Barcode Creation

Hi @Andrew_Enright! Thanks for the suggestion – adding a way to create new barcodes from within Airtable is something we’re considering.

Could you tell me some more about how you’d like to generate a barcode in slugs and job tickets? E.g. generating a QR code that contains a link to an Airtable record?

Best,

Doug

QRs are a fine option, linking to any data/URL. But they are large. A scaled and truncated linear barcode is much more useful for folks with cheap, traditional laser scanners and limited space. Best to have both options; they are different use cases. QRs are pretty useless unless mobile; and even then adoption is poor. As for traditional barcodes, my team could make code 39 or 128 work. Not sure of the greater market.

Hello, I’ve created what I think is an ingenious solution to this! Let me see if I can describe it succinctly… My primary field, “Asset Tag”, for my Assets table is set to Type: Barcode. I then create a calculated field of Type: Formula, and I set the formula like so:

“https://api.qrserver.com/v1/create-qr-code/?size=150x150&data=” & {Asset Tag}

Format that field as a URL. Now, you have a link that if you click on it, it opens a tab, and displays a QR code via http://goqr.me/.

Now I know that’s not quite as good as what you asked for, but it’s enabled me to get up and going.

Hope this helps!

This addresses half the problem, thank you. As others have posted in various forum topics, there are services that allow the CREATION of barcode/QR images using Airtable field data. But we don’t yet have a way to automatically pull those images back into Airtable. You can pull in the link, but not the image… I support the addition of an Image URL field type: New Data Type: Image URL

Question…

I’m attempting to implement this workflow for asset management at a post-production company. This workflow works, but it’s a little clunky. Meaning it involves extra clicking and remembering to click the URL, save the image, and then upload the picture to airtable.

It seems to me like it should be easy for this to be solved with a ZAP! Has anyone done the following? Or know how to make this idea work?

You create a new asset. This new record has a row that autogenerates the QR code URL and the asset tag. This new asset is missing an attachment (QR code image at URL), so it is singled out in a view that filters out records missing an attachment. This action triggers the ZAP to visit the URL that the record is linked to. The image at the URL is saved or stored and then uploaded to the attachment record that it corresponds to. At the final step, Airtable might have to search for the matching URL…

Is this possible?Any thoughts on how to automate this workflow with scripting or something?

Hi Carlos, I too think this MUST be possible via Zapier and have taken a few stabs at it off-and-on. Haven’t cracked it yet, but will share here as soon as I have a few solid hours to throw at it. Agreed that this is a huge unlock for any workflow that must manage/traffic physical goods/archives.

Hi Carlos,

still searching for a solution? I automated the same workflow for my purposes and could open the solution for general use with some extra effort, if there is a need…

All, pretty sure I posted this in a related thread, but we’ve got this working via Zapier:

1. 
   

   New Record in View

   
   


2. 
   

   Find Record. Search Value equals unique ID from Step 1.

   
   


3. 
   

   Update Record. Custom Value for Record ID equals Record ID from Step 2 (e.g. rec9NIErJkWfCXz). Barcode Image URL equals barcode URL from Step 2 (e.g. http://www.barcodes4.me/arcode/c128b/CH01234.jpg). Barcode Image Attachment ALSO equals barcode URL from Step 2 (e.g. http://www.barcodes4.me/arcode/c128b/CH01234.jpg).

   
   

I made a simple tool that converts barcode numbers to barcode images. It supports all major barcode types, and can be scheduled or triggered by a webhook URL.

Hi @Abdulrahman_Alzanki

This is a great tool!

I wondered if you could also post this in the “Show and Tell” section, since I almost missed it.

Thank you,

Mary K

Please add a barcode generator as a native feature of Airtable. Although there are other 3rd-party solutions out there, it looks like this is something the community has been asking for a number of years. This functionality would be crucial to a number of workflows we are creating. Thanks!!!