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ScanHatch

PDF417 Generator

PDF417 stacks many rows of barcode into one rectangle, holding far more text than a normal barcode. Enter your text and download the code.

Choose a barcode format

Need a QR code? Use the QR Code Generator, which adds styling and logos.

Enter the text to encode. Line breaks are allowed.

Read the PDF417 guide for data rules, common mistakes and printing advice.

Checking an existing number? Barcode Validator

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How to use it

  1. Enter the text to encode. Line breaks are allowed.
  2. Set the printed width. Keep rows tall enough for your scanner and leave a margin of at least two modules around it.
  3. Download and test with the reader that will be used.

What PDF417 is

PDF417 is a stacked barcode: between 3 and 90 rows, each made of codewords 17 modules wide (the “417” refers to 4 bars and spaces in 17 modules). Special start and stop patterns and row indicators let a scanner read the rows in any order and piece them together.

It includes Reed-Solomon error correction, so a code can survive some damage. A single symbol can hold roughly 1,800 text characters, though codes that large need a lot of space and a good scanner.

Where PDF417 is used

  • The back of US and Canadian driving licences and many ID cards.
  • Printed airline boarding passes. Mobile boarding passes often use Aztec, QR or Data Matrix instead.
  • Shipping documents, invoices and forms where the data needs to travel with the paper.

Things to check

  • Many phone scanning apps read PDF417, but not all built-in phone cameras do. Test with the actual reader.
  • A data format such as the driving-licence (AAMVA) layout isn't created automatically. ScanHatch encodes the text you enter, exactly as typed.
  • ScanHatch's PDF417 accepts standard English characters (ASCII).

Frequently asked questions

Can I make a driving licence barcode?

ScanHatch encodes whatever text you enter, but doesn't produce the AAMVA data format, and producing identity documents is for authorised issuers only.

Why is it called PDF417?

PDF stands for Portable Data File, and 417 describes each codeword: 4 bars and 4 spaces spread over 17 modules.

Related formats

Further reading

Need another format? The full Barcode Generator supports 15 barcode and 2D code types.

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