Why barcodes can look blurry
Custom HTML packing slips embed barcodes as raster images. At the default setting, those images are sized for screen display (roughly 96 DPI). When a modern laser or thermal printer scales them up to its native resolution, the module bars can blur or merge, making the barcode hard or impossible to scan.
Enabling High DPI on your template
Who can do this: Any user with permission to edit export templates.
- Go to Manage → Templates.
- Find your Custom HTML packing slip template and click Edit (⋮ → Edit).
- High DPI is available on templates in both Custom HTML and Standard Options configuration modes.
- Check High DPI (for Printing). In Custom HTML mode it sits next to the Page Size & Orientation dropdown; in Standard Options mode it is in the Print Quality section (below Page Size and Orientation).
- Click Save.
Note: the Configuration Mode of an existing template cannot be changed after creation.
All packing slips exported with this template from now on will use high-resolution barcode images — no changes needed to individual orders.
What changes when High DPI is on
| Setting | Default | High DPI |
|---|---|---|
| Barcode image resolution | ~96 DPI (screen) | ~288 DPI (print) |
| Barcode PNG dimensions | 1× | 3× wider and taller |
| PDF file size | smaller | slightly larger |
The layout and all other template content stay the same. Only the embedded barcode PNGs are re-generated at higher density.
When you might NOT need this
- Standard Options templates do not include barcodes via the
<barcode>tag, so this setting is not relevant. - If your printer driver already upsamples or smooths images, results may vary; test with a sample order before rolling out to the whole team.
Testing the change
- Open any sales order, click Actions → Export Packing Slip, and choose your updated template.
- Open the PDF and zoom in to 200 % — the barcode bars should look sharp rather than pixelated.
- Print a copy and scan it with your handheld scanner to confirm decode.