Which format should you print?
A quick comparison of the most requested symbologies by capacity, character set and typical application.
| Format | Capacity / Character Set | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| 🛒EAN-13 | Numeric, 13 digits | Retail point of sale |
| 📊Code-128 | Full ASCII | Logistics, serial numbers |
| 🔤Code-39 | Alphanumeric subset | Industry, defence, automotive |
| 📦GS1-128 | ASCII with AIs | Trade unit labelling |
| 🛍️GS1 DataBar | Numeric GTIN | Small retail items, coupons |
| 📜PDF417 | ~1 800 characters | IDs, transport documents |
| 📱QR Code | ~4 200 characters | Mobile tagging, marketing |
| 🔲Data Matrix | ~2 300 characters | Direct part marking, pharma |
| 🏛️Aztec | ~3 000 characters | Tickets and boarding passes |
| 🎯MaxiCode | 93 characters | Parcel sortation |
| 📮Royal Mail 4-State | Alphanumeric | Mail automation |
| ⚪DotCode | Variable | High-speed inkjet marking |
Explore by family
📱27
QR Mobile Tagging
Smartphone-ready codes for links, WiFi, contacts and social.
🔲14
2D & QR Codes
High-density matrix symbologies encoding hundreds of bytes.
📦4
GS1 2D Barcodes
Expiry dates, serials and batch numbers on trade items.
💳9
Banking & Payments
Scan-to-pay codes for invoices and payment slips.
💊24
Healthcare Codes
HIBC, pharma and medical device marking symbologies.
🏷️15
Linear Codes
Classic 1D symbologies for logistics, serials and product IDs.
🛒11
EAN / UPC
Retail point-of-sale identification worldwide.
🛍️13
GS1 DataBar
Trade item identification for retail POS and coupons.
📬15
Postal Codes
Four-state and postal symbologies for mail automation.
📚5
ISBN / Publishing
Books, periodicals and printed music identification.