Which barcode type should I use?

A practical starting point

For general internal labels, CODE 128 is often the most flexible choice because it stores letters, numbers, and common punctuation efficiently. If your software, customer, or industry specifies another type, follow that requirement instead.

Common barcode types

CODE 128

A strong general-purpose option for inventory, assets, shipping, bins, and internal labels. It handles a broad character set and is usually more compact than CODE 39 for the same data.

CODE 39

Common in established industrial, automotive, and government workflows. It supports uppercase letters, digits, and limited punctuation. Use it when an existing system expects CODE 39; otherwise CODE 128 is often more flexible.

UPC-A and UPC-E

Retail symbols used mainly in North America. UPC-A normally represents a 12-digit GTIN-12 including its check digit. UPC-E is a compressed form available only for eligible UPC values, not an arbitrary short number.

EAN-13 and EAN-8

Retail symbols widely used outside North America and read by many point-of-sale systems. EAN-13 represents a 13-digit GTIN-13; EAN-8 is used with specifically assigned shorter identifiers.

ITF and ITF-14

Interleaved 2 of 5 stores numeric data in digit pairs and appears in logistics workflows. ITF-14 is designed for 14-digit trade item numbers, often on shipping cartons rather than retail checkout items.

Codabar

A simple numeric format still found in libraries, blood banks, photo labs, and older logistics systems. Choose it when the receiving system specifically supports or requires it.

Before printing a batch

1. Confirm the required barcode type and exact data format with the system that will read it.
2. Validate fixed lengths and check digits for UPC, EAN, and ITF-14.
3. Create a sample at its final physical size.
4. Test it with the actual scanner and software before printing many labels.