PDF417 Barcode Generator

What is PDF417 Barcode Generator?

PDF417 is a stacked linear barcode: instead of one long row of bars, it stacks several short rows on top of each other, each of which can be read by a laser scanner or camera. The name comes from its structure, in which every codeword has 4 bars and 4 spaces within 17 modules (the number 417). A symbol has between 3 and 90 rows and 1 to 30 data columns.

Error correction is set by a security level from 0 to 8. Level n adds 2 to the power of (n + 1) correction codewords, from 2 at level 0 up to 512 at level 8. Higher levels let the symbol survive scratches, folds and dirt, but they also make it larger. PDF417 has text, byte and numeric compaction modes; a single symbol can hold up to about 1,850 text characters, 2,700 digits or 1,100 bytes.

PDF417 is widely used on driver licences in North America (AAMVA), airline boarding passes (IATA bar-coded boarding pass), national ID cards, postal and shipping labels, and inventory tags. Its wide format suits cards and tickets where a square code would not fit.

When should you use it?

• You need a rectangular 2D code for an ID card, badge or ticket that has more width than height.
• A partner or authority specifies PDF417 for a document, such as a permit or an airline pass.
• You want more data than a linear barcode can hold but a laser scanner has to read it.
• You want to experiment with security levels and see how much they enlarge the symbol.

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 text you type is encoded in your browser and never leaves it. A PDF417 is not encrypted, so anyone with a scanner can read what is inside.