Barcode Education & Resources

Types of Barcode Symbology

Understand common barcode formats, how they store information, and which symbologies are commonly used across retail, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare and other industries.

Barcodes are one of the most widely used methods for representing data in a visual, machine-readable format. A barcode uses lines, patterns or geometric shapes to encode information that can be captured by a barcode scanner or imaging device.

When scanned, the encoded information can be transmitted to software or a business system for identification, recordkeeping, inventory management, transactions and other automated processes. Barcode scanning helps reduce manual data entry and can improve accuracy and efficiency.

There are more than sixty barcode symbologies, each developed for particular data, space and application requirements. While many are specialized, a smaller group of symbologies appears frequently in everyday business and consumer applications.

Understanding Barcode Formats

Linear vs. 2D Barcode Symbology

Barcode symbologies generally fall into two broad categories. Linear barcodes encode information across one dimension, while 2D barcodes use patterns in two dimensions to store more information in a compact space.

Linear Barcodes

Also called one-dimensional barcodes, linear symbologies use varying widths and spacing of bars and spaces to represent data. They are widely used for retail products, inventory, shipping, identification and many other applications.

2D Barcodes

Two-dimensional barcodes store information using patterns across both horizontal and vertical dimensions. Many 2D symbologies can store substantially more data than traditional linear barcodes and include error-correction capabilities.

Planning Your Barcode

Creating Barcodes

Each barcode symbology follows its own rules for encoding and storing information. Choosing the right symbology depends on the information being encoded, available label space, scanning equipment and the requirements of the industry or application.

How many characters and numbers do you need to describe the product or item?
What barcode types and scanning devices does your industry commonly use?
Will the physical size and shape of the product or label accommodate the barcode symbology you want to use?

Useful Tools

Barcode Resources

Once you know which symbology fits your application, BarcodeFactory provides tools and resources to help you create and implement barcodes.

Free Barcode Generator

Create sample barcodes using our free barcode generator .

UPC Barcode Registration

The retail industry uses UPC barcodes for product identification. GS1 US provides information about obtaining GS1-issued identification numbers and retail barcodes.

Visit GS1 US for information about obtaining UPC-related identifiers.

Barcode Reference Guide

Barcode Comparison Chart

Compare common barcode symbologies by format, character set, length and typical applications. Proper barcode size, placement, contrast and proportions are important for reliable scanning.

Barcode Type	Type	Character Set	Length	Comments
Australia Postal Code	2D	Numbers only	4	Includes error correction
Aztec Code	2D	Full ASCII; FNC1 and ESI control codes	Variable; Min 12, Max 3832	Includes error correction; minimum is 15 x 15 square, maximum is 151 x 151.
Codabar	Linear	Numbers: 0-9; Symbols: - : . $ / +; Start/Stop Characters: A, B, C, D, E, *, N, or T	Variable	Older code; often used in libraries and blood banks. See also USD-4, NW-7, 2 of 7.
Code 11	Linear	Numbers only	Variable	Recommend 2nd check digit
Code 128	Linear	All ASCII characters and control codes	Variable	Popular, widely used, excellent for many applications
Code 39	Linear	Uppercase letters A-Z; Numbers 0-9; Symbols: - . $ / + %	Variable	Popular, widely used for many applications
Extended Code 39	Linear	ASCII characters and control codes	Variable	Uses pairs of characters to encode non-standard symbols; wasteful of space.
Code 93	Linear	Uppercase letters A-Z; Numbers 0-9; Space - . $ / + %	Variable	A more compact cousin of Code 39, not as widely used
Composite Code	2D	All ASCII characters	Variable	Code comprised of a PDF417 code stacked on top of a Code 128; used in UCC/EAN standards.
Data Matrix	2D	All ASCII characters	Variable	Includes error correction, up to 2335 ASCII characters
EAN-13	Linear	Numbers only	13 + check digit + 2 optional + 5 optional	Retail product marking worldwide
EAN-8	Linear	Numbers only	7 + check digit	Retail product marking worldwide; compressed code for products with limited label space.
EAN Bookland (ISBN)	Linear	Numbers only	13 + check digit + 2 optional + 5 optional	Special use of the EAN-13 symbol to encode ISBN on books
Industrial 2 of 5	Linear	Numbers only	Variable	Older type of code
Interleaved 2 of 5	Linear	Numbers only	Variable	Very compact; encodes digits in pairs so total length must be an even number of digits.
ITF-14	Linear	Numbers only	13 + check digit	Special use of the Interleaved 2 of 5 code to mark shipping cartons containing UPC encoded products. See also SCC-14.
LOGMARS	Linear	Uppercase letters A-Z; Numbers 0-9; Space - . $ / + %	Variable	Same as Code 39; this is the US government specification.
MaxiCode	2D	All ASCII characters	93	Includes error correction; developed by United Parcel Service for encoding destination information.
MSI Plessey	Linear	Numbers only	Variable	Grocery store shelf tags
OPC Optical Industry Assoc.	Linear	Numbers only	9 + check digit	Special use of Interleaved 2 of 5 for marking retail optical products.
PDF-417	2D	All ASCII characters	Variable	Includes error correction, up to about 1850 ASCII or 2725 numeric characters.
Postnet	2D*	Numbers only	5 + check digit + 4 optional + 6 optional	USA postal code (ZIP code)
QR Code	2D	All ASCII characters	Variable	Includes error correction, up to about 1520 ASCII or 2509 numeric characters.
Standard 2 of 5	Linear	Numbers only	Variable	Also called Industrial 2 of 5
UCC/EAN-128	Linear	All ASCII characters and control codes	Variable	Special use of Code 128 which defines data formats for commerce.
UCC/EAN Shipping Container Code (SCC-14)	Linear	Numbers only	13 + check digit	Special use of Code 128 to mark shipping cartons containing UPC encoded products. See also ITF-14.
UPC Shipping Container Code (ITF-14)	Linear	Numbers only	13 + check digit	Special use of the Interleaved 2 of 5 code to mark shipping cartons containing UPC encoded products. See also SCC-14.
UPC-A	Linear	Numbers only	11 + check digit + 2 optional + 5 optional	Popular retail product marking in the USA and Canada
UPC-E	Linear	Numbers only	7 + check digit	Retail product marking in the USA and Canada; compressed code for products with limited label space.
Vanity Barcodes	Linear / 2D	Numbers and letters	Variable	Used widely in retail to enhance the look of a product. Custom-created by Barcode Factory.

Need Help Choosing a Barcode Solution?

The right barcode symbology depends on your data requirements, available space, industry standards and scanning equipment. Explore BarcodeFactory's barcode scanners and resources to find the technology that fits your application.

From Fortune 500 companies to your small business, 125,000+ companies trust our products, service, and support.