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barcodes.tools

PDF417 barcode generator

Type text or numbers, with line breaks if you need them, and the PDF417 is drawn as you type. It is a wide, flat 2D symbol that holds a lot of text.

Text or numbers, up to 1,000 characters, line breaks included. The size follows the length of the text.

40.92 × 11.22 mm printed size, module 0.33 mm.Encodes DOC-4471 | LOT 7781-A | BIN C-14

Need many? Make a batch or a label sheet.

Print check: whole dots and a read-back test

Use the resolution in your printer’s settings or data sheet.

At 300 dpi one dot is 0.085 mm, so your module of 0.33 mm is 3.9 dots. A printer places whole dots, so bars of the same width may come out a dot apart in width.

Read-back test

This is a quick test of the data, not a print-quality grade, and your scanner may behave differently. Test-scan a real print before a run.

Size and colour

mm
mod.
#000000
#FFFFFF

What is PDF417?

PDF417 is a 2D barcode made of rows of bars stacked on top of each other, so it is wider than it is tall. The name comes from its structure: each character group (a codeword) is made of 4 bars and 4 spaces in a width of 17 modules. It holds far more text than a linear barcode.

The data is protected by built-in error correction, so a scratched or smudged symbol can still be read. The encoder chooses the number of rows and columns itself, and the symbol grows with the amount of text. Rows are 3 modules high here.

Where it is used

  • Identity cards and driver’s licences in some countries
  • Airline boarding passes
  • Tickets, permits and forms with a lot of text
  • Shipping and transport documents

What it holds

What a PDF417 barcode holds
PDF417
CharactersAny text, including accents and line breaks
LengthThis site takes up to 1,000 characters
Error correctionBuilt in, set by the encoder
ShapeRows stacked, wider than tall; rows are 3 modules high
ReadingNeeds a camera-based (2D) scanner or a phone app that reads PDF417

Printing PDF417 barcodes

  • Keep the blank margin on all four sides and do not crop it.
  • Do not stretch the image. Change the module width here, so the rows keep their proportions.
  • Shorter text makes a smaller symbol. If people will scan it with a phone, put a link in a QR Code instead of a lot of text.
  • Print one sample on the printer and label stock you will use, and scan it with the scanners that have to read it, before a full run.

Need a sheet of them? The batch generator makes up to 1,000 PDF417 barcodes at once and lays them out on Letter or A4 label sheets.

Questions about PDF417

PDF417 or QR Code?

Use PDF417 when the receiver asks for it, as with many ID, ticket and document systems. For a link that people open with a phone camera, QR Code is the usual choice, and many phone camera apps do not read PDF417.

Why is my PDF417 so wide?

It is a stacked symbol, so it is always wider than it is tall, and it gets larger with more text. Shorten the text or lower the module width if your printer prints it cleanly. Data Matrix gives a smaller square for short data.

Can I put line breaks in it?

Yes. A line break is encoded like any other character, and a scanner returns it with the text. Some systems read the data field by field and expect a fixed layout: follow the specification of the system that will read it.

Can I read a PDF417 on this site?

Yes. The Scanner page reads PDF417 from the camera or from a picture, and shows the text it holds.

Sources

  • bwip-js

    The open-source library that draws the barcodes on this site (MIT licence).

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