Free Online PDF417 Barcode Maker

How to use the free PDF417 generator

This online PDF417 barcode creator turns one text or data record into a standard stacked 2D code. Generate, preview and download without registering or installing barcode software.

1. Paste the data into Data to encode. Keep the spaces and line breaks your receiving application needs.
2. For ordinary text, leave the default UTF-8 encoding. Open Advanced options only when you need a specific encoding, layout, print size or saved input.
3. The live barcode preview updates as you type or change options. Check the preview, byte count, rows, columns and encoding note. For manual control, turn off Live preview and choose Generate. A capacity error means the selected data and settings cannot fit together.
4. Download PNG for an image, SVG for a scalable vector, or PDF for a print-ready label or paper page. Copy SVG is available for applications that accept SVG source.
5. Scan a sample with the reader you will actually use. Compare the decoded text or bytes with your source before producing labels in quantity.

Try example fills a small item-and-quantity record. Reset clears the editor and restores the defaults while keeping manually saved browser input. You can cancel generation without losing the entered data.

For another barcode format, open the Barcode Generator.

To check a generated barcode image, use the QR Code & Barcode Scanner and compare the decoded data.

PDF417 encoder for text, numbers and bytes

PDF417 is a stacked 2D barcode defined by ISO/IEC 15438. Its encoder can combine text, numeric and byte compaction in one symbol. Long digit sequences can be more compact than the same number of mixed characters, so counting characters is not a reliable capacity test.

Text (UTF-8) supports international characters. This tool adds Extended Channel Interpretation 26 when non-ASCII bytes are present. That tells a compatible reader how to interpret the bytes; it does not make an incompatible scanner support Unicode. ASCII-only UTF-8 input does not need that marker. ISO-8859-1 is an alternative for systems configured for that character set.

Hexadecimal bytes is for an exact byte sequence. For example, 48 65 6C 6C 6F encodes the bytes for “Hello”; it does not encode the literal spaces and hexadecimal digits. Only complete byte pairs and whitespace separators are accepted. In text mode, characters such as ^ECI000026 are ordinary data, not commands.

Text line endings are explicitly LF or CRLF. UTF-8 files are read as text; binary files can be loaded in hexadecimal mode. File names and extensions do not determine the encoded content. If a receiving format needs precise control characters, use the matching line-ending option or enter their hexadecimal bytes.

Size, clear margins and error correction

A standard PDF417 symbol has 3–90 rows and 1–30 data columns; not every row-and-column combination is valid. The start, stop and row-indicator patterns add width beyond the data columns. Minimum rows is a lower bound, so the encoder can add rows when the data needs them. Automatic layout is the simplest starting point.

Error correction adds recovery codewords. Levels 0–8 use 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256 and 512 correction codewords respectively. Level 0 is not “no correction.” Larger correction levels consume capacity and can enlarge the barcode. This page fixes a manually selected level; Automatic chooses a level based on the data and available layout.

The clear white margin, also called a quiet zone, surrounds all four sides. This generator keeps at least two narrow-bar widths and defaults to four. Row height is at least three times the narrow-bar width. Avoid cropping the white area, adding a logo over the bars, changing the bars to a low-contrast color or stretching one axis independently. These details affect scanning even when the encoded data is correct.

PNG, SVG and print-ready PDF

PDF downloads contain vector bars. A barcode label page matches the barcode area, including its clear margins. A4 and Letter choose portrait or landscape to fit at the selected physical size. The pixel-width setting does not change PDF dimensions.

The Print button opens the browser’s print dialog. Printer and browser settings may fit the image to the paper, so use the downloaded PDF when the exact physical dimensions matter. After the dialog closes, confirm Printed or saved to reveal recommendations; choosing Cancelled leaves them hidden. Downloads and successful SVG copying reveal three relevant tools at the bottom of the tool box without scrolling the page.

Practical PDF417 uses

• Place an internal item reference, lot number and quantity together on an inventory label.
• Attach a structured record or shipment reference to a document for a compatible receiving workflow.
• Test how a scanner or application handles Unicode, line endings and binary control bytes.
• Compare a narrow layout with a wider barcode before choosing a label size and printer settings.

PDF417 is also used in standards for identity cards and printed boarding passes. Those applications require their own field formats, issuer data and validation rules. This page generates the barcode symbology from the data you provide; it does not assemble or certify AAMVA, IATA, HIBC, GS1, Macro PDF417 or MicroPDF417 records.

Save input, share the tool and protect your data

Barcode generation, preview and file exports run in your browser. This page does not send the entered barcode data to the account backend or a remote barcode-generation service. Save Tool uses the existing account Favorites system for the page link only. Existing shared website analytics and account policies still apply.

Share beside Save Tool shares the public PDF417 maker page, with its title and a short tool description. It never adds your entered text, barcode image, selected file, settings or backup to the shared link. Compatible devices open their share menu; other browsers copy the same page URL. If automatic copying is blocked, a selectable link appears. Sharing the page does not open download recommendations.

Save input keeps one manual copy of the data and settings in browser storage. Load saved restores it; Save input again replaces a readable saved copy. Delete saved removes the stored copy while keeping the current editor. Nothing is saved automatically, and a corrupt saved copy is left unchanged until you choose to delete it.

Download input backup creates an editable JSON file for Restore backup. A PNG, SVG or PDF is an output image, not an editable-input backup. Browser cleanup, private browsing or a different device can make local saves unavailable. Backups and the barcodes themselves contain retrievable information; error correction is not encryption.

Scanning, compatibility and troubleshooting

• Data does not fit: choose automatic rows and columns first. Shorten the source or select a lower error-correction level if your use case permits it. More minimum rows can add padding; they do not create unlimited capacity.
• Wrong decoded characters: check the UTF-8 ECI or ISO-8859-1 setting on the receiving system. For raw binary input, compare decoded bytes rather than a scanner’s text display.
• Weak or missing scan: confirm PDF417 support, preserve clear margins, increase PNG module width and avoid screenshots or resampled images. Use SVG or PDF for printing and test the actual paper output.
• PDF does not fit the paper: choose a barcode label page, reduce the physical module width or change the data-column layout. The generator does not silently alter the requested PDF size.
• Save, clipboard or file access fails: browser policies or available storage may block these actions. Use an input backup or a downloaded SVG as appropriate. The generator requires a modern browser with JavaScript enabled.

Maintained by MD SAIDUJJAMAN, CorrectionCopy’s owner and developer. For technical context, see the PDF417 symbology standard. Always verify your own receiving format and printed result.

Frequently asked questions