How it works
Choose what the code should hold: a link, plain text, Wi-Fi details, a contact card, an event, an email, a text message, a phone number or a map location. For products, switch the type to an EAN-13, UPC-A, EAN-8 or Code 128 barcode. The preview updates as you type, and after every change the finished design is read back by a scanner built into this page. The badge above the preview says Reads correctly, or explains what is wrong.
Every code here is static. The content is written straight into the pattern, so it needs no server, never expires and cannot be switched off. Every design change can be undone, and nothing leaves your device.
Styling that stays readable
Pick square, rounded or dotted modules, give the three corner squares their own shape and colour, add a frame with a short label, and place your logo in the middle. A logo hides part of the pattern, so error correction is raised for you to make up for it. A warning appears when colours are too close, when the code is lighter than its background, or when a transparent background needs a light surface behind it.
Phones look for dark modules on a light background with clear space around them. Black, navy or a deep brand colour on white or a pale tint is the safe choice.
Saved styles and templates
Save the current look under a name and it stays on this device, ready to apply to the next code in one click. Rename or delete styles, and export them as a small file to share with a colleague or move to another computer, where Import brings them back. The built-in templates are a quick start for menus, Wi-Fi cards, business cards, posters and product labels.
Batches from a list or spreadsheet
Switch to Batch and paste a list, or open a CSV or Excel file. Pick the column with the content, and optionally one for file names and one for label text. Every row gets the current style, and when a frame is on, each row's label text goes into its frame. Rows that cannot be made are listed with the reason. Download everything as a ZIP of PNG or SVG files with an index, or as a printable label sheet PDF in common layouts for A4 and Letter.
Printing it right
Print PDF draws the code as sharp vector shapes at the exact width you choose, in millimetres or inches, either on its own page for sticker and design software, or centred on A4 or Letter. The print check works out the size of each module, confirms the quiet zone, warns when the code is too small for phone cameras, and estimates how far away it can be scanned, which is roughly ten times its width.
For EAN and UPC barcodes, the check compares your size with the standard and its allowed range of 80% to 200%, which retail scanners expect.
Keyboard shortcuts
- Ctrl Z undoes a design change, and Ctrl Shift Z or Ctrl Y redoes it. Inside a text box they undo your typing instead.
- Ctrl S saves the current style
- Ctrl Enter downloads in the chosen format
Privacy
Codes are drawn, checked and exported in your browser. Your content, logo and spreadsheets are never uploaded. Saved styles and your last design are kept in this browser's storage on this device only, and a Wi-Fi password is never stored.
Questions
Can I change where a code points after printing it?
No. These are static codes, so the content is fixed. To change a destination later, point the code at a page you control and update that page.
Which characters can a frame label use?
Any in the preview, PNG and SVG. Print PDFs use a standard font that covers Western European letters, so other scripts and symbols there are replaced with a question mark.
Do I need to register my barcode numbers?
For products sold in shops, yes. EAN and UPC numbers come from GS1, and retailers check them. Code 128 suits your own stock, shipping and asset labels, where any text works.