Code 93 Barcode Generator
Code 93 was developed in the late 1980s as a more compact companion to Code 39 — roughly 25% denser, so it packs the same content into a noticeably shorter barcode. Unlike Code 39's uppercase-only character set, Code 93 can represent the full ASCII range, including lowercase letters and a wide range of punctuation, by using internal "shift" characters to extend its base alphabet. That combination of density and flexibility made it a popular choice in logistics and shipping labels, including some postal and parcel systems, as well as in the electronics and semiconductor industry. This tool encodes your content into a Code 93 barcode entirely in your browser — enter your content below, preview it live, and download it as a PNG or SVG. If you need even more data density or different character-set behavior, the Code 128 Barcode Generator is another strong general-purpose option on this site.
Barcode Content
Supports the full ASCII character set — uppercase and lowercase letters, digits, and most punctuation and symbols. Nothing is auto-capitalized; type it exactly as you want it encoded.
Code 93 uses two built-in check characters, conventionally called "C" and "K". Most systems and scanners reading Code 93 expect them to be present, so this defaults to on — only turn it off if you have a specific reason to, such as being told to by whoever operates the scanning system.
Enter some content above to preview your barcode
How to Use
- Type or paste the text you want to encode into the Content box. Mixed case, lowercase, and most punctuation are all supported as-is.
- Add check characters is checked by default, since most real-world Code 93 readers expect the two built-in check characters to be present. Leave it on unless you have a specific reason to turn it off.
- If check characters are on, optionally check Show the check characters in the printed text too to display them in the human-readable line beneath the barcode.
- Check Include human-readable text if you want the raw content printed underneath the barcode as well.
- Watch the preview update automatically as you type or change any option.
- 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.
- Need to verify a checksum by hand instead of generating an image? Use the Barcode Check Digit Calculator. Before printing in bulk, test-scan the result with the 2D Barcode Reader to confirm it decodes correctly.
What Is Code 93?
Code 93 was introduced in 1982 by Intermec as a higher-density, more secure successor to Code 39, which by then had become widely used but was also known for producing relatively wide, space-inefficient barcodes. Code 93 addressed that by encoding each character more compactly, typically shrinking the printed barcode by around 25% compared to Code 39 for the same content — useful on smaller labels where every bit of space matters.
Where Code 39's native alphabet only covers uppercase letters, digits, and a handful of symbols, Code 93 extends its own base set of 47 characters to represent the full 128-character ASCII range. It does this by pairing certain characters together as "shift" combinations — one character effectively tells the decoder "the next character is from an extended set," which is what allows lowercase letters and additional punctuation to be encoded even though the barcode itself is still built from the same core set of bar-and-space patterns.
Do I Need the Check Characters?
Code 93 defines two check characters, conventionally referred to as "C" and "K", each computed from a weighted sum of the preceding characters in the message. Together they give a scanner a strong way to detect misreads and printing defects beyond what the format's own character structure already catches.
Unlike Code 39, where a check digit is optional and rarely used in practice, the C and K check characters are generally treated as a standard part of a compliant Code 93 symbol — most scanning equipment and systems built around Code 93 expect them to be there. That's why this tool defaults Add check characters to on. Only turn it off if you have a specific reason to, such as being explicitly told by whoever operates the scanning system that it does not expect them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Code 93 used for?
Code 93 is commonly used in logistics and shipping labels, including some postal and parcel systems, as well as in the electronics and semiconductor industry, where its higher density than Code 39 helps fit more information onto small labels and components.
What characters can it encode?
The full ASCII character set — uppercase and lowercase letters, digits, and most punctuation and symbols — using an internal shift-encoding scheme to extend its base alphabet. This is a major advantage over Code 39, which only supports uppercase letters, digits, and a small fixed set of symbols.
Should I turn off the check characters?
Generally, no. Most systems reading Code 93 expect the two built-in check characters to be present, which is why this tool defaults them to on. Only turn them off if whoever operates the scanning system specifically tells you it does not expect them.
Is there a data limit?
There's no hard limit, but very long content will still produce a wide barcode, even with Code 93's improved density over Code 39. Keeping content reasonably short makes for an easier, more reliable scan.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything is generated locally in your browser — your content is never uploaded or sent to a server.
