What a PDF417 barcode is
PDF417 is a stacked barcode: a set of short linear rows piled on top of each other, between 3 and 90 rows high. The name means Portable Data File, and each codeword is 17 modules wide built from 4 bars and 4 spaces. One symbol holds around 1,800 text characters or 1,100 bytes of data.
It has built-in error correction at levels 0 to 8, so it can still be read when part of it is damaged. Its wide, short shape suits the back of a card, a ticket stub or the edge of a document, where a square code would not fit well.
Where PDF417 is used
Because it can hold a full record, a PDF417 scan can fill in a form or check a ticket without looking anything up in a database. That makes it useful where a connection is slow or missing, such as at an event gate or roadside check.
- Driving licences and ID cards in the US and Canada, following the AAMVA standard.
- Airline boarding passes, both printed and on some mobile passes.
- Shipping labels and customs documents from parcel carriers.
- Event tickets, invoices and forms that need to carry a whole record.
How to create a PDF417 barcode
- Choose PDF417 in the generator.
- Type or paste the data, such as a ticket reference with a name and date.
- Check the preview. The barcode adds rows as your text gets longer.
- Download SVG for print or PNG for documents and screens.
- Scan a printed test copy with the reader that will be used.
Printing and scanning PDF417
PDF417 needs a 2D imager or a camera. A basic laser scanner reads one line at a time and cannot decode it. Before you roll out PDF417 on tickets or labels, confirm that every scanner in use can read it.
Print with enough room: the narrowest element should be at least 0.25 mm for most readers, and you need a quiet zone of two module widths on every side. Rows that are too short in height are the most common cause of failed reads, so do not squash the barcode to fit. Download the SVG if you need to resize it.
About driving licence barcodes
Many searches for a PDF417 generator are about driving licences. The barcode on the back of a US or Canadian licence uses a strict AAMVA data layout. Our generator does not produce that format, and making barcodes for ID documents you are not authorised to issue is illegal in most places.
Reading one is different. Businesses that check age or verify customer details often need to read the data in a driving licence barcode. Our barcode scanner reads PDF417 in the browser from your camera or a photo, on phones and computers. The image is read on your device and never sent to our servers.
