How do I turn text into a barcode?

Type your text or number into the Value field and the Code 128 barcode updates instantly. Any printable ASCII works: letters, digits, and common punctuation.

Can I copy and paste a barcode?

A barcode is an image rather than text, so there is nothing to paste into a cell. Use Print to send it straight to a printer or a PDF, or take a screenshot of the preview to drop into another document.

What is the difference between Code 128 and Code 39?

Code 39 only handles uppercase letters, digits, and a few symbols, and produces wider barcodes. Code 128 covers the full ASCII set (including lowercase) and is denser, which is why it has largely replaced Code 39 in logistics.

How is Code 128 different from EAN-13 or UPC?

EAN-13 and UPC-A are fixed-length retail product codes tied to a global numbering system. Code 128 is general purpose: encode any text or number you like, at any length.

What are the Code 128 subsets (A, B, and C)?

Subset A covers uppercase and control characters, B covers upper and lowercase plus symbols, and C packs pairs of digits for compact numeric codes. The encoder picks and switches subsets for you to keep the barcode as short as possible.

Why won't my barcode scan?

The usual culprits are too little quiet zone (white space) around the bars, low print contrast, or printing too small. Keep a clear margin, print in solid black on white, and increase the size if a scanner struggles.

What size or DPI should I print at?

Aim for at least 300 DPI so the bars stay crisp. If a handheld scanner has trouble, widen the sticker rather than cramming the same barcode smaller.

Can I share a barcode by link?

Settings are stored in the URL, so opening the link reproduces the exact same barcode. Add ?print=true to the link to auto-open the print dialog.

Does the value leave my device?

No. The barcode is rendered in your browser, so whatever you encode stays local.

Barcode Generator

Generate Code 128 barcodes and print them straight from your browser.

1. Generate

Code 128

A high-density 1D barcode that encodes the full ASCII set: letters, digits, and common symbols.

Label: printed above the bars; purely human-readable.
Value: what the scanner returns. Used for the bars and printed below.

Used widely in shipping, inventory, and warehousing. Stick to printable ASCII for best scanner support.

Label

Value

2. Preview

Here's your barcode.

my label

ÌvalueÈÎ

value

3. Customize

Tweak the sticker size and visibility.

Sticker width (cm)

Sticker height (cm)

Label font size (cm)

Barcode font size (cm)

Value font size (cm)

Show label

Show value

4. Share

You can link to this page with url parameters.

Some inputs are too long to fit in the URL.

Share URL

Print when opening link

What is a Code 128 barcode?

Code 128 is a high-density 1D (linear) barcode designed to encode the full ASCII character set: uppercase and lowercase letters, digits, and common punctuation. It is one of the most widely used symbologies in shipping labels, inventory tags, and warehouse systems because it fits a lot of data into a small width and includes a check digit for reliable scanning.

This generator turns whatever you type into a scannable Code 128 barcode right in your browser. Type text or a number, adjust the sticker size, and print it or share the link. Nothing is uploaded.

Code 128 subsets

Code 128 has three character subsets. The encoder switches between them automatically to keep the barcode as short as possible.

Subset	Covers	Best for
A	Uppercase, digits, control characters	Legacy systems needing control codes
B	Upper and lowercase, digits, symbols	General text and mixed-case values
C	Pairs of digits (00–99)	Long numeric codes, at double density

Code 128 vs other barcodes

Symbology	Encodes	Typical use
Code 128	Full ASCII, any length	Shipping, inventory, logistics
Code 39	Uppercase, digits, few symbols	Older industrial and ID systems
EAN-13 / UPC-A	Fixed-length product numbers	Retail products at point of sale
QR code	2D: URLs, text, Wi-Fi, contacts	Phone-camera scanning, links

Printing and scanning checklist

Leave a clear quiet zone (blank margin) on both sides of the bars.
Print solid black on a white background for maximum contrast.
Print at 300 DPI or higher so thin bars stay sharp.
If a scanner struggles, make the sticker wider rather than smaller.
Stick to printable ASCII; accented or non-Latin characters can't be encoded in Code 128.

How to use the Barcode Generator

Type the value you want to encode.
Adjust the size and label as needed.
Hit Print, or copy the share URL. Opening it later restores the same barcode.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn text into a barcode?: Type your text or number into the Value field and the Code 128 barcode updates instantly. Any printable ASCII works: letters, digits, and common punctuation.
What is a Code 128 barcode?: Code 128 is a high-density 1D barcode used across shipping, inventory, and warehousing. It encodes the full ASCII set and packs more characters into less width than older symbologies like Code 39.
Can I copy and paste a barcode?: A barcode is an image rather than text, so there is nothing to paste into a cell. Use Print to send it straight to a printer or a PDF, or take a screenshot of the preview to drop into another document.
What is the difference between Code 128 and Code 39?: Code 39 only handles uppercase letters, digits, and a few symbols, and produces wider barcodes. Code 128 covers the full ASCII set (including lowercase) and is denser, which is why it has largely replaced Code 39 in logistics.
How is Code 128 different from EAN-13 or UPC?: EAN-13 and UPC-A are fixed-length retail product codes tied to a global numbering system. Code 128 is general purpose: encode any text or number you like, at any length.
What are the Code 128 subsets (A, B, and C)?: Subset A covers uppercase and control characters, B covers upper and lowercase plus symbols, and C packs pairs of digits for compact numeric codes. The encoder picks and switches subsets for you to keep the barcode as short as possible.
Why won't my barcode scan?: The usual culprits are too little quiet zone (white space) around the bars, low print contrast, or printing too small. Keep a clear margin, print in solid black on white, and increase the size if a scanner struggles.
What size or DPI should I print at?: Aim for at least 300 DPI so the bars stay crisp. If a handheld scanner has trouble, widen the sticker rather than cramming the same barcode smaller.
Can I share a barcode by link?: Settings are stored in the URL, so opening the link reproduces the exact same barcode. Add ?print=true to the link to auto-open the print dialog.
Does the value leave my device?: No. The barcode is rendered in your browser, so whatever you encode stays local.