientation.

Attaching my script - It's circles as its for the flatbed. but it also Creates a Kiss / Thru layer, and moves all the Kiss/Thru Swatches to their prespective layer, as well as print data and reg marks.


With mine You just generate it... You can save the pdf in a folder, and the summa goproduce software can be told to pull from that folder and it'll auto pull the file, no needing to use go-sign to generate a cut. I havent modified mine in a long time.. been meaning to get back into it and make a GUI / Menus and stuff. Right now this one will auto resize the artboard 1" in each direction to add thebarcodes and fiducials. It'll also auto add more dots every 12" I believe? Been awhile!


I dont like the illustrator plugin summa made. It'd be nice if we could modify it a bit to do all the above in a clean gui format like graphtec has... The only thing I don't like about the summas is the plugins, Graphtecs CM4 plugin is so much more robust.

 

[ikarasu]

Right! They sell the machine for barcodes but you must use a 3rd party rip like Flexi, or Onyx to create and they place so much spacing around them it's a waste. I don't like those programs for various reasons. Trying to find a way to get the cut file creation process more automated in GoSign using barcodes. Currently pulls the barcode layer in as cut paths that must be manually removed and then manually rename the cut file to the barcode.

Have your barcode generate on "Print Data", and your square fiducials generate on "Regmark", move all the print data to "Print Data" as well...and have the cutline moved to "Kiss-cut" And goproduce shouldn't put non cut stuff to be cut. I believe you can use the script to change the name of the tab to your barcode name as well...then when you save it, it's 1 less step at least. I'm pretty sure the first version of my script did that until I realized I wanted it to be saved as the sticker item code I was using.

 

[Dale D]

Next barcode script version for Corel?

 

[DonutSlinger]

Any reason you don't put it on the correct layers? I would also auto generate the barcode... I made my script for The flatbed cutters, but I assume its the same on roll cutters.

If it's a 0 it denotes the front... if it's a 5 it denotes the back. That way you can have a barcode on both sides - then whether you're laminating or not, your cutter will still read it in the correct orientation.

Attaching my script - It's circles as its for the flatbed. but it also Creates a Kiss / Thru layer, and moves all the Kiss/Thru Swatches to their prespective layer, as well as print data and reg marks.


With mine You just generate it... You can save the pdf in a folder, and the summa goproduce software can be told to pull from that folder and it'll auto pull the file, no needing to use go-sign to generate a cut. I havent modified mine in a long time.. been meaning to get back into it and make a GUI / Menus and stuff. Right now this one will auto resize the artboard 1" in each direction to add thebarcodes and fiducials. It'll also auto add more dots every 12" I believe? Been awhile!


I dont like the illustrator plugin summa made. It'd be nice if we could modify it a bit to do all the above in a clean gui format like graphtec has... The only thing I don't like about the summas is the plugins, Graphtecs CM4 plugin is so much more robust.

I created the layer names based off what macsign was making. GoSign can be modified to import and remove layers by name.

We separate the cut and print data into layers by a script prior to using this, because we use another script to quickly layout to the size of media with a set qty that groups everything. i didn’t include it because i know people have their own spot names for those paths and each printer is different.

How does that back code work when using GoSign? I would love to use backcodes. I would really like to avoid importing into gosign and export the cut job then edit its name.


Im going to give yours a try, we have the cam version that works with circles.

I have reached out to summa several times to request features and notify of bugs and their response made me never want to do that again.

 

[DonutSlinger]

Have your barcode generate on "Print Data", and your square fiducials generate on "Regmark", move all the print data to "Print Data" as well...and have the cutline moved to "Kiss-cut" And goproduce shouldn't put non cut stuff to be cut. I believe you can use the script to change the name of the tab to your barcode name as well...then when you save it, it's 1 less step at least. I'm pretty sure the first version of my script did that until I realized I wanted it to be saved as the sticker item code I was using.

View attachment 178824

How did you get the tab in GoSign to be your barcode name? Thats kinda the last thing i cant figure out.

 

[DonutSlinger]

Next barcode script version for Corel?

Unfortunately i dont have corel and have no experience using it.

