Codabar Generator
Codabar is one of the older 1D (linear, striped) barcode formats, and while it's largely fallen out of use in retail, it's still very much alive in a couple of specific places: library systems (for library cards and books) and blood banks (for tracking blood donations and related samples). Unlike some newer formats, Codabar requires a pair of start and stop characters — one of the letters A, B, C, or D at each end of the data — to define where the barcode begins and ends. This tool lets you pick that pair from a dropdown instead of typing it into your data by hand. Enter your content below, choose your start and stop codes, preview the result live, and download it as a PNG or SVG. Need a format without required start/stop delimiters instead? Try the Code 39 Barcode Generator. After generating a code, scan the result to confirm it decodes correctly with the 2D Barcode Reader. And if you need many library or tracking codes at once, the Batch Barcode Generator can produce a whole batch and zip them up for you.
Barcode Content
Digits 0–9 and the symbols - $ : / . + are allowed. Start/stop codes are added automatically based on your selection below.
Enter some content above to preview your barcode
How to Use
- Type or paste your data into the Data box — digits and the symbols
- $ : / . +are allowed. - Choose a Start Code and Stop Code — these are the A/B/C/D delimiter letters the target system expects to see wrapped around your data. A/B is a common default, but check with whatever will be scanning the code.
- Check Include human-readable text if you want the encoded content printed underneath the barcode as well.
- Watch the preview update automatically as you type or change your selections.
- Choose a Download Scale — larger scales produce a bigger image, useful for printing.
- Download as a PNG for most uses, or an SVG if you need to resize it for large printing without losing quality.
- Before printing in bulk, test-scan the result with the 2D Barcode Reader to confirm it decodes correctly.
What Is Codabar?
Codabar is one of the simplest linear barcode formats around. Each character is encoded independently and the format is self-checking by structure, which made it easy and cheap to print and scan reliably even with early, low-precision hardware.
That simplicity is exactly why it's still relied on today in a couple of specific industries. Libraries have used Codabar for decades to encode library cards and book labels, and blood banks use it to track blood donations and samples through collection and processing. In both cases, the organizations involved have enormous amounts of existing infrastructure and legacy stock — millions of pre-printed labels, cards, and scanning systems — built around Codabar, so switching to a newer format would mean replacing all of it. It's simpler to keep using a format that already works.
About Start and Stop Codes
Codabar requires one of four letter codes — A, B, C, or D — at the very start of the encoded data, and one of the same four letters at the very end. These aren't part of your actual data; they're delimiters that mark where the barcode begins and ends.
Different organizations have settled on different conventions for which pair of codes they use. A library system might expect one pair, while a blood bank tracking system expects another. There's no single universal standard, so matching whatever your target system expects is essential — a barcode encoded with the wrong start/stop pair may not scan correctly, or may be read but rejected by the receiving software.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Codabar used for today?
Codabar is mainly used by library systems (for library cards and book labels) and blood banks (for tracking blood donations and samples). Most other industries have moved on to newer formats like Code 128 or UPC/EAN.
Why does it need start and stop codes?
The start and stop delimiters help a scanner determine which direction the barcode is being read in. Codabar doesn't have a directional structure built into the data itself like some newer formats do, so the delimiter letters at each end tell the scanner where the data begins and ends regardless of which way the barcode was scanned.
Which start/stop codes should I use?
It depends entirely on the system that will be reading the code. Check with whatever software or hardware will be scanning it — A/B is a common convention, but it's not universal, and using the wrong pair can cause the code to be rejected even if it scans.
What characters can the data contain?
Digits 0–9 and the symbols - $ : / . +. The start and stop letters (A, B, C, D) are added automatically based on your selections and shouldn't be typed into the data field itself.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything is generated locally in your browser — your content is never uploaded or sent to a server.
