ITF-14 Barcode Generator
ITF-14 is the barcode on cases and cartons: a 14-digit GTIN in interleaved 2 of 5, framed by thick bearer bars so it prints reliably on corrugated board.
13 digits (check digit is computed) or all 14 (verified). The first digit is the packaging level indicator.
Size & options
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What an ITF-14 encodes
A GTIN-14: a packaging indicator digit from 1 to 8 (0 makes it an ordinary GTIN-13 and 9 is for variable-measure trade items), followed by the 12 digits of the retail item's GTIN-13 without its check digit, then a new mod-10 check digit computed over all thirteen. So a case of a product with EAN 5901234123457 might be 15901234123454: indicator 1, the item's number, and a fresh check digit. Enter the first thirteen and the tool does the check for you.
Interleaved 2 of 5 encodes digits in pairs - one in the bars, one in the spaces - which is why it only takes an even number of them and why it is denser than Code 39 at the same X dimension.
Why the bearer bars
The thick horizontal bars above and below are part of the symbol, not decoration. Interleaved 2 of 5 has a weakness: a scan beam that leaves the symbol early can read a valid but shorter number. The bearer bars force a partial scan to hit a solid black edge and fail instead. On flexographic printing they also even out plate pressure so the bars at the top and bottom of the symbol do not spread. The download draws them at the standard 4.8 X thickness; keep them.
Size for corrugated
Nominal ITF-14 is 142.75 mm wide by 32 mm tall at an X dimension of 1.016 mm, and GS1 allows down to 0.495 mm X (about 50% magnification) when the symbol is printed on a label rather than directly on the board. For direct print on corrugated, stay at or near nominal: the board's surface is rough and small bars fill in. Quiet zones of ten X each side, and a wide-to-narrow ratio of 2.5:1, which this generator uses. Place the symbol so its bottom edge is 32 mm from the base of the case, and repeat it on at least two adjacent sides so a pallet can be scanned without turning the box.
Other barcode types
- Free Barcode Generator - Type the number or text, pick the symbology, download a print-ready SVG or PNG.
- Code 128 Barcode Generator - Code 128 is the workhorse of logistics and inventory: any ASCII text, compact digits, a built-in check symbol, and readable by every scanner.
- EAN-13 Barcode Generator - EAN-13 is the barcode on nearly every product sold outside North America, and scanners everywhere read it.
- UPC Barcode Generator - UPC-A is the 12-digit barcode on products sold in the United States and Canada.
- Code 39 Barcode Generator - Code 39 is the older alphanumeric barcode still required by badge systems, automotive and defence specs.
- Data Matrix Code Generator - Data Matrix is the tiny 2D code on electronics, medical devices and machined parts.
FAQ
Is ITF-14 the same as the barcode on the retail product?
No. The product carries an EAN-13 or UPC-A at the retail level; the case carries an ITF-14 with a different number - the same base digits, a packaging indicator in front and a new check digit. Retail scanners are set not to read ITF-14, so a case code will not accidentally ring up at a till.
Can I encode an SSCC or other logistics data in it?
No. ITF-14 holds exactly a GTIN-14. Serial shipping container codes and batch or expiry data go in GS1-128, which this tool does not yet produce because it needs the FNC1 character.
What if my number has 12 digits?
Add the packaging indicator in front. A case of a product with a 13-digit EAN is that EAN without its check digit, with an indicator of 1 to 8 in front - thirteen digits, which the tool completes to fourteen.