What is Barcode Generator ITF-14?

ITF-14 Barcode Generator creates Interleaved 2 of 5 barcodes used for outer carton and shipping container labeling. ITF-14 wraps an EAN/UPC code in a bearer bar frame, made for warehouse scanning on corrugated cardboard packaging.

ITF-14 wraps a 14-digit GTIN in thick bearer bars so a forklift driver can read the carton from a distance with a wand or fixed-position scanner. The leading digit is the packaging indicator — 0 for a base unit, 1 through 8 for the case configurations a brand owner assigns, 9 for variable measure — and the 14th digit is the same Modulo-10 check digit used by EAN/UPC.

How to use

1. Enter a 14-digit GTIN (Global Trade Item Number). The last digit is a check digit — it is calculated automatically if you enter 13 digits.
2. Preview the barcode with its characteristic bearer bars (thick border frame). Adjust bar width and height for your carton label size.
3. Download a single code as PNG, JPEG, SVG, or PDF, or paste many GTINs into Batch Generate to get one barcode per line in a ZIP. ITF-14 barcodes are meant for outer packaging — use a larger print size for reliable warehouse scanner reading.

When to use

• Labelling outer cartons of retail goods for warehouse intake at distribution centres.
• Marking pallets and shipping boxes that contain multiples of a single EAN/UPC product.
• Producing carton labels for a 3PL that demands ITF-14 on the outside of every master case.

Result

Enter '10012345678902' to generate an ITF-14 barcode for a shipping carton containing 10 units of product 0012345678905.

FAQ

Why does ITF-14 use that thick frame around the bars?

The frame is called a bearer bar. It stops a partial scan when only part of the barcode falls under the scanner laser, which is common on uneven corrugated cardboard. Without it the scanner could decode a truncated value and pick up the wrong carton quantity.

How is an ITF-14 number related to my product's EAN-13?

The middle 12 digits are usually the EAN-13 with its check digit stripped. You prepend a packaging indicator (1 through 8 typically means a different inner-case quantity) and append a new check digit. So one product can have several ITF-14 codes — one per pack configuration.

Can the same ITF-14 work if I change the quantity inside the carton?

No. Each different carton size needs its own packaging indicator and therefore its own ITF-14. If you ship the same SKU in cases of 6 and cases of 12, you need two distinct ITF-14 codes so receiving systems can tell them apart.

What print size and material work best for ITF-14 on corrugated boxes?

Typical print is 32 mm tall by about 142 mm wide at 100 % scale, an X-dimension of 1.016 mm. GS1 caps ITF-14 magnification at 100 %, so full size is the ceiling, not a starting point — on rough kraft cardboard stay at or near 100 % (and never below 62.5 % when printing straight onto the corrugate) and use flexography or a thermal transfer label so the bars stay crisp; inkjet on uncoated corrugate often bleeds and fails verification.

Do I need to register an ITF-14 separately with GS1?

No, ITF-14 reuses your existing GS1 company prefix. You build the GTIN-14 yourself by combining a packaging indicator, the prefix, the item reference, and a calculated check digit. The same number block can then be scanned at any warehouse using the GS1 system.

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