What Is ITF-14? GTIN-14 Barcodes for Cartons Explained

ITF-14 is the barcode printed on the outside of shipping cartons, usually inside a thick black frame. It identifies a case of products rather than the product itself. Getting its number right matters more than its appearance, so this guide starts there.

Where ITF-14 fits: the packaging hierarchy

Each different pack configuration needs its own identifier, so a warehouse knows whether it's receiving a case of 6 or a case of 24. Pallets are different: they're identified by a serial number (SSCC) rather than a product number, and use a GS1-128 label (see what is Code 128).

Building a GTIN-14

A GTIN-14 has three parts:

1. An indicator digit, 1 to 8, assigned by you to tell pack configurations of the same product apart. 9 is reserved for variable-measure items, and 0 means the case uses the inner item's own GTIN.
2. The first 12 digits of the product's GTIN-13 (for a UPC-A, its 11 digits with a leading 0).
3. A new check digit, calculated over all 13 preceding digits.

The check digit changes because the indicator digit is part of the calculation, so you can't simply put a 1 in front of a product's EAN-13. The ITF-14 validator does this calculation, and barcode check digits explained shows the method.

Why cartons use Interleaved 2 of 5

The ITF-14 barcode uses the Interleaved 2 of 5 symbology, in which digits are encoded in pairs: one digit in five bars, the next in the five spaces between them, two of each five being wide. It's compact for numbers and tolerant of the uneven printing typical of corrugated cardboard, where flexible printing plates press ink onto a ridged surface.

Bearer bars

The thick frame around an ITF-14 is a bearer bar. It spreads the pressure of the printing plate evenly, and stops a scanner reading a partial code when its beam clips the top or bottom of the bars. Without it, a short scan of Interleaved 2 of 5 can occasionally produce a valid-looking but wrong number.

Printing ITF-14 on cartons

• Print it large: GS1 specifications allow narrow bars from roughly 0.5 mm to 1 mm wide, with bars around 32 mm tall.
• Keep the full bearer bar and at least 10 narrow-bar widths of blank space inside it at each end.
• Place the barcode on at least two adjacent sides of the case, so it can be scanned whichever way the case faces on a conveyor or shelf.
• Test a printed carton with the scanner used at goods-in, not just the digital file.

Common mistakes

• Printing the product's EAN-13 on the outer case, so the warehouse books in one unit instead of a case of 24.
• Using the same GTIN-14 for two different pack sizes.
• Putting an indicator digit in front of an EAN-13 without recalculating the check digit.
• Shrinking the barcode to fit the artwork. ITF-14 is meant to be large.

ITF-14 or EAN-13 on the outer case?

If the case itself is sold to shoppers at a checkout, as with a multipack of drinks, it's a consumer unit and carries an EAN-13 or UPC-A. If it only moves through warehouses and distribution, it carries an ITF-14. Some cases carry both. QR code vs barcode covers where 2D codes fit in.