Shopify barcode types: which format should you print?

LabelCraft - barcode labels for Shopify that print at exactly the size you set.

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The guarantees behind every label

Exact to ±0.1 mm

Every label prints at the size you set - measured, not approximate.

Never a silent failure

Overflow or a missing barcode always raises a visible warning before you print.

Whole-dot barcodes

Modules snap to your printer's dots, so codes stay crisp and scan first time.

Your barcodes, untouched

We never overwrite or reassign a product's existing barcode.

"Barcode" is not one thing. The bars on a retail pack, the code you stick on a shelf, the symbol on a carton and the square on a jewellery tag are different symbologies, each with its own rules about length and characters. LabelCraft prints every common one. This guide compares them so you pick the right format the first time.

Every barcode type LabelCraft can print

Code 128 (1D) - variable length, letters and numbers. The default for self-assigned internal codes - no GS1 account needed.
EAN-13 (1D) - fixed 13 digits. The global retail standard, scanned at tills worldwide (a GTIN-13).
EAN-8 (1D) - fixed 8 digits. A compact retail code for packs too small for an EAN-13.
UPC-A (1D) - fixed 12 digits. The North American retail standard (a GTIN-12).
QR Code (2D) - holds any text or a URL. Great for linking a tag to a product page, and for tiny items.
GS1-128 (1D) - variable length carrying structured GS1 data (batch, expiry, quantity). Used on logistics and case labels.
Code 39 (1D) - variable length, uppercase letters and digits. A legacy format for asset, government and library scanners.
ITF-14 (1D) - fixed 14 digits. The carton and case code (a GTIN-14) for outer boxes of multiple units.
Data Matrix (2D) - a compact square that packs a lot into little space. Ideal for very small items - jewellery, electronics, cosmetics, UDI.

Digits-only retail codes: EAN-13, UPC-A, EAN-8

These are GTINs - registered, digits-only numbers you scan at a checkout. EAN-13 is the worldwide standard, UPC-A its 12-digit North American form, and EAN-8 a shortened version for tiny packs. Use them when you sell through retail channels that expect a real, owned barcode. Each ends in a check digit that has to be valid or the code won't scan.

Codes you assign yourself: Code 128 and Code 39

Code 128 is the workhorse for internal use: it encodes letters and numbers, so you can print your own SKU as a scannable code without buying anything from GS1. It scans perfectly at your own till and in receiving. Code 39 is an older, lower-density alphanumeric format still required by some asset, government and library systems - choose it only when a scanner specifically needs it, otherwise Code 128 is denser and more capable.

Logistics codes: GS1-128 and ITF-14

GS1-128 carries structured data using GS1 Application Identifiers - a GTIN plus a batch number, expiry date or quantity in one symbol - which is why it appears on shipping and case labels. ITF-14 encodes a 14-digit GTIN-14 for an outer carton of multiple units; it is the format you print on the box, not the item. Both pair naturally with receiving: see receiving and labelling.

2D codes: QR and Data Matrix

A 2D code stores data in a grid rather than a row of bars, so it fits far more in a smaller area. QR Code is familiar to shoppers and can hold a link to the product page; Data Matrix packs the most into the least space, which makes it the choice for jewellery, electronics and regulated UDI labels. Both need a 2D-capable imager (a 1D laser scanner can't read them). See the QR and Data Matrix guide.

Which one should you pick?

Selling at retail or to other stores? Use a real GTIN - EAN-13 (or UPC-A in North America). Labelling only for your own shop and receiving? A self-assigned Code 128 scans from day one with no GS1 cost. Shipping cartons? ITF-14 or GS1-128. Tiny item or a link to a page? A 2D QR or Data Matrix. You set the format per element in the template editor, and LabelCraft warns before printing if a code is too small to scan at the size you chose.

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