sub makebarcode { 
  # given a string, return encoded codabar as image
  my $code = shift(@_);
  my $img = $pdf->barcode(
	-type => $type,
	-font => $pdffont,
	-code => $code,
	-quzn => $quzn,
	-umzn => $umzn,	
	-lmzn => $lmzn,	# fontsize at bottom
	-zone => $zone,
	-ofwt => $owft,
	-text => $label,
	-fnsz => $fnsz,
	-spcr => $spcr,
  );
  return $img;
}