PDF417 Barcode Generator
Stacked linear 2D barcode used on IDs, shipping docs, and boarding passes.
Create Your PDF417 Barcode
Create Barcodes for Any Symbology
For tiny parts prefer Data Matrix; for consumer links prefer QR; for IDs and docs use PDF417.
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How to use the PDF417 Barcode Generator
Create a scannable PDF417 Barcode in three steps.
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1
Enter longer text or structured data
PDF417 stacks rows to hold addresses, permits, or boarding data in a wide rectangular symbol.
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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 PDF417 Barcode
Allow enough horizontal space — PDF417 is wide by design.
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.
- Never crop SVG exports into the quiet zone.
- Watch shrink wrap and box seams that push into margins.
- Verify with a physical sample on the target substrate.
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.
- Shorten free-text fields when labels are narrow.
- Keep row height readable for handheld imagers.
- Avoid extreme aspect ratios that cameras struggle to frame.
Download PDF417 Barcode Formats
PNG for DMV-style proofs; SVG for secure print partners.
| 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. |
PDF417 Barcode Use Cases
Document and ID workflows that use PDF417.
How PDF417 Barcodes work
From long text to a stacked PDF417 symbol.
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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
Reader parses the fields
PDF417 data feeds ID verification or boarding systems.
Privacy / Security
PDF417 content is encoded in-browser and not retained after download.
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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 PDF417 Barcodes?
Why PDF417 powers IDs and travel documents.
High capacity
Hold more text than typical linear barcodes.
ID industry standard
Common on licenses, permits, and boarding passes.
Structured payloads
Carry fields scanners parse into backend forms.
Stacked resilience
Multiple rows add redundancy against local damage.
Wide badge layouts
Fits rectangular card real estate better than squares.
Imager friendly
Designed for 2D readers used at gates and counters.