ITF-14 (Interleaved Two of Five, 14 digits) is the barcode on shipping cartons that contain retail products. The 14-digit number is the GTIN-14 — your product's EAN-13 wrapped in an outer-pack indicator digit.
Enter 13 digits and we calculate the check digit. Enter all 14 and we validate it.
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At a glance
| Symbology standard | ISO/IEC 16390 (2007), Interleaved 2 of 5 — ISO/IEC 16390 |
|---|---|
| Application standard | GS1 General Specifications — GTIN-14 on trade-item cartons — GS1 General Specifications |
| Data capacity | 13 digits + 1 mod-10 check digit (14 total) |
| Character set | Digits 0–9 only, encoded in interleaved pairs |
| Module width (X) | 0.495–1.016 mm; nominal 1.016 mm at 100% magnification |
| Bar height | 32 mm at 100% magnification |
| Bearer bar | Mandatory horizontal bars; full surrounding frame when printed direct on corrugated board |
| Quiet zone | 10×X on both sides |
“ITF-14 symbols carry only a GTIN and are used exclusively on trade items not intended to cross the retail point-of-sale.”
Structure
First digit is the indicator digit (1–8 for fixed pack quantity, 9 for variable weight). Next 12 digits are the GTIN-12 or GTIN-13 of the product inside (with leading zero if needed). The last is a check digit.
ITF-14 is always printed inside a heavy black border called a 'bearer bar' — that's part of the spec and helps low-quality scanners frame the code.
When to use it
Use ITF-14 on the outside of cartons that contain consumer products with EAN-13 or UPC-A codes. Retail back-of-store and warehouse scanners read the ITF-14 for case-level inventory.
Don't use ITF-14 on the consumer product itself — for that, use EAN-13 or UPC-A.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a GS1 number for ITF-14?
- Yes if the carton contains products you sell at retail. The GTIN-14 is derived from your GS1-issued GTIN.
- Why does my barcode have a thick black border?
- The bearer bar is required by the ITF-14 spec. It is not a render artifact.