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ITF-14 Barcode Generator

Prepare a carton barcode from a 14-digit GTIN

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What is an ITF-14 barcode?

An ITF-14 barcode carries a GTIN in a 14-digit representation for distribution and logistics. Its bearer bars surround the barcode to help protect against short scans. ITF-14 is suited to case and carton identification; it is not a substitute for the retail checkout barcode requested for a consumer unit. See the GS1 ITF-14 print guidance for the underlying format.

For an outer carton, enter the GTIN appropriate to that packaging level. Preserve the bearer bars and quiet zones when placing the exported artwork on the box. A shorter GTIN may need leading-zero padding for its 14-digit representation, but changing a leading digit is not a way to assign a new case identifier.

How to create an ITF-14 barcode

Enter the data, check the symbol and test the downloaded label in the workflow where it will be scanned.

  1. Step 1

    Enter the correct data

    Enter the full 14-digit GTIN representation for the item being labelled. Confirm its packaging level and final check digit against your product records.

  2. Step 2

    Review the symbol and contrast

    Choose a dark foreground on a lighter background. Keep the built-in quiet zones and add padding if needed. Review the preview and resolve validation or scannability errors.

  3. Step 3

    Download and test a label

    Choose PNG, JPG, WebP, SVG, PDF or EPS. Preserve proportions and clear margins in your layout, then scan a printed sample with the intended reader and compare the returned data.

Prepare your ITF-14 label for its destination

Check your data, preserve clear margins and choose the right file for your label.

Keep bearer bars in the carton artwork

The generated ITF-14 symbol includes bearer bars and internal quiet zones. Preserve them when resizing or placing the label, and test the printed carton on its actual material with the intended scanner.

Keep clear margins

The generator preserves required quiet zones around the symbol. Keep these areas clear in your layout, and test a printed sample at its intended size with the scanner you will use.

Choose your export format

Download SVG, PDF or EPS vectors, or PNG, JPG or WebP images. Every export is checked against the saved data; test the final print on its intended material too. Compare the six barcode download formats in our guide.

Compare barcode formats

What a carton GTIN identifies

A six-unit case and a twelve-unit case with different ITF-14 carton identifiers.

Different case quantities need the right case GTIN

A case of six units and a case of twelve units are different packaging configurations. Use the GTIN assigned to each case configuration instead of copying the same carton barcode to both. Keep the quantity in the corresponding product record; the barcode does not calculate the contents.

Two matching cases share an ITF-14 GTIN, while their pallet has a separate GS1-128 SSCC label.

A case GTIN does not identify one unique carton

Two cartons of the same trade item can carry the same GTIN. That identifies their product configuration, not each individual shipping unit. When the logistics workflow needs a unique identity for a particular carton or pallet, it may require a Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) encoded in GS1-128.

ITF-14 vs GS1-128 vs EAN-13

QR Code AI combines ITF-14 check-digit guidance with native SVG, PDF and EPS files for carton artwork. ITF-14 carries a GTIN; use GS1-128 for selected lot, expiration or SSCC fields, and EAN-13 for retail checkout when your partner requires it. Green checks mark a better fit for the stated need; a cross means that capability is unsupported. Select an icon or underlined label for details.

Format and input guidance · sources checked October 30, 2026
What to compare
ITF-14
GS1-128EAN-13

Encoded data

GTIN · 14 digits

GTIN · 14 digits

GTIN in a 14-digit representation

GTIN / GS1 fields

GTIN / GS1 fields

GTIN or logistics fields with GS1 AIs

13-digit retail ID

13-digit retail ID

A 13-digit retail product identifier

Lot / expiry

GTIN only

Supported through selected AIs

Product identifier only

SSCC

Not encoded in ITF-14

Supported with AI 00

Not encoded in EAN-13

Scanning point

Warehouse receiving

Warehouse receiving

Distribution and warehouse receiving

GS1-aware logistics

GS1-aware logistics

A logistics system that interprets GS1 fields

Retail checkout

Retail checkout

Retail checkout, subject to partner requirements

Layout check

Bars + quiet zones

Bars + quiet zones

Preserve bearer bars and quiet zones

Complete AI data

Complete AI data

Allow space for the complete AI data

Retail print rules

Retail print rules

Follow the required retail print specification

Keep carton barcode records in QR Code AI’s searchable library with tags and one-year change history. Owners and Members can update the records, while Viewers can inspect and download them without editing, supporting a shared handoff to the packaging team.

Use the identifier assigned to the correct packaging level. Padding a number to 14 digits does not assign a new carton identity. GS1 describes these carrier roles in its GTIN barcode guidance and GS1 US barcode explanations. Input checks and a readable download do not certify the finished printed label.

ITF-14 barcode questions

Input, printing and saved barcode behaviour

ITF-14 identifies trade items in distribution and logistics, including cases and cartons. It carries a GTIN in 14-digit form. Use the appropriate EAN or UPC format when a retailer requires a consumer-unit checkout barcode.

No. ITF-14 carries the GTIN rather than additional lot or date fields. Use GS1-128 when the receiving workflow requires supported GS1 Application Identifiers for that extra information.

The surrounding lines are bearer bars. They help protect against short scans and are part of the symbol's printing requirements. Keep the bearer bars and quiet zones when you place the downloaded barcode into a carton layout.

Yes. QR Code AI offers SVG, PDF and EPS vector exports, plus PNG, JPG and WebP raster files. Keep the complete symbol and its blank margins in the layout. Verify a printed sample at its intended size with a compatible scanner.

A downloaded barcode contains fixed data and has no built-in expiry date. Changing a saved value requires downloading and printing a new symbol; existing copies keep their original data. These Barcodes do not provide scan analytics or editable redirects. A connected inventory or checkout system may update its own record for the same identifier. For customer-facing web links with scan analytics, consider a URL QR code and QR code tracking.

Yes. A personal account and each non-Premium Workspace can create three Barcodes. Archiving a Barcode does not free a creation slot; Premium allows additional creations. Creating, editing or downloading a Barcode does not start the seven-day trial. The trial begins with the first dynamic QR code or Smart Link in that scope. The barcode itself retains its directly encoded value when a trial ends; it has no managed redirect to keep active.

Prepare a carton barcode from a 14-digit GTIN. Review the value, download your chosen format and check the label in its intended scanning workflow.