Free Codabar Barcode Generator — Create, Preview & Download Instantly

Codabar encodes the ten decimal digits (0–9) and six special characters: hyphen (-), dollar sign ($), colon (:), forward slash (/), period (.), and plus sign (+). Four start/stop characters — A, B, C, and D — frame every symbol and must appear at the beginning and end of the barcode. Start/stop characters are not part of the encoded data payload and are typically not printed in the human-readable text beneath the bars. No lowercase letters or other symbols can be represented in standard Codabar.

Codabar uses four designated characters — A, B, C, and D — as start and stop delimiters. Every valid Codabar symbol must begin with one of these four characters and end with one of these four characters. The start and stop characters can be the same or different (e.g., A–B, B–C, A–D). Many industry applications use specific start/stop pairs to communicate barcode type or routing category without adding extra payload bytes. Blood bank systems commonly use six distinct pairs to classify specimen types.

No mandatory check digit is defined in the core Codabar specification. The symbology is self-checking — each character's unique bar-and-space pattern means a single element error produces an undecodable character that scanners reject. However, many healthcare and library applications voluntarily append an optional check character computed using Mod 16 or Mod 10 algorithms for an additional verification layer. If your target system requires a check digit, verify which algorithm it expects before generating your labels.

Codabar, NW-7, USD-4, Monarch, and Code 2 of 7 are all names for the same barcode symbology. The different names arose because multiple companies and standards bodies independently named the format during its early adoption in the 1970s. NW-7 is the name commonly used in Japan; USD-4 is the ANSI designation; Monarch refers to the Pitney Bowes scanner product line. All names describe the same encoding rules and produce identical, interoperable barcodes.

Codabar has no standardized minimum or maximum data length beyond the requirement for at least one data character between the start and stop delimiters. Practical limits are determined by the physical dimensions of your label — longer strings produce wider barcodes. Most real-world applications encode between 4 and 20 characters. There is no artificial software length limit in this generator. Very short codes (1–2 characters) produce narrow barcodes that some scanners may struggle with at small X-dimensions.

Use Codabar when you need compatibility with legacy systems, scanners, or industry mandates that specifically require Codabar — most notably AABB blood banking, library circulation systems, and FedEx waybill workflows. If you are designing a new barcode application from scratch with no legacy constraints, Code 128 is a better choice: it encodes the full ASCII character set in a more compact symbol with a mandatory check digit and broader modern software support. Code 39 is another alternative for alphanumeric data but is less dense than Code 128.

The Codabar specification requires a minimum quiet zone of at least 10 times the X-dimension (module width) on both the left and right sides of the barcode — or a minimum of 2.54mm (0.1 inch), whichever is greater. The quiet zone is the blank white space flanking the symbol that tells the scanner where the barcode starts and ends. This generator automatically includes correct quiet zones at the default and custom widths. Do not crop or print over the quiet zones — doing so will cause scan failures.

Yes. All Codabar encoding is performed entirely in your browser using client-side JavaScript. Your input data — including any specimen IDs, patient numbers, member identifiers, or tracking numbers — is never transmitted to any server and never stored anywhere. Close the browser tab and all data is gone. This tool is safe to use with sensitive healthcare, library, or logistics identifiers.