SSRS Report not displaying barcode when previewing in SharePoint, but exports with barcode

Question

I have a custom font that I am using for a report that generates a barcode from a number. I installed the font on my local machine (which is where I am developing) and on the Test SharePoint Reporting server (SSRS 2012 / SP 2010). I created the report in Visual Studio and the barcode displays and exports fine. I loaded the report onto the Test SharePoint server, and ran the report and the barcode previews correctly, and I export it to a PDF and it displays correctly.

However, if I have another guy in the office try to run the report, the barcode does not generate in preview mode. Although if he exports it to a PDF, the barcode shows up. So the issue is with the barcode showing up just when you preview the report in SharePoint.

The only differences between us 2 is that I have the font installed on my local machine. I assume that is the problem and the reason that it exports correctly, is because at that point it using the font from the report server.

A simple solution would be to install the font on each persons machine that would be running this. And it would be simple if we were not talking about hundreds of machines spread out across the country.

When previewing the report in SharePoint, is it actually checking local fonts or does it check elsewhere? If it is checking local fonts, is there a way to embed the font into the report somehow so that every user does not need to install it.

Thanks.

Answer 1

I ended up finding a solution thanks to an article that I found

http://www.zeninteractions.com/free-reporting-services-barcodes/

Basically, instead of converting the number from a number to a barcode font, you convert the number to a barcode image. This way the users who run the report will not need the font stored on there local machine.