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Free Codabar barcode generator

Codabar is a long-established numeric barcode that some older systems still expect. Type digits and the few symbols it allows, optionally between start and stop letters A to D.

  • Free to use
  • No sign-up
  • No watermark
  • Personal and commercial use
  • Runs in your browser

Codabar Internal labels

Free · runs in your browser
Barcode type
Retail products
Cartons and logistics
Internal labels
2D

Digits and - $ : / . +, optionally wrapped in start/stop letters A–D. Mostly for legacy library and lab systems.

Ready.

The preview also updates as you type.

Preview · printed sizeScale in mm

Black on white only: colored bars and backgrounds are a common cause of scan failures. Everything is drawn in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.

Printed size

The width of the narrowest bar. GS1 sets no size for internal codes; pick one your scanners read comfortably. Size and print settings explained

Download for your printer

SVG downloads at the printed size above, for design and label software. PNG for a 300 dpi printer (12 dots/mm): 4 printer dots per module, so X is 0.333 mm and the bars 12.83 mm tall; print it at 100% scale. Free for personal and commercial use, with no watermark. Test a printed sample with the scanner that will read it.

  • Free to use
  • No sign-up
  • No watermark
  • Personal and commercial use
  • Runs in your browser

Codabar at a glance

CharactersDigits 0–9 and - $ : / . +
Start and stopOne of the letters A, B, C or D at each end; the generator uses A and A if you type none
Check characterNone required; some scanners can verify an optional modulo 16 check digit
Wide bars (as drawn here)Twice the narrow width
Quiet zonesThe generator leaves 10 modules on each side
Scanner settingsOften enabled by default; the start and stop letters may be sent or stripped

Codabar has no ISO standard, so this page sticks to what the generator does and what a scanner maker documents. Zebra’s DS2208 product reference guide is a typical example: Codabar is enabled by default, it reads lengths of 4 to 55 characters by default (start and stop letters not counted), it sends the start and stop letters in upper case unless told otherwise, an optional “NOTIS editing” setting strips them, and modulo 16 check digit verification is off by default.

A printed example

A40156B: start letter A, data 40156, stop letter B. As the generator draws it, 71 modules of bars plus 10-module quiet zones, 30.0 mm wide at X 0.330 mm.

What each setting does for Codabar

  • Data. Digits and - $ : / . +, optionally with a letter A–D at both ends; without them the generator adds A at each end and says so. Lowercase start and stop letters are turned into capitals. Letters anywhere else are refused.
  • Size. X starts at 0.330 mm and the bars at 12.7 mm; no GS1 sizes apply.
  • Text. Printed under the bars, including the start and stop letters.

Common mistakes

  • Start and stop letters that the system does not expect. If your software stores “40156” but the scanner sends “A40156B”, look for the scanner’s setting that strips them (NOTIS editing on Zebra scanners) or match the letters to what the system uses.
  • Choosing Codabar for something new. It cannot carry letters in the data. For new internal labels use Code 128.
  • Short values. With the DS2208’s default minimum of 4 characters, a 3-digit Codabar would not be read until the length setting is changed.

Worked example

  1. Type 123-456. The generator adds start and stop A and says so in the status line: the decoded text is A123-456A on a scanner that passes the letters on.
  2. If your system expects B as the stop letter, type A123-456B instead; the letters are part of what you encode.
  3. Download SVG or PNG and scan a test label with the scanner the system uses, to see what it sends.

Sources

  1. Zebra Technologies: DS2208 Digital Scanner Product Reference Guide (MN-002874-14EN Rev. A) (accessed )

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