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ITF-14 Barcode Generator

Turn a 13-digit base or a full 14-digit GTIN-14 into an ITF-14 barcode for outer cartons and cases. The tool computes or validates the check digit, draws the bars with optional bearer bars, and exports PNG, SVG or PDF. Everything runs in your browser, so your product numbers never leave your device.

13 digits (check digit calculated) or 14 digits (validated).

Valid· check digit 1 added

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Your data stays on your device.

How does it work?

  1. 1Type 13 digits and the check digit is added for you, or type all 14 digits and the check digit is validated.
  2. 2Check the valid/invalid indicator; if the last digit is wrong, the message tells you what the correct one should be.
  3. 3Turn bearer bars on or off, then adjust bar width, bar height and the human-readable text.
  4. 4Choose colours if needed and download the barcode as PNG, SVG or a vector PDF.

What is ITF-14 Barcode Generator?

ITF-14 is the GS1 barcode used on cartons, cases and other trade items that are not scanned at the retail checkout. It is the Interleaved 2 of 5 symbology restricted to exactly 14 digits, and those digits are a GTIN-14: an indicator digit, the 12 digits of the item reference taken from the underlying GTIN, and a final check digit.

The first digit signals the packaging level, usually 1 to 8 for fixed quantities of the same item and 9 for variable-measure trade items. A single item with an EAN-13 can also be carried in ITF-14 by padding it with a leading zero, but that only makes sense when the carton holds a single unit. The check digit uses the standard GS1 modulo-10 rule: the 13 digits are weighted 3, 1, 3, 1 and so on from the left, and the check digit brings the total up to the next multiple of ten.

The bars are usually printed directly on corrugated board, where ink spreads unevenly. For that reason ITF-14 is surrounded by a solid frame or bearer bars, which keeps the print plate pressure even and reduces the risk of a partly printed symbol being read as a shorter, wrong number.

When should you use it?

  • You are labelling master cartons or cases that a warehouse or distributor scans with fixed scanners.
  • A retailer or logistics partner asks for a GTIN-14 on outer packaging in addition to the EAN-13 on the unit.
  • You need a quick sample or a label for a corrugated box without buying a GS1 label design suite.
  • You want to check that a GTIN-14 you were given has a valid check digit before it goes to print.

ITF-14 versus EAN-13

EAN-13 identifies the consumer unit and is designed for point-of-sale scanners, while ITF-14 identifies the shipping unit and is designed to survive rough printing on cardboard. ITF-14 needs generous quiet zones and, on corrugated board, a wider bar width. Use ITF-14 for cartons and EAN-13 for individual retail items.

Privacy

This tool runs in your browser. What you type, paste or open is processed on your device by JavaScript and is not sent to our servers, stored or shared. Your data stays on your device.

The number is turned into bars inside your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, and the barcode holds only the 14 digits you typed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can ITF-14 hold fewer than 14 digits?

No. ITF-14 always carries exactly 14 digits. Shorter GTINs such as an EAN-13 are padded with leading zeros to reach 14. Because Interleaved 2 of 5 encodes digits in pairs, an odd digit count would not work in the general symbology either.

Why do bearer bars matter?

When ITF-14 is printed on rough corrugated board, uneven pressure can print only part of the symbol. Bearer bars around the bars equalise that pressure and prevent a scanner from reading a truncated, wrong number. Keep them on unless your printing process is high-quality and flat.

How big should an ITF-14 barcode be?

Bigger is safer on cartons. Increase the bar width for rough board, keep a quiet zone of at least ten times the narrowest bar on each side, and print it where scanners can reach it. Always test-scan a printed sample before running a whole batch.

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