 

[sad_makaronchi]

Next barcode script version for Corel?

I did it) Wrote a macro that generates a barcode and outputs a plt file for cutting via summa cutter control

 

[Dale D]

I did it) Wrote a macro that generates a barcode and outputs a plt file for cutting via summa cutter control

Any chance of you putting it up here?

 

[sad_makaronchi]

Any chance of you putting it up here?

yep, later

 

[DonutSlinger]

Have your barcode generate on "Print Data", and your square fiducials generate on "Regmark", move all the print data to "Print Data" as well...and have the cutline moved to "Kiss-cut" And goproduce shouldn't put non cut stuff to be cut. I believe you can use the script to change the name of the tab to your barcode name as well...then when you save it, it's 1 less step at least. I'm pretty sure the first version of my script did that until I realized I wanted it to be saved as the sticker item code I was using.

View attachment 178824

That probably would work best for the general public. I'll try putting the barcode into the print layer, that would fix it from being imported in GoSign. I had setup in the import action in GoSign to ingnore layers with the name barcode but it doesn't work when the barcode # is there. Attached a pic of what it looks like after we run the barcode script.

Our print files are named with the order #, Material SKU, Finish and Qty which i think if we import that file into GoSign the cut file that's saved takes that name, so also doesn't work for us there. I'd really like SoSign to read the barcode number on the layer or a text object on that layer and rename the imported file.

 

[sad_makaronchi]

Any chance of you putting it up here?

I recorded a screen to show an example of how the macro works. It has adjustable parameters that are saved to the registry. I want to add a choice of one or two barcodes. For now, I only put one because I don't need two barcodes.

 

[ikarasu]

I created the layer names based off what macsign was making. GoSign can be modified to import and remove layers by name.

We separate the cut and print data into layers by a script prior to using this, because we use another script to quickly layout to the size of media with a set qty that groups everything. i didn’t include it because i know people have their own spot names for those paths and each printer is different.

How does that back code work when using GoSign? I would love to use backcodes. I would really like to avoid importing into gosign and export the cut job then edit its name.


Im going to give yours a try, we have the cam version that works with circles.

I have reached out to summa several times to request features and notify of bugs and their response made me never want to do that again.

Going off my memory... But I believe the last digit is supposed to end in 0 if it's the front, and then last digit ends in 5 if it's the back. That way the software knows how to rotate the file correctly.

11 digit code I think? So you could theoretically still user spawn the first 10 digits and the last digit is always 0 and 5.

I'll play with it more this weekend, I wanted to make it more user configurable like yours...also wanted it to be more of a click and do stuff type context menu. I just threw this one together very quickly in order to make some barcodes for a few repeat jobs we did.

 

[DonutSlinger]

Going off my memory... But I believe the last digit is supposed to end in 0 if it's the front, and then last digit ends in 5 if it's the back. That way the software knows how to rotate the file correctly.

11 digit code I think? So you could theoretically still user spawn the first 10 digits and the last digit is always 0 and 5.

I'll play with it more this weekend, I wanted to make it more user configurable like yours...also wanted it to be more of a click and do stuff type context menu. I just threw this one together very quickly in order to make some barcodes for a few repeat jobs we did.

A few questions, I never used the back barcode because i was under the impression two cut files were needed to do that, one for each direction. But you are saying that the software "knows" which orientation the cut job is by the last number being a 0 or 5 ? Which software did that work in? GoSign, winplot?
We use cutter control to cut rolls as currently as GoSign won't sheet cut no matter how we try.
I could configure the code to do that though.

I have made a few changes to the one posted above, that adds the barcode number in text to the left, and defaults the barcode prompt # to the current date and time so you don't need to manually input the code and ensures it's always unique.

 

[DonutSlinger]

I recorded a screen to show an example of how the macro works. It has adjustable parameters that are saved to the registry. I want to add a choice of one or two barcodes. For now, I only put one because I don't need two barcodes.

That's awesome you were able to get a plt file output ready to be cut! I'm trying right now to see if that's possible, but i need the "Gcodes" to call for doing that. Do you know where to find those?