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Code 128 barcode generator

Value

Any ASCII text of any length. Runs of digits are packed two to a symbol.

TOOLTIKI-128 · 167

2 70 Show the value underneath

Local · never scale it horizontally

Encodes any ASCII text at any length, and is the usual choice for shipping labels, asset tags and anything internal where the number is yours to define.

How to make a code 128 barcode

1 Type the value. The check digit is calculated for you where the symbology has one.

2 Download as SVG for print — a barcode printed from a scaled bitmap often will not scan.

3 Test the printed result with a real scanner before committing to a run.

The density is what makes it the default for logistics: Code 128 has a mode that packs two digits into each symbol, so a long numeric serial takes about half the width it would in Code 39. It also carries a mandatory checksum, which Code 39 does not, so misreads are caught rather than silently accepted. The practical caution is width — a long value produces a very wide barcode, and the fix is almost never to shrink it horizontally, which destroys the bar ratios. Either shorten the data or accept the width. GS1-128 is the same symbology with a standardised data structure layered on top for supply-chain use.

Questions

What can Code 128 encode? −

Any ASCII character, at any length. That flexibility is why logistics uses it.

Why is Code 128 narrower than Code 39? +

Does it have a check digit? +

Why will my printed barcode not scan? +

Can I make it narrower? +

Sources

GS1 — general specifications ISO/IEC 15420 — EAN/UPC bar code symbology

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INTERNAL SIGNAL ONLY · WE USE IT TO FIND TOOLS WORTH REBUILDING