Barcode Generator

Barcodes are how physical things get counted: inventory labels, asset tags, event passes, warehouse shelves and handmade product packaging all run on them. CODE128 is the versatile standard — it encodes letters, numbers and symbols compactly and every serious scanner reads it. This generator turns any text into a proper CODE128 barcode using a proven in-browser library, with controls for bar width and height so the output fits your labels, and downloads as PNG for documents or SVG for print-crisp scaling. Encode SKUs, serial numbers or URLs, print a test, scan it with your phone, and label with confidence.

Quick Answer: Type a value, adjust the barcode size, and download a scannable CODE128 barcode as PNG or SVG for labels and inventory.

Free Online Tool

Real CODE128 — the inventory workhorse.

Value to encode

Bar width: 2

Height (px)

Show value under the bars

How to Use the Barcode Generator

Enter the value to encode — a SKU, serial number, code or short text.
Adjust bar width and height to suit your label or document.
Check the preview: the human-readable value prints beneath the bars.
Download as PNG for documents and slides, or SVG for print and design tools.
Print one and scan it with a phone barcode app before producing a batch.

Key Features

True CODE128 encoding — letters, digits and symbols supported.
Adjustable bar width and height for label-friendly output.
Human-readable value displayed under the bars (toggleable).
PNG and SVG downloads; SVG scales cleanly to any print size.
Generated locally with a standard library — codes verify against real scanners.

Best Practices and Tips

Always test-scan a printed sample at the final size; screens forgive what small print does not.
Leave quiet zones: blank space on both sides of the bars is part of the standard, so do not butt the code against a border.
For inventory, encode a stable ID and keep the meaning in your database — not paragraphs of text in the code itself.
SVG downloads stay razor sharp at billboard size; PNG is for screens and office documents.
Consistent label sizes plus this generator equals a poor-man’s inventory system that genuinely works.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Shrinking a barcode below scannable width for a long value — more characters need more width.
Printing dark bars on a coloured or transparent background that scanners cannot separate.
Stretching the PNG non-proportionally in a document, distorting bar widths so scanners fail.
Encoding sensitive information — a barcode is readable by anyone with a phone, so treat it as public text.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CODE128 used for?

It is the general-purpose barcode of logistics and inventory: shipping labels, asset tags, library books, ID badges and internal tracking everywhere. Retail products on shop shelves use the related EAN/UPC family with registered numbers; CODE128 is what you use for your own codes.

Will phone scanners read these?

Yes. CODE128 is supported by every mainstream barcode-scanning app and by the built-in scanners in modern phone cameras and point-of-sale systems. Generate, print one test label, and scan it — the workflow professionals use.

What characters can it encode?

The full printable ASCII set: capital and lowercase letters, digits, punctuation and spaces. Longer values make wider barcodes; if your label is narrow, shorten the encoded value and keep the long description in your system.

PNG or SVG — which should I download?

SVG for anything printed or placed in design software: it scales infinitely without softening. PNG for embedding in documents, emails and web pages where a fixed pixel size is known. When in doubt, take the SVG and export sizes from it.

Is there a charge for using generated codes commercially?

The codes themselves are just a font-like encoding of your data; CODE128 is an open standard. If you later need retail EAN/UPC numbers for shop shelves, those are allocated by GS1 for a fee — a separate system from internal-use CODE128.