Carton number:
Give each pack size its own indicator from 1 to 8. The digit itself has no fixed meaning, and GS1 keeps 9 for goods sold by weight.
ITF-14 generator
An ITF-14 always holds exactly 14 digits, framed by bearer bars that make a misread from a skewed scan less likely. Start from your item's UPC or EAN and pick a pack digit, and this tool builds the carton number and its new check digit.
2.738 in (69.55 mm) wide by 1.524 in (38.72 mm) tall, clear space included
Carton numbers build on your item's number, so start from a number your company holds through GS1. GS1 does not allow internal-range numbers in a carton number. For stock you run yourself, use Code 128. The route to a number of your own is in how to get a UPC code.
- Narrow bar: 0.495 mm (19.5 mil)
- Clear space: 0.195 in (4.95 mm) left, 0.195 in (4.95 mm) right at minimum
- PNG at 300 dpi: 843 by 459 dots, narrow bar 6 dots, so it prints at 0.508 mm
- This narrow bar works for labels printed by laser or thermal. GS1 says not to print below 0.635 mm directly on corrugated board with a plate press.
More options
By the UPC Generator team. Sized from section 5.3 of the GS1 General Specifications, Release 26.0. The width matches GS1's published 142.75 mm example and the carton numbers match its table. Last updated 4 November 2026. How UPC Generator pages are made.
How a carton number is built
GS1 publishes a short table for this, and the tool follows it. Remove the item's check digit, put your pack digit in front, then work out a new check digit from the whole thing.
| Pack digit | Item number without its check digit | New check digit | Full carton number |
|---|---|---|---|
| none, the item | 061414112345 | 2 | 0614141123452 |
| 1 | 061414112345 | 9 | 10614141123459 |
| 8 | 061414112345 | 8 | 80614141123458 |
A 12 digit UPC gets a leading zero first, so it fills the same 13 positions. Once you have used all eight pack digits, GS1 says further pack sizes need a number of their own. Digit 9 is reserved for goods sold by weight or measure, so the tool does not offer it.
ITF-14 sizes and where each one fits
Width includes clear space, and height includes bearer bars and digits. Every bar here is at the 2.5 to 1 target ratio.
| Use | Narrow bar | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labels by laser or thermal printer | 0.495 mm | 2.74 in (69.55 mm) | 1.52 in (38.72 mm) |
| Smallest on corrugated board by plate press | 0.635 mm | 3.51 in (89.22 mm) | 1.59 in (40.39 mm) |
| Direct print with some room to spare | 0.8 mm | 4.43 in (112.4 mm) | 1.62 in (41.27 mm) |
| Largest | 1.016 mm | 5.62 in (142.75 mm) | 1.67 in (42.35 mm) |
The length formula in the GS1 standard is (P(4N + 6) + N + 6)X + 2Q, with 7 pairs of digits. At the largest size, 120.5 narrow bars of 1.016 mm plus 10.16 mm of clear space on each side gives 142.75 mm. That is the figure in the table.
Digits in pairs, bars and spaces both working
ITF stands for Interleaved Two of Five. Each digit is five elements, two wide and three narrow. The first digit of a pair is written in five bars, and the second is written in the five spaces woven between them. That is why the number must have an even length, and why 14 digits makes exactly 7 blocks plus a start and a stop.
Why cartons need a tougher barcode
Brown corrugated board soaks up ink and spreads it, so thin bars grow and thin gaps close. ITF-14 has only two widths, and it allows a wide bar up to three times the narrow one. GS1 describes it as better suited than a UPC or EAN to direct printing on corrugated board. Choose 3 to 1 if your press spreads ink badly, and 2.5 to 1 otherwise.
The bearer bars have a second job on a plate press: they carry the plate's pressure across the barcode so it prints evenly. On a laser or thermal printer they only need to be twice the narrow bar, top and bottom.
Using an ITF-14 well
Print one on two sides of a carton where you can, so it can be scanned wherever it sits on the pallet. Keep clear of the folds and flaps. Print a test sheet at 100 percent, because a scaling setting on the printer changes every bar width.
Numbers for items you sell come from GS1, and the guide to getting a UPC lists the costs. The item's own barcode comes from the UPC generator or, for any other format, the barcode generator. Use the check digit calculator to test a 14 digit number you were given. If your cartons only move inside your own building, a Code 128 stock label holds letters too and needs no licensed number.
The number inside
The digits in an ITF-14 are a GTIN-14. How the indicator digit at the front turns one item number into a family of pack sizes is in the GTIN guide. ITF-14 is one of the symbols in the GS1 barcode family, which also says where each one belongs.
ITF-14 questions
What is the difference between ITF-14 and UPC?
A UPC goes on the item a shopper buys and is scanned at a checkout. An ITF-14 goes on the carton that holds those items and is scanned in a warehouse. GS1 says it suits direct printing on corrugated board better, and that it is not expected to cross a retail checkout.
What is the indicator digit?
It is the first of the 14 digits, and it tells one pack size apart from another of the same item. You choose it from 1 to 8. A case of 12 might use 1 and a case of 24 might use 2. The digit has no fixed meaning, so keep a record of what each one stands for.
Why does the last digit change when I add an indicator?
The check digit is worked out from all the digits before it, so adding the indicator changes the sum. GS1's own example shows it: item 0614141123452 gets check digit 9 with indicator 1 and check digit 8 with indicator 8.
Do I need bearer bars?
GS1 makes them mandatory unless they are technically impossible. They reduce the chance that a scan line clipping the top or bottom edge reads part of the code as a shorter number. Digital printing needs only bars top and bottom. Plate presses need the full 4.83 mm box.
What is the minimum size for an ITF-14?
GS1 sets a 0.495 mm narrow bar and 31.75 mm tall bars for normal use. It allows smaller, down to 0.25 mm and 5.08 mm, only when the carton is physically too small. For printing straight on corrugated board with a plate press, GS1 says not to go below 0.635 mm.
Is ITF-14 the same as SCC-14 or GTIN-14?
GTIN-14 is the number. ITF-14 is the barcode that carries it. SCC-14 is an older name for the same number that you will still see on some supplier forms.
3 source documents
- GS1: General Specifications, Release 26.0, sections 2.1, 5.3 and 5.12.3.2, fetched 2 November 2026
- GS1 US: How to get a UPC barcode, with prefix pricing, fetched 2 November 2026
- Wikipedia: ITF-14, fetched 2 November 2026