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Barcoding51

Free Barcode Font Download: Code 39 (3 of 9) Unrestricted

Posted by Matthew KostaneckiLast Updated February 6th, 2023
— 7 minutes reading

Free code 39 fonts without restrictions can be hard to come by. Which is why we decided we would make one ourselves! This font is completely free to download and use forever. No strings attached. We’ve also included a Code 39 font without text in case you need something that is machine readable only.

You can download both code 39 fonts here:

Get the inFlow Code 39 fontYou are minutes away from typing out barcodes

If you’re interested in an in-depth look at how you can get started barcoding your small business be sure to checkout our Ultimate Barcoding Guide. It covers barcode fonts and everything else barcode related.

If you’d like to know how a barcode font can help your business, read on!

What is a Code 39 (also known as Code 3 of 9) barcode font?

A barcode is just a visual representation of data that can be read quickly by a computer. Think of it like a nickname that a scanner reads and translates into text on the screen.

A Code 39 barcode is just a standard symbology (format) that most barcode scanners can easily read. It was named Code 3 of 9 since, initially, you could only use 39 characters (the 26 letters in the English alphabet, numbers 0-9, and some special characters such as “-” and “.”).

Why should you set up a barcode system?

Code 39 barcodes are the simplest and easiest to use when creating an internal barcoding system at your small business.

Barcodes also scale well as your business grows. In fact, Code 3 of 9 barcodes are heavily used in the automotive industry, as well as the U.S. Department of Defense. If you’d like an idea of how to get started with barcoding, we’ve made a quick video on how to set up a barcode system.

How To Set Up A Barcode System | inFlow Inventory software

Why is a barcode font useful?

There are many ways to make barcodes; however, using barcode fonts is probably one of the easiest ways to get started. All you really need to create a barcode using a font is a  Windows or Mac program that supports True Type fonts. Some examples include Microsoft Word, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, and QuickBooks. With just a few clicks you can install the font and you’ll be ready to go! 

And, of course, once you can easily create barcodes, you’re on your way to creating an efficient system for tracking and managing your inventory.

You should keep in mind that the Code 39 font is best used for internal use. If you’re planning on selling your products on Amazon or any big retailers, then you’ll want to get UPCs. You can buy UPCs directly from our officially licensed GTIN Barcode Shop for $30 with no renewal fee.

If you’re curious why GS1 barcodes are important you can learn more here.

How do I install the Code 39 barcode font?

It’s really simple to install a font in Windows. Simply double click the font file after you download it and click “install” on the next window that pops up. You can also try right clicking the “inFlow Code 39 Barcode.ttf” or “Code 39 – Machine Readable.ttf” font files and select the install option right from that menu.

Code 39 font installer window

For OS X 10.3 or above, all you need to do is double click the font file and click the “install font” button at the bottom of the preview.

Next, in any program that uses fonts, such as Microsoft Word or Excel, you can change your data into a barcode by selecting “inFlow Code 39 Barcode” as the font. Or if you’d like the machine readable only option you would select “Code 39 Machine Readable” It’s like turning any program into a barcode generator!

How do I use the Code 39 barcode font?

If you wanted to change “1321MTLW” into a barcode, you would first write it out with a regular font, highlight it, and then change the font to “inFlow Code 39 Barcode”. Here’s what it looks like:

code 39 font in word

It’s also important to note that you must add an asterisk (*) to the beginning and end of your data. This is because scanners look for this character to know where to start and stop reading the barcode.

So, for example, to create a barcode of “1321MTLW,” you would enter “*1321MTLW*” in your word processor.

It’s also important to note that the * characters won’t show up when the barcode is scanned. So for example, scanning “*1321MTLW*” as a barcode will simply return “1321MTLW.”

Another good tip for finding the font quickly in the font list after it’s installed is to start typing “inFlow Code 39 Barcode” or “Code 39 Machine Readable” when your font list is selected. This way, you can avoid having to scroll through your font list.

We stress-tested the font with the inFlow Smart Scanner and found that the font could be reliably read at size 24 if you’re printing with a basic inkjet printer. However, we did have some success with a font size as small as 16. 

Keep in mind adding spaces will create two separate barcodes so you’ll need to use a hyphen or dash in lieu of spaces.

How do I put barcodes on my products?

To make the barcode font more useful and actually get barcodes on your items, you can print them out using sticky label paper. We’ve found the Avery series of label stickers is affordable and easy to set up. They have many options for both laser and inkjet printers.

Simply use the template provided by the manufacture (typically in Microsoft Word) and format your labels accordingly.

Now, all you have to do is peel and stick the barcodes to your products!

How do barcode fonts fit in the big picture?

Using barcode fonts is just one step in a series to start tracking and managing your inventory more efficiently. Below are all the steps you need to get an inventory tracking system started:

  1. Assign your items a product code.
  2. Turn product codes into barcodes by using the Code 39 barcode font.
  3. Print those barcodes using labels or a special barcode printer.
  4. Use inventory software so your computer can use barcodes to manage your inventory.

Check out our free e-book, too!

If you’re looking for more detailed information on how to get a complete barcoding system working for your business, you should download our free PDF book “Barcode Your Small Business”. This eBook won’t bog you down with technical jargon. It teaches you all about barcoding quickly and efficiently, walking you through all the steps above and more. A short read that’s straight to the point. What’s not to love?

Click here to download your copy!

Or if you’d like a handy reference guide for some of the most widely used acronyms in the world of barcoding you can read our barcode glossary.

Looking for inventory software that’s barcode friendly?

Our free barcode font is great for helping you create labels quickly and easily, but there’s an even easier way to create labels. That’s where inFlow Inventory comes in.

inFlow has a full label designer built right onto the web app, so you can design your own custom labels without any extra downloads. You can then scan them products straight into purchase or sales orders to speed things up.

inFlow can print to virtually any thermal printer, so you can quickly print labels for all your current stock, or newly received stock.

Start barcoding with inFlow

No credit card required. Sign up now!