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Free Flattermarken barcode generator.
Flattermarken are collation marks for folded signatures: each signature's bar sits one step further along the back. Enter digits; each places a bar.
How to create Flattermarken
-
01
Give each signature its step
Enter
1for the first signature,2for the second, up to9. The digit sets the bar's position. -
02
Set the bar width
Under Module width, choose Millimeter and enter 2 or 3, TEC-IT's range. Each step moves the bar that far.
-
03
Hide the text line
Switch off Show human-readable text; the bars then fill the image at about 8 mm instead of 5 mm. Place them on the back fold.
What are Flattermarken?
Flattermarken, in English collation or step marks, are short bars on the back fold of signatures. Each signature carries its bar one step further, so a correctly gathered book shows an unbroken stepped line. TEC-IT's reference calls them a special “barcode” for page order.
Where Flattermarken are checked
A bindery gathers folded signatures in page order into a book block or magazine. The patent classification for bookbinding counts checking that order before the sections are attached, for example by step marks, as part of collating.
A photoelectric detector on the gathering machine can check marks on the signature backs and stop the machine. A 1979 Dai Nippon Insatsu patent names two faults: signatures loaded upside down or from another group.
A wrong signature shows on the back
A missing, doubled or reversed signature breaks the stepped pattern, as US patent 4,300,791 shows. Only a narrow strip of each bar needs to stay visible.
Sensors see a mark by the difference in light reflected from mark and paper, and faded marks can cause false results. Print the bars solid; the drawing uses 2 mm bars.
Flattermarken online and in TEC-IT software
Create Flattermarken free in your browser as GIF, PNG or JPG; SVG and higher print resolution come with a plan. One symbol needs no account; a data sheet for all signatures needs a free sign-in.
TEC-IT's reference covers Flattermarken in TBarCode SDK, Barcode Studio and TBarCode/SAPwin (print control C=FLM). Barcode Studio Pro exports vector EPS, PDF or SVG.
Flattermarken at a glance
- Type
- Position marks, TEC-IT symbology 28
- Characters
- Digits 0–9; 0 leaves a segment blank
- Segment
- 9 module positions, one bar
- Check digit
- None
- Bar size
- 2–3 mm wide, 5–10 mm high (TEC-IT)
- Quiet zone
- Application dependent (TEC-IT)
How TEC-IT turns digits into bars
TEC-IT's reference shows the coding with 1507:
| Digit | Segment | Bar |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Position 1 |
| 5 | 2 | Position 5 |
| 0 | 3 | None |
| 7 | 4 | Position 7 |
In 123456789 the bars stand 10 modules apart.
Flattermarken compared
Thin and thick bars encode a number instead of bar positions, read on pharmaceutical packaging lines.
Scanners decode its ASCII characters, checked by a mandatory modulo 103 character.
Frequently asked questions
Learn more about Flattermarken.
Can a scanner read Flattermarken?
What does each digit mean?
What are Flattermarken called in English?
Where on the sheet do Flattermarken go?
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