MaxiCode
UPS's fixed-size dot-matrix symbol (about 1 inch, 93×93 hexagonal modules) with a central bullseye, used for high-speed parcel sorting.
MaxiCode Specification
| Character set | ASCII (Mode 4/5 data); structured carrier formats (Modes 2/3) |
| Data length | Up to ~93 characters per symbol (chainable) |
| Check digit | Reed-Solomon error correction (levels 1-2 selection) |
| Density | Fixed 1-inch square, 93×93 hexagonal modules |
| Module width (X-dimension) | Fixed by specification (hexagonal dots) |
| Print ratio | Fixed square with central bullseye finder |
| Magnification | Fixed size — no scaling variants |
| Quiet zone | One module border on all sides |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 16023; AIM ISS-MaxiCode |
| Origin | United Parcel Service (UPS), 1992 |
Not generated by barcodegen.net
MaxiCode is documented here for completeness, but our free generator does not produce this symbology. The closest supported format is QR Code.
What Is MaxiCode?
MaxiCode was developed by UPS in 1992 for one job: sorting parcels moving fast down a conveyor. The symbol is a fixed one-inch square of 866+ hexagonal dots with a central finder "bullseye", readable at high speed and from any angle by fixed-mount scanners over sortation lines. Modes 2 and 3 carry the UPS structured address and tracking data; modes 4-6 carry general data with error correction.
Because the size and structure are fixed, MaxiCode capacity is fixed (~93 ASCII characters per code, chainable via structured append) — no version scaling like QR. Adoption outside parcel logistics never materialized, but it remains active in UPS operations and appears in ANSI MH10 and some carrier interfaces. For general-purpose scanning by consumers, QR is the right choice; MaxiCode is a sortation-plant technology.
Common Applications
- UPS worldwide parcel sortation
- High-speed conveyor logistics scanning
Related Barcode Types
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The dominant 2D matrix barcode: up to 7,089 digits in a square symbol with selectable error correction.
Deutsche Post's 12-digit parcel identification barcode, encoded in Interleaved 2 of 5 with Mod 10 check digit.