Aztec Code Generator
2D matrix code known for tickets and transport passes.
Create Your Aztec Code
Create Barcodes for Any Symbology
For marketing posters prefer QR. For mobile tickets and passes, Aztec is often specified.
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How to use the Aztec Code Generator
Create a scannable Aztec Code in three steps.
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1
Enter ticket or pass payloads
Aztec codes excel on boarding passes and transport tickets. They need less quiet zone than QR in constrained layouts.
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2
Adjust size and text
Set bar height, colors, quiet zones, and human-readable digits so the label matches your stock and scanners.
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3
Download your barcode
Export PNG for proofs or SVG for print vendors. Verify with a handheld gun or our online scanner before mass printing.
Customize Your Aztec Code
Keep center bullseye clear and modules high-contrast on glossy ticket stock.
Set bar height
Match the vertical size to your label stock and scanner gun.
Taller bars help handheld scanners at awkward angles. Shorter bars fit compact shelf talkers when width already meets the X-dimension.
- Follow retailer or GS1 magnification tables when printing for POS.
- Do not shrink below the minimum bar height your gun vendor specifies.
- Keep consistent height across a SKU family so pickers scan reliably.
Choose bar and background colors
Keep strong contrast so laser and camera scanners decode cleanly.
Dark bars on a light background remain the safest combination. Preview contrast before you approve packaging ink.
- Avoid red bars under red POS lasers.
- Matte substrates scan better than gloss glare.
- Never place text through the bar pattern.
Show human-readable text
Print digits under the symbol for manual entry when a scan fails.
Toggle human-readable interpretation so operators can type the GTIN or Code 128 string if the gun cannot read a damaged label.
- Use a clear sans-serif font sized for arm’s-length reading.
- Keep HRI outside quiet zones.
- Match the printed digits to the encoded payload exactly.
Protect quiet zones
Leave clear margins so scanners find the start and stop of the symbol.
Quiet zones on both sides (or around 2D codes) are required by most symbology specs. Crowding artwork into the margin causes no-reads.
- Aztec tolerates tighter margins than QR — still avoid clipping modules.
- Test under gate lighting and phone glare.
- Follow the transport authority’s size table when provided.
Respect check digits
Retail and some logistics codes reject wrong check digits at scan time.
Where the symbology requires a check digit, the generator follows the standard algorithm so POS and WMS systems accept the label.
- Do not invent retail GTINs — obtain prefixes from GS1 when selling through stores.
- Confirm MSI check-digit variants with your retailer firmware.
- Re-scan after any manual digit edits.
Balance density and print size
Longer payloads need wider symbols or taller 2D matrices.
Alphanumeric logistics strings and large PDF417 payloads increase symbol width. Shorten data or enlarge print size when scanners struggle.
- Test the smallest label size you plan to ship.
- Prefer Data Matrix or QR for tiny parts when linear codes will not fit.
- Keep X-dimension within printer dpi limits.
Download Aztec Code Formats
PNG for mobile wallet previews; SVG for secure ticket printers.
| Format | Best use for |
|---|---|
| PNG | Quick proofs, packing lists, and digital label drafts at the size you set. |
| SVG | Thermal printers, flexo vendors, and packaging artwork that need sharp bar edges. |
| JPG | Email attachments and documents where a smaller raster file is enough. |
| Print-ready one-page proofs for procurement, QA, or warehouse sign-off. |
Aztec Code Use Cases
Transport and ticketing uses for Aztec codes.
How Aztec Code barcodes work
How ticket data becomes a scannable Aztec code.
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1
Data becomes a pattern
Your digits or string are encoded into bar widths or a 2D matrix according to the symbology rules.
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2
Scanners find quiet zones
Clear margins help lasers and cameras locate the start of the symbol and lock onto the pattern.
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3
Check digits validate integrity
Where required, a calculated check digit rejects mistyped or damaged codes before they enter inventory.
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4
Systems act on the payload
POS, WMS, or healthcare systems look up the GTIN, SKU, or serial and continue the workflow.
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5
Gate validates the pass
Aztec scans unlock boarding or fare gates in transport systems.
Privacy / Security
Aztec payloads are generated locally and not stored by QRCodePlus.
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No signup
Open the generator and create barcodes without creating an account.
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Free
Core barcode tools run in the browser at no charge for standard downloads.
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No watermark
Exported PNG, SVG, JPG, and PDF files do not carry a platform watermark.
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Browser-based
Generation happens locally in your session — payloads are not rendered on our servers.
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No data stored
We do not save the digits or strings you enter into the generator for later retrieval.
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HTTPS secure
The site is served over HTTPS so your browsing session and downloads are encrypted in transit.
Why use Aztec Code barcodes?
Why Aztec wins on tickets instead of marketing posters.
Minimal quiet zone
Useful when ticket real estate is extremely limited.
Travel standard
Widely used for boarding passes and transit media.
Robust finder
Center bullseye helps readers lock under motion.
Dense payloads
Carry ticket fields without oversized symbols.
Thermal tickets
Prints cleanly on common ticket stock.
Gate imagers
Optimized for fixed readers at boarding lanes.