Can I encode small caps with a normal Code 39 font?
An extension of the normal Code 39 character set (letters A-Z, digits 0-9, some special characters) allows the encoding of small caps. This is called the Extended Code 39 character set. Characters from the extended set are encoded using two characters from the normal set, e.g. to encode a small cap ‘a’ you have to encode the combination ‘+A’. (For a table of this combinations see here.) Hence any standard Code 39 font (like our Windows fonts) can encode the small caps and special characters that make up the Extended Code 39 character set, provided the font has all the special characters you need (mostly ‘+’, ‘%’ and ‘/’). Note: The actual conversion from the two-character combination to the single character of the extended set takes place in the scanner. Make sure your scanner actually supports Code 39 Extended. Back to the main FAQ index.
