Quick answer: type or paste the data (up to about 1,800 characters), choose how many data columns the barcode should have to fit your space, and keep error correction on automatic unless your specification says otherwise. Download as PNG, SVG or PDF.
Not a PDF file
Despite the name, PDF417 has nothing to do with PDF documents. It stands for Portable Data File, and 417 describes the structure: every codeword is 4 bars and 4 spaces over 17 modules. Symbol Technologies released it in 1991 as a way to put a whole data file into a barcode that the laser scanners of the time could already read – one row at a time.
| Rows | 3 to 90 |
| Data columns | 1 to 30 |
| Capacity | about 1,850 text characters or 2,710 digits |
| Error correction | levels 0–8 (2 to 512 correction codewords) |
| Quiet zone | 2 modules on every side |
How to create a PDF417 barcode
- Enter the data. Text, numbers, or fields separated by a character such as | as your system expects.
- Fit the shape. More columns make the barcode wider and shorter; fewer columns make it taller.
- Error correction. Automatic chooses a level suited to the amount of data. Higher levels survive more damage but need more space.
- Download. PDF or SVG keep the thin rows sharp for card printers.
Where PDF417 is used
- Driving licences and ID cards in the US and Canada (AAMVA standard) and in many other countries.
- Boarding passes – IATA's bar-coded boarding pass standard allows PDF417 on paper passes.
- Shipping and freight labels, where it carries the full address and parcel data.
- Government forms such as tax returns, so the filled-in data can be captured without typing.
MicroPDF417 and Compact PDF417
MicroPDF417 has 1–4 columns and needs no start and stop patterns on every row, so it fits small items. Compact (truncated) PDF417 drops the right-hand row indicators to save width when the barcode is printed in clean conditions.
How PDF417 protects your data
Each row of a PDF417 starts and ends with row indicators that tell the scanner which row it is reading and how the symbol is laid out, so the rows can be read in any order – even with a simple line scanner sweeping over them at an angle. Reed-Solomon error correction then rebuilds missing or damaged codewords: at level 5, which is common for ID cards, up to 64 codewords can be recovered.
Frequently asked questions
How much text fits in a PDF417?
Up to about 1,850 characters of text or 2,710 digits, depending on the error correction level.
Can I make a barcode for a driving licence?
You can encode any data, but real licences follow the AAMVA specification and are issued by authorities. Use this for testing, internal cards or your own forms.
Why is my PDF417 very wide?
Choose fewer data columns. The barcode becomes taller and narrower.
Which error correction level should I choose?
Leave it on automatic. Use a higher level for cards that get scratched or labels printed on rough surfaces.
Can phone apps read PDF417?
Yes, most scanning apps support it, and so does our Barcode Reader.