Apparent Corp. has updated Barcode Producer (http://www.itsapparent.com/barcodeproducer/), its barcode creation software suite for Mac OS X, to version 6.6.

Consistent with current standards, newly created ISBN barcodes now always default to 13-digit only human readable content above the barcode. You can still create older style barcodes by changing the ISBN Text option.

Apparent has revised the QR Code generator in Barcode Producer 6.6 with some revisions and bug fixes. It's also now possible to re-open QR Code barcodes created with Barcode Producer to edit them.

Version 6.6 delivers new and improved custom trim marks with a fully customizable weight and offset. It also adds a Symbol Check Character option to the Code 39 symbology for specialized scanners that require it.

Barcode Producer is a tool for creating barcodes visually with one-click export for Adobe Creative Suite products, including Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and Acrobat Distiller. It's Universal Binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.

Also, the app can create smart QR Codes for text, URLs, and the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch. Originally from Japan, QR Codes are rapidly emerging in the United States and Europe, and allow you to encode text and URLs directly into square barcodes that are read by iPhone, iPad 2, iPod touch, Android, and many other smartphones.

Barcode Producer for Mac OS X and Windows is immediately available online with digital and physical CD-ROM delivery. It costs US$199. Plug-ins and accessories include the GS1 DataBar generation tool ($299), Automator batch barcode generation system ($299), and IntelliScanner Pro barcode scanner for testing printed output ($299). Site licenses are available, and Mac and PC versions are included.