QRsetter

Code 128 barcode generator: barcodes on A4 or US Letter sheets

Code 128 is a linear barcode for SKUs and asset numbers like INV-000123. Type one value per line or import an Excel file, and the generator lays the barcodes out on a print-ready A4 or US Letter sheet, with no sign-up.

Step 1 · Content

Latin letters, digits and symbols, up to 40 characters, the caption after "|" One line = one Code128 barcode.
The value before the vertical bar "|" goes into the barcode: Latin letters, digits, spaces and ASCII symbols. The value is printed under the bars, and the text after "|" becomes a separate caption under the code.INV-000123 | Warehouse deskWhen importing CSV or Excel, the second column of the file becomes the caption.
Limits: up to 1500 lines, a value up to 40 characters, a caption up to 100 characters.

Step 2 · Look and size

the width includes light margins on both sides, the height is 40% of the width; a bar module stays at least 0.25 mm, otherwise the form asks for more width

Fine tuning optional

Margins

Frame

Short ticks at the corners of every cell to cut along. Needs a gap between codes of 0.5 cm or more and a sheet margin of 0.25 cm or more.

Color

No fill: the code sits on the layout background, which has to be light. In a PDF this is the color of the paper.

Step 3 · Format
free, no sign-up and no watermark ✓
Point the mouse at a code in the preview to scan it with the reader. Tap a code in the preview to scan it with the reader.
Preview of a sheet with Code 128 barcodes
Code 128 barcodes in QRsetter
  • The value goes first, the caption after "|". The value is printed under the bars.
  • Up to 40 characters per line. The generator adds the check character.
  • Width from 3 to 13 cm, 5 cm by default. Height is 40% of the width.
  • If a bar module comes out thinner than 0.25 mm, the form shows the line number and the width it needs.
  • Up to 1,500 lines at once: pasted, as a number series or imported from TXT, CSV or Excel (XLSX).

How to print Code 128 barcodes on a sheet

  1. Type the values. One line is one barcode. The value goes first: INV-000123 or BIN-A07-12. It takes up to 40 characters of letters, digits, spaces and ASCII punctuation. The generator prints the human-readable text under the bars automatically. A caption after the vertical bar "|" goes under the value. Import a long list from a TXT, CSV or Excel (XLSX) file.
  2. Set the width. Set the width in the form step "Look and size": 5 cm (2 in) by default, presets of 4, 5 and 7 cm, any value from 3 to 13 cm. The width includes a quiet zone of 10 modules on each side, and the height is always 40% of the width.
  3. Check one sheet before the run. Click "Download PDF" and print one sheet at 100% scale, with "Fit to page" off. Read 2 or 3 barcodes with a scanner or a phone app, then print the whole run.

Where Code 128 is printed

Asset and bin numbers follow your own numbering, and the number often has letters and hyphens. EAN-13 takes digits only, and Code 128 encodes such a number as is. Import the file from your inventory spreadsheet, as on the page QR codes from Excel. The first column becomes the value and the second column becomes the caption. For the numbering itself, see the article on labels for inventory and asset tags.

This page opens the form with cut marks on. Cut the sheet along them, on plain paper or on full-sheet label paper for stickers.

For a long string or text with non-Latin letters, open the "DataMatrix" tab. That code is square and takes up to 1,000 bytes, and the DataMatrix generator has the presets for labels. For QR codes on the same grid, see printing QR codes on a sheet.

Frequently asked questions

How is Code 128 different from EAN-13?

EAN-13 encodes 13 digits of a retail product number and nothing else. Code 128 takes letters, digits, spaces and ASCII punctuation, so it suits internal numbers like INV-000123 or SKU-7781. Code 128 has three code sets, A, B and C, and the generator switches between them as needed.

Can I encode letters outside ASCII?

Code 128 covers the ASCII table only, so the form rejects a line with accented or non-Latin letters and shows the line number. Put such text after "|", and the caption prints under the barcode as plain text.

How wide should I print a Code 128 barcode?

The value INV-000123 takes 143 modules with the quiet zones. At 5 cm one module is 0.35 mm, and the narrowest readable width for it is 3.6 cm. A value of 40 digits needs at least 6.9 cm, and 40 letters need 12.4 cm. Below 0.25 mm per module the form shows the line number and the width it needs instead of printing an unreadable barcode.

How many Code 128 barcodes fit on a sheet?

At a 5 cm width with the default margins, 16 barcodes fit on A4 without captions and 14 with them. On US Letter it is 21 without captions and 18 with them, because Letter is 6 mm wider and a third column fits. At 4 cm, A4 takes 27 without captions and 21 with them, and Letter takes 24 without captions and 21 with them. At 7 cm, both formats take 12 without captions and 10 with them.

Do I need to add the check character?

The check character is part of the symbol, and the generator computes it. Type the value only.

Can I number the labels in a series?

Click "number series" above the list field and fill in "Prefix", "From" and "To", for example INV- and 0001 to 0300. The list fills with INV-0001 to INV-0300. Check "The number as the caption under the code", and the number is also printed as the caption.

